Published 11:14 IST, August 4th 2020
Benzema to UFC? Real Madrid star openly declares MMA ambition after football career
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema looks to continue with a different sport - MMA after his stint with football ends. He is considered a huge kickboxing fan.
With the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was entrusted with the task of spearheading the frontline and the Frenchman hasn’t disappointed. Having finished second in the Pichichi race behind Barcelona ace Lionel Messi, Benzema stands as the most trusted man for Zinedine Zidane. Although he still has a few more years to play at the top level, the striker already has a different sport in sight - MMA.
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Benzema MMA stint? Fouad Ezbiri's question invites surprising response
Benzema has been spending time interacting with his fans and friends via his official YouTube channel after clinching the LaLiga title. After an extensive question-answer round with fans a few days back, the Frenchman took questions from his friends this time around. The session saw some exciting answers from Benzema, with one question particularly attracting attention.
Benzema is a huge fan of fighting sports, particularly MMA. Keeping this in mind, French kickboxer Fouad Ezbiri asked the Los Blancos star if he had any plans to step in the ring. The Real Madrid striker stated that he does love fighting sports. He went on to reveal that he has trained with Ezbiri in the past and would do so again. Benzema suggested the idea of training for a period of six months with the boxer, after which the latter will decide if the French striker can step in the UFC ring.
Age never mattered: Benzema
Benzema was quizzed on his assessment, if any, on the number of years he could play football. Without mentioning the period, he asserted that he focuses on every minute detail to look after himself. He was doing everything to get the best out of himself on the field, said the former Lyon forward. He did state that he realises he is not in the early years of his career, but age has never mattered to the France international.
Benzema's honest response to James Rodriguez
Besides Ezbiri, Benzema's Real Madrid teammate James Rodriguez questioned the striker on his choice of assisting or scoring a goal. The forward revealed that he loves to score goals. But if he has a good partner upfront and in a good position to score, he'd prefer to assist too, further stating that he chooses both.
Image courtesy: Karim Benzema Instagram
Updated 11:14 IST, August 4th 2020