Kibedy Gordon: "I will reach the UFC this year"
Israeli fighter Kibedy “Slingshot” Gordon brought great pride to Israel this past Friday. He delivered a stunning knockout in about half a minute against Alexis Ramos at an FFC event in Peru, improving his record to 8 wins and 2 losses. Today, he gave an interview to the Sport5 Radio show, “5 On Air”.
“I said to myself ‘let’s have an easy day at the office and finish it as quickly as possible, without injuries or cuts — do the job and go home’”’ Gordon said about the fight. “The truth is, you get a bonus if you win quickly.”
About his nickname “Slingshot”
“I took it from the story of David and Goliath — I connected to that Jewish weapon.”
About the organization he fought in
“It’s a professional league, considered very big in South America. The crowd was crazy — Peruvians and Israelis. It can bring me closer to the biggest league in the world, the UFC. The last fight I lost was in Peru, and in my opinion and many others’, I actually won — but the judges gave it to the local fighter. This time I knew if it went to the judges, I’d lose — so 40 seconds were enough to finish it.”
His journey
“My team is Brazilian (Fighting Nerds), I live in São Paulo. I’m one of three fighters in the family, one of seven siblings overall. I train in everything — jiu-jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, kickboxing. MMA is a combination of all of it, and inside the cage you can do everything within basic rules.”
His goal
“This year, with God’s help, I’ll reach the UFC. If you have a good record and exciting fights, scouts look for people who can sell fights and finish them. We brought 400 Israelis to a home crowd in Peru — they noticed me. I hope they call soon.”
What makes him unique?
“Muay Thai. My whole family started there, and four years ago I moved to MMA. To progress, you have to add wrestling and ground work.”
Training routine
“I train Sunday through Friday, two to three sessions a day — Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, MMA. Also strength training, cardio, explosive power. I have a nutritionist and a physiotherapist — a strong team here in Brazil.”
Finances
“Until you reach the big leagues, you don’t really make a living. In this fight, I spent more than I earned. Sponsorships help me cover training, rent, and living expenses. As I fight more and progress, sponsors come in.”
A message to Beitar Jerusalem
“Barak Abramov (the owner), talk to me — I’ll come to a game, no problem, I’ll break legs and stand in the middle,” he joked.
“I walked out with a Beitar scarf — I grew up in Jerusalem and always felt connected to the team.”
Response to a Palestinian UFC fighter’s threats, Regarding messages from Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwadi
“I’m here, I’m waiting. Name the time and place — I’ll meet you. I’ll show him that the eternal people aren’t afraid. I don’t even know him — probably a small name in the UFC — but if he talks like that? I’ll finish him in 30 seconds and he’ll be out.”
What’s next?
“With God’s help, in about two months. Nothing confirmed yet, but soon we’ll know — maybe even the UFC will want me there.”
Click here for the full interview in Hebrew, in the Sport5 website
