Outside Source
Weichel, who won the M-1 Global featherweight championship before claiming the 2014 Bellator featherweight tournament title, retired after a two-decade career following a 2023 loss to Mads Burnell. Over the years, Weichel (42-15) often crossed paths with the best young talent in the world. He fought in America, Russia, Italy, Ireland, England and many other locales, but never in his hometown of Frankfurt. He still isn’t used to being the hometown hero.
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“Honestly, it’s been a little bit strange,” Weichel told Sherdog.com. “I was grocery shopping and people were telling me, ‘Good luck with your fight,’ and, ‘We have tickets!’ It’s crazy, because I’ve never had this before.”
In 2002, Weichel debuted in the Netherlands with a first-round armbar while MMA was still considered an underground outcast sport in Germany. Despite piling up violent finishes all around Europe, all of Weichel’s best career opportunities were on the road.
“I came from a time when MMA wasn’t recognized in Germany,” he said. “No one knew what it was. But to see how much attention it’s gotten and how many people are fascinated by a sport I love from the bottom of my heart is a blessing.”
The 68th Time to be the Charm for the Veteran
Weichel’s 68th professional training camp has been like none of his others. Having the support of friends, family and his local community has been a game-changer. Going into the prep, Weichel wondered how his body would react to the stress of camp life after two years. Should he push his physical limits or rely on two decades of experience and listen to his body?
“Being on autopilot is the one thing I can’t do,” Weichel admitted. “When I was in my 20s, I was training and training hard. Now I need to see how my body feels and what I need to do to recover. I’m very focused on that. To have that focus in this camp with my team and coaches was great. I felt like I was peaking from week to week.”
From reading books to meditation, Weichel has prioritized his mental state as much as his physical prowess for this homecoming headliner. For the first time, he’ll have to carry the proverbial weight of his entire hometown on his back. Luckily for the fans, he’s welcoming it. It’s been a long journey, but it’s finally time to return home.
“When Oktagon came to Frankfurt, there were over 55,000 people in the stadium, and I was there to corner a teammate. I saw this and was blown away. It was one of the best things I had ever experienced without fighting. I’m so happy to be fighting with Oktagon because they made it possible. With German fighters, they built something great and showed what I always wanted to show the people of Germany for years: What’s behind this sport in the cage? What does it take to become an elite fighter? What do you have to sacrifice in this life of training? It’s very nice to see that the people understand what MMA is all about,” the proud German concluded.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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