A.J. Agazarm says since moving to MMA, he’s found it difficult to break his habit of being nice as a jiu-jitsu player.
A.J. Agazarm is still new to MMA, but his performance at Bellator 228 “frustrated” him.
The jiu-jitsu ace, who defeated Jonathan Quiroz by unanimous decision Saturday night in Inglewood, California, said after the fight that he needs to be “more mean” in his fights. Agazarm, who made his MMA debut in January, is 2-1 as a pro.
“I gotta break the habit of being nice. Too nice,” Agazarm told media at Bellator 228.
Agazarm said he is having difficulty doing so because of his time as a jiu-jitsu player, but it’ll come with more time and experience in MMA.
“It’s just part of the transition,” Agazarm said. “You can’t be mean in jiu-jitsu. You get penalized for being mean. You gotta be mean in MMA. Sometimes, to get what you want, you gotta be mean. I wanted that choke, and I wasn’t mean enough.
“It’s about being mean-spirited, it’s about getting what you want, and having no reservations in there. I felt some reservations there. This fight wasn’t about me versus him; it was about me fighting the uncontrollable desire to be nice.”
But Agazarm said this notion of being “mean” as a fighter only applies to during the actual bout.
“There’s no reason to be mean after the fight,” Agazarm said. “That’s like going to a place for customer service and the customer service representative giving you a reversal on your overdraft fee and you being a dick to them afterward. They already gave you the overdraft fee reversal, why do you gotta be a dick?”
Agazarm’s win over Quiroz marked his first pro win by decision. In his debut, he lost a split decision, then followed that up with a first-round submission victory. All three of Agazarm’s pro fights have taken place under the Bellator banner. He did not have any amateur bouts.
Despite his concerns of being too nice, Agazarm said he is “still learning how to drive.” He has a lot of time to grow in the sport. And it sounds like he’s here to stay.
“This was my third fight,” Agazarm said. “I’ll have 300 fights by the time I’m done, mark my words. I know I will. It’s just a matter of time.”