Young Bosnian fighter Igor Emkic has lately been in the spotlight of the regional martial arts scene. After making a name for himself with an amazing knockout against Ivan Stanic at FFC 5 in Osijek, and having been knockout in turn at the very next FFC event in Porec, Emkic is expecting two very important bouts within 3 weeks of each other.

The first one will be at the Fight for Glory event in the city of Banja Luka on September 13 against OFC fighter Luka Zezelic, and already on October 4 at the grand FFC 7 event he will have a rematch against Moroccan Ibrahim El Bouni.
Igor Emkic has revealed to Fight Site which was his toughest fight, what does he think of his opponents Zezelic and El Bouni and who would he like to see on the opposite side of the ring after Sarajevo.

What was the toughest fight you've had so far in your career and which one is your favorite?
"I've had lots of important and dear matches, certainly some of those were in the FFC, but my toughest fight by far was the one against Ukrainian Dmytr Kirpan, which I had after a severe case of poisoning and two infusions received. The fight was in the European Championship finals."

After his controversial defeat against Stipe Glavica, Luka Zezelic is hungry for a win. How hard will it be to face the OFC's fighter?
"Luka is a serious opponent. It will be an interesting and dynamic fight; since we both love open fighting it very likely that it will end in a stoppage. The crowd will definitely enjoy it."

What is your comment on Moroccan El Bouni and Luka Zezelic working together?
"The cooperation between El Bouni and Zezelic is, in my opinion, more about the marketing than any real cooperation. Both fighters have serious coaches and are primarily competing with each other. But I'll give all I can in both fights and do everything possible to win them."

After your surprising loss to El Bouni, you asked for a rematch and a chance for 'revenge', and to many a fan's delight it should happen already in Sarajevo.  How much are you looking forward to the rematch, and what kind of outcome can we expect?
"I have an important fight before the rematch with El Bouni, so I'm completely focused on Luka Zezelic at this point. I feel good and I'm in the mood to fight, that's what's most important to me at this point. After the fight in Banja Luka, we'll go on at the same pace so I can use all my abilities in front of the Sarajevo crowd."

Two fights in three weeks. To what extend can the fight against Luka affect the one with El Bouni?
"This is a very unpredictable sport, so that match at the Fight for Glory event in Banja Luka could have a very positive impact on my rematch at FFC in Sarajevo, but a negative one as well. The fights are closer to each other than they should've been, because of scheduling changes, but I'll give everything I can at both events, I guarantee that."

Who would you like to see on the opposite side of the ring after the event in Sarajevo?
"85 kilos is not my natural weight class. So, I'd like to face all the top fighters who are in my natural weight class, which is 81 kg. There are a lot of top fighters at 81 kg, including Emil Zoraj, Zlatko Bahic, Miran Fabjan, Ivan Bilic and others. Those would be some great fights."

Your comment on the FFC 7 fight card? Which of the fights would you like to see the most?
"The entire fight card is very interesting; the crowd will definitely enjoy the fights. Lots of big names, matched up so that each fight draws attention. The matchup I find especially interesting is the one between Pavel Zhuravlev and Muamer Tufekcic, that will be a real treat."

Emir Spahic
emir.spahic@fightsite.ba