Venum Training Camp member and ONE Championship fighter Sinsamut Klinmee has commented on the ban of coach Mehdi Zatout. The 28-year-old reiterated that the ISKA and WBC World Champion doesn’t deserve the decision, stating it could affect the motivation and support system of the camp’s fighters participating in ONE events.
To recall, the issue started during Jonathan Haggerty’s ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title victory against Fabricio Andrade of ONE Fight Night 16. After the ONE Fight Night 16 main event, one of Zatout’s fighters, Alaverdi Ramazanov, confronted Haggerty in the ring in hopes of getting a challenge.
According to Zatout, Ramazanov expressed eagerness to face the winner at the start of the show due to his second-rank position. The coach warned Ramazanov about going to the ring and making the move, advising the young fighter to wait for the show to end. Ramazanov, however, still went, which led to some mic-snatching moments.
Unfortunately, the move didn’t please ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who said that the two “breached security” and “jeopardized the safety of everyone in the stadium.” This later resulted in the ban of Zatout and Ramazanov.
Klinmee, nonetheless, believes that the decision is unfair to the coach. During an interview with the South China Morning Post, the fighter underscored how the ban would affect Venum Training Camp’s fighters participating in ONE’s events.
“Well this is just my personal opinion on the situation that happened,” Sinsamut told the Post. “I feel like Mehdi, he takes care of 40 to 50 athletes, and there will always be someone in that crowd who is a little bit more stubborn, who does what they want.
“I feel like maybe it’s better to just punish Alaverdi alone and not Mehdi. I also asked Mehdi, ‘Did you ask Alaverdi to go into the ring?’ He said no.
“I just think Mehdi not coming to ONE Championship for six months affects a lot of fighters. If it was me and there’s no Mehdi cheering for me or supporting me, it would be difficult to me.
“Mehdi is the first person to bring me to ONE Championship and I would like him to be beside me when I fight. Now he cannot be there for six months. It will affect a lot of the fighters, in the motivation and the support that they have.”
Klinmee’s comment echoes Zatout’s sentiments, stating that Ramazanov is an adult with his own decision.
“I didn’t do anything and I don’t understand why I’m involved in this story,” Zatout said. “After the fight I told him there is no interest to stand up in the ring and do that. I truly said to Alaverdi to wait for [after] the end of the show, and he didn’t listen to me at all. I work by passion since many years and I will never try to disrespect the hard work of people beside me.”
Klinmee is not the first fighter to stand up for the coach, as others from Zatout’s team also expressed the same view earlier. Nonetheless, Klinmee expressed fears about the possibility of getting banned for defending the 40-year-old former kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter.
“I don’t want to say anything because I’m afraid of being banned too. The baby is about to be born, but I want to say a little,” Sinsamut added. “I don’t want [ONE] to ban Mehdi because it will affect the fighters in his camp and others too. Maybe it can be a fine instead and ban Alaverdi.
