Nuri Shakir – “Closing the Gate”

By Joe Kennerson

With the exception of a cauliflower ear, Nuri Shakir’s physical appearance can be more readily mistaken for a microbiologist (his day job) than a fighter. He lacks muscle definition, portrays a scientific smile, and sports a pedestrian wardrobe. But make no mistake about it, with over 10 years of mixed martial arts experience and fights with some of the toughest athletes in the world, Shakir is one of the most dangerous welterweights around.

His split-second judo throws coincide with his fast talking nature. His disdain for the world of MMA is attributable to fighting a who’s-who list of UFC fighters, but failing to reach the next level. He’s faced off against 10 former or would be UFC opponents, another 2 bouts against WEC fighters, and an amateur match against Kenny Florian. Yet Shakir hasn’t been approached by Strikeforce or Affliction.

He is considered by some to be the gatekeeper into the UFC welterweight division. He went the distance with Thiago Alves, the current top UFC welterweight contender set to battle George St. Pierre this summer. He beat heavy handed Marcus Davis. In addition, he went toe-to-toe with the likes of Drew Fickett, Nick Thompson, and Steve Berger. Yet, Shakir hasn’t received an invitation to the UFC.

The reason? One could think it has to do with his losing record (13-14), which has been primarily due to taking on the toughest fights at every stop during his career path.

“My first MMA coach told me there were two routes to take to the top: to build up an easy record or to fight the best of the best,” said the microbiologist/fighter that resides in North Andover, Ma.

To Shakir, it was a no brainer. “Fighters who beat guys that mean nothing, become the King of Nothings. I know that at the end of the day, people will respect me.”

Another reason could have to do with his lack of popularity in the sport and fear he instills in others. After his wins against Davis and Rich Moskowitz, Shakir found it difficult to land local fights.

“Everyone went from being a tough fighter to saying ‘I have to win as many fights as I can to get to the UFC,’” said Shakir. “That’s when things changed in MMA. I was a dinosaur thinking that the best fighters should always fight.

“Looking at my record, I should be in my 40’s, I should be an ancient relic…I’m not, I’m in my prime,” said Shakir, who is just 29 with 40 unofficial fights in his career.

The self-described dinosaur will have a chance to rise from local MMA extinction when he takes on former Ultimate Fighter contender Mike Dolce in the main event of the World Championship Fighting 6 event on March 14th in Wilmington, Ma.

Despite the offer, Shakir still harbors resentment from the recent neglect in the sport. He claims fighters have ducked him while managers and promoters have blocked him from certain fights and fighters. He would call fighters out via MMA internet forums. He even reached a point when he would book four to five fights at a time knowing opponents would back out.

“No local fighter wanted to step up to me. It’s never been an issue with me wanting to fight, it’s been them not wanting to fight me. And if there is anybody who disagrees with this then call me up.”

“I have six belts at home. I tried to collect all of the belts at one time so people were forced to fight me. So what they did is make more belts. Instead of having a weight class of 170, they would create a class of 170.1 lbs.”

Shakir, never felt comfortable belonging to a big camp. He has bounced from the New England Submission Fighting, to the Dragon Lair Academy, over to Team Elite, then Sityodtong, and finally to what he calls “Camp Me,” where he trains with Keith Rockel, Matt Lee, and his boxing coach Rocky Gonzolas. The lack of association with a well-known gym has him thinking at times that there is the perception of him being a sub-par fighter.

“I never wanted to be a part of a big gym because they would just never have my best interest at heart. There are just too many egos at a lot of gyms,” he claims.

Until today, Nuri was a self-promoter, and never relied on a manager to ink his fights. He was notorious for flying across the country – without a trainer or corner – and jumping into the ring. He even admits that there were rumors in the industry that he was difficult to work with.

This loner-type personality stems from his younger years. Shakir’s parents divorced when he was 13 years old, which led to him bouncing from home to home between Cincinnati, Ohio and various towns in New Hampshire. Always avoiding getting mixed in with the wrong crowd, he incessantly found himself forced to fight as the new kid in the neighborhood.

“I never looked to fight as a kid, but if I was backed into a corner, I had no choice.”

Education was engrained in his family roots. His father has a college degree in psychology, while his mother graduated with a Masters in Education. Shakir himself completed an Associates degree of biotechnology out of Middlesex College which propelled him to a microbiology profession on a full time basis. His high intelligence, compounded with the passion of fighting led Shakir to open his own gym this January in Nashua, NH called Ultimate MMA and Self Defense in which he trains 10 students.

His experiences and eagerness to learn has been what’s gelled him into the fighter he is today. The combination of his judo background which started in Ohio, his heavy hands learned in the streets as a kid, and his jiu jitzu experience here locally, Shakir found his niche as a fighter.

His record is deceiving. He has fought some of the best in the world and has only been knocked out once – in 2006 to TKO specialist and UFC-bound Jeff Joslin. His 14 losses have seemed to work against him in his ultimate quest to the top.

“It’s been bad luck mixed with an older ideal of what a fighter should be. I want a fighter’s respect,” he said. “The more fights you have, the more losses you are going to get, but the more-well rounded you will be.”

But as he turns 30 years old later this month, the newly married Shakir realizes that there is a shelf life on his career. With a family to think about, the UFC dream needs to be realized shortly.

“I’m getting older, and I’m nearing a make or break period in my life. If I’m at 35 and have not reached the next level, I’ll know the time is up.”

Ironically, as Shakir trains to fight a former Ultimate Fighter contender, the microbiologist by day – fighter by night, believes he is already one of the top fighters in the world.

“My skill level right now is the highest it’s ever been. Everything that is new to these fighters was new to me 10 years ago. There hasn’t been anything in 10 years that I haven’t seen.

“I really think half of the guys in the UFC (at 170 or 155) who are under the top tier aren’t on my level.”

He certainly doesn’t lack confidence, but what he has lacked in prior fights is conditioning. Training at nights and sparring on the weekends has limited his overall endurance.

“I don’t lose by skill level,” Shakir boasts. “The one person who has out boxed me is Joslin. But if I was training full time two years ago, I wouldn’t have lost.”

It’s been a different story with the upcoming fight. With student/teammate Ben Desfosses leading a new strength and conditioning program, Nuri seems to be on track to cover his biggest weakness.

Dolce, who starred on the Ultimate Fighter 7, has struggled as of late, losing his last six professional fights. But a recent move to England to train at the Wolfslair camp with the likes of Michael Bisping and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson could easily reverse his losing ways.

“He’s a tough guy,” said Shakir. “I’ll be smaller, but I’ve always been smaller. He has good hands and swings for the fences right off the bat. I don’t see the fight going the distance. I see me tagging him, him trying to shoot on me, and then me finishing it through strikes or submission.”

With bitterness in his voice, this fast-talking, New England MMA icon may be set up for another gateway fight into the UFC come March 14th. Or maybe, with a win and a scientific miracle, Nuri Shakir’s final resume could read ‘Microbiologist/UFC Veteran.’