Tolga Öztürk from Emden becomes a professional MMA fighter

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Emden/Groningen – Industrial engineer with an academic degree, owner of two successful catering businesses – and successful MMA fighter: Tolga Öztürk from Emden is clearly a very complex character. For around three years now, he has been pursuing a career in mixed martial arts alongside his main job. This full-contact combat sport with a relatively narrow set of rules is becoming increasingly popular in Germany, and broadcasts on pay TV are becoming increasingly popular.

On the move

“The more freedom you have with the rules, the more important a good strategy is,” says Öztürk, explaining his fascination with the sport. He has now fought eleven fights for various organizations, winning seven, drawing two and losing two. The defeats were mainly in the early days, when the 27-year-old had to pay the price in ground fighting. He has since learned a lot. He won his last fight by knockout and is now on the verge of turning professional. He plans to do so at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

Observers believe the Emden native is capable of a lot, even a career in the UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It is the largest mixed martial arts organization. The best in the world fight here, including the controversial Irish superstar Conor McGregor. “I think Tolga can go all the way.” He can make it into professional MMA – and in the biggest organizations. Including the UFC,” Orlando Prins recently said in the sports podcast “Toddi & Chris”. Prins should know. He is already a professional, was a contender for the featherweight title and trained Öztürk in his “RootMMA Gym” in Groningen.

UFC? Probably Europe

But it will probably not be the UFC, based in the USA and also the absolute world elite. “You can’t do anything else at that level.” I wouldn’t feel good about that,” he says, looking at his businesses, the “Ostfirese” in Emden and the “Castelluccio” in Groningen. “People’s livelihoods depend on it.” He has 50 employees in Emden alone, and another 40 in Groningen. And he doesn’t want to let his business partner and friend Halil Kalmaz down.

Tolga Öztürk already has to train three to four times a week. “That’s not really much for MMA.” “You have to train so many different things – boxing, wrestling, JiuJitsu, strength and conditioning,” explains Öztürk. As soon as he implements his plan and moves into the professional field, it will be ten sessions a week. That alone will be a challenge for the self-employed restaurateur. Nevertheless, he is confident that he can compete for a professional European organization such as Oktagon (based in the Czech Republic) or Cage Warriors (UK).

How to become an MMA fighter?

But how does one actually become an MMA fighter? Tolga Öztürk gained his first martial arts experience as a teenager at the Emden Boxing and Athletics Club (EBAC). His role model: his father. Hasim Öztürk, who used to be a pretty good boxer himself, was not thrilled when his son wanted to emulate him. But he finally gave in to his son’s insistence – Tolga was allowed to box.

Semester abroad in Peru

The beginning was made. Martial arts remained a part of Tolga Öztürk’s life forever. Whether on a trip to Thailand, where he entered the ring as a boxer, or during a semester abroad in Peru. While training in a fitness center, an acquaintance persuaded him to try MMA. That was the MMA trigger. Although he didn’t find any more opponents during his stay in South America, Öztürk had a taste for it and when he returned to Germany, he took part in an organized field fight organized by the Defend FC organization (Bremen). He has been fighting in the cage for a while now, successfully competing for the Levels Fight League from the Netherlands and the German MMA Championship – and is now planning to enter the professional field.