Carving his own path, and building his own legacy; from adversity Tarek Suleiman has shown the true meaning of perseverance, humility and success.
From a small village in Syria, Suleiman (10-7-0, 1 NC) rose to become one of the biggest Middle East combat sports athletes the world has seen.
Starting his career in boxing at the tender age of 15 in 2004, it was the Syrian war in 2011 that was the catalyst for Suleiman to train and fight in MMA purely from the need of not only raising the Syrian flag but also to financially sustain himself during his last years at university.
Even with a celebrated career in MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Syrian war still lingers over Suleiman, with the loss of loved ones as well as facing travel restrictions, because of his nationality. And it is this that drives Tarek to represent his country on an international platform to give hope and pride to the people of Syria.
He exclusively told GIVEMESPORT: "I want to fight for my family, my coaches, my gym and most importantly my country. I want to show the world, we are not what is shown on the news, we are not just refugees. We are athletes, we are doctors, we are engineers and we are proud."
Fighting out of the famed Tiger Muay Thai gym in Phuket, Suleiman attributes his strong work ethic, discipline and humility to his personal mantra of wanting to be the best version of himself.
The BJJ black belt, who also happens to a well-respected coach, has previously coached and trained alongside the likes of UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan and top Bellator contender Leah McCourt.
It is no wonder that the UAE Light Heavyweight Champion has achieved so much in his 31 years. And this is just the start of Suleiman’s journey, looking to leave a long-lasting legacy behind him, hoping to be remembered as a simple man, coming from a small village, was able to dream and achieve the near impossible.
Suleiman's next fight will feature on the inaugural UAE Warriors Arabia event, which has been launched by the Abu Dhabi-based professional MMA organisation, UAE Warriors, and is open exclusively to Arab fighters from around the world to compete in all weight divisions over the course of a series of events that will take place parallel to the international series of the championship.
Suleiman faces French Algerian Laïd Zarhouni (7-6-0), formerly of Bellator MMA. Diehard MMA fans won't want to miss this one.
Check out his socials here:
www.instagram.com/tareksul_mma/
https://twitter.com/TarekSul_MMA
https://www.facebook.com/tareksul.mma