By Erik Uebelacker
David Daniel Komar of Hungary was victorious in his fight in the opening leg of the 2021 IMMAF World Finals against England’s Kenirujan Suthakaran.
Komar’s journey was one of the more daunting ones on the MMA roster, as he arrived in Abu Dhabi just over 12 hours before his fight.
“I arrived last night around midnight, so I was a little bit tired today,” admitted Komar after his win on Monday.
“Happily, I was able to win the first fight via decision.”
Training out of Fite Club Hungary in Budapest, Komar is the lone Hungarian representative at this year’s Championships.
That status may add more pressure to some fighters, but Komar said he takes on the responsibility with pride.
“I’m not feeling it like pressure, I’m more proud,” he said.
“[This] means everything to me, to show the world we are good fighters!”
The Hungarian put on a proficient striking display in his performance against England’s Suthakaran in an effort that earned him a unanimous decision victory.
“I thought I could finish it in the first because he went down after I landed some good shots,” Komar said.
“But still, it’s a victory and I’m happy about it.”
Despite the difficult timing of his trip, he explained that arriving in good shape eased the burden of a quick weight cut.
“My weight was already on point, so this wasn’t really hard,” he said.
The featherweight will have to make the 145-pound limit at least once more, as he is set to face Tajikistan’s Manuchehr Rioev in the tournament’s second leg.
Rioev scored an impressive unanimous decision win over Irishman Ryan Keogh on Monday in a grappling-heavy affair.
A win in the second round will bring Komar one step closer to claiming another IMMAF World Championship medal for his home nation.
He has a tough test ahead of him in Rioev, but his ambition remains high.
“I want to be world champion,” he said.
