Ali Karout Gonzalez Media TV interview on UFC goal and Havoc FC

In the Ali Karout Gonzalez Media TV interview, Ali Karout said he plans to finish 2027 as an amateur before turning professional if all goes well. He also told us he wants to knock out his boxing-focused opponent at Havoc FC on November 6 and, ultimately, become a UFC champion.

What did Ali Karout say about his Havoc FC opponent?

Ali Karout said his camp for Havoc FC is going well, but he is not preparing for only one version of his opponent. He knows the other fighter is a boxer and expects an MMA fight to demand more than boxing. Karout is training to strike, wrestle and grapple rather than relying on a prediction drawn from video.

His approach starts with the uncertainty of an amateur fight. Karout said there is little footage available on some amateur opponents, making it difficult to know how a fight will unfold. In his view, even watching video cannot establish whether either fighter will be ready for every exchange once the bout moves between striking and grappling.

That uncertainty has shaped the work he described for November 6. He said he is preparing in case he needs to strike, wrestle or grapple. Although he identified his opponent as a boxer, Karout argued that boxing alone would not decide an MMA contest.

Karout sounded confident about the matchup without describing a detailed plan for the opening exchange. His emphasis was on having options wherever the fight goes, not on assuming his opponent will use only the skill for which Karout knows him.

How did Ali Karout build his fighting background?

Ali Karout said his parents started him in martial arts at four years old, beginning a path that led through jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai and MMA. He had his first MMA fight at 16 and said he has competed in wrestling for Team Canada, alongside wrestling and jiu-jitsu competition at other levels.

From childhood training to an MMA fight at 16

He said he earned a black belt in the discipline he began as a child before moving into jiu-jitsu and wrestling. Those two sports occupied much of his youth. He later spent time at MMA gyms and at boxing and Muay Thai gyms, adding striking experience to the grappling work he had already done.

Karout described his first MMA fight at 16 as one step in a wider competitive schedule. He also mentioned a few boxing fights and extensive wrestling and jiu-jitsu competition. His background, as he told it, did not come from training in one discipline and then switching permanently to another.

Team Canada and jiu-jitsu competition

In wrestling, Karout said he has been on Team Canada, competed at American championships and qualified for world championships. He did not give dates or results for those events. The experience is part of why he considers himself comfortable with the demands of competition beyond MMA.

He also said he has competed widely in jiu-jitsu at purple belt level and has faced brown and black belts. Those are Karout’s descriptions of his experience, not a claim that he holds those higher belts. Together, the competitions and gym training explain why he resists being defined by a single fighting style.

How does Ali Karout plan to fight at Havoc FC on November 6?

Ali Karout wants to knock out the opponent he described as a striker, partly because he believes people know him as a grappler. When presented with that label, he pushed back: his point was that he can fight in any phase of MMA, and a striking finish would make that clear.

Karout said a knockout against a boxer would look good for him. That was his preferred outcome, not a guarantee about how the November 6 fight will end. Earlier in our conversation, he had stressed that an amateur bout can be unpredictable and that he must be ready to wrestle or grapple as well as strike.

The distinction matters to him. He rejected the idea that being known for grappling limits what he can do against a striker. His confidence in a possible knockout sits alongside a camp built for several kinds of exchanges, rather than replacing it with a striking-only plan.

When does Ali Karout plan to turn professional and pursue the UFC?

Ali Karout said he intends to finish 2027 as an amateur and turn professional if all goes well. At 20, he believes his skill is already high enough to compete with Canada’s best 155-pound fighters, amateur or professional. He nevertheless wants more experience before making the move, with a UFC championship as his ultimate goal.

Why he wants more amateur experience

Karout said he had his first amateur fight at 16. He believes he is the best 155-pound fighter in Canada across both amateur and professional competition, but drew a line between possessing skill and being ready to begin a professional career. Experience, he said, can beat skill; he wants to bring both into the next stage.

His proposed timeline is conditional. He said he is thinking of completing 2027 as an amateur and switching to professional fighting if things go well. He did not name a specific fight or organization for that transition.

The goal beyond turning professional

Asked about promotions, Karout said the UFC is the destination he wants to reach as soon as he can. He framed professional status as a step toward something bigger, rather than the endpoint. Karout put his ambition plainly:

I have my goal set to be a UFC champion

That goal helps explain why he does not want to rush past amateur experience. He sees the added competition as preparation for pursuing a championship, even while expressing strong confidence in his present ability.

What did Ali Karout say about his confidence and growth as a fighter?

Ali Karout said his aim of becoming a UFC champion has stayed much the same since his first amateur fight, while his skills, strength and conditioning have improved. He connects his confidence to winning and says a fighter also needs commitment and belief. Those are his views on what competition demands, not a claim that confidence alone wins fights.

Looking back from age 20 to his first amateur fight at 16, Karout pointed to maturing through his teenage years and training in different places. He said that work raised his skill level as well as his physical preparation. The championship goal, by contrast, was already part of how he thought about fighting.

He said doing well motivates him to keep improving. When asked whether that mindset came from his parents or coaches, he argued that it cannot simply be taught. In his view, a fighter has to love the sport, be driven to compete and avoid doubting themselves.

Karout credited his confidence to his experience of beating opponents. His account of growth was not just about collecting wins, though: he also identified maturity, varied training and better conditioning as changes since he began competing in MMA.

Who does Ali Karout credit for supporting his career?

Ali Karout credited his parents, sponsors, faith and training teams for helping him compete and improve. He said his sponsors help fund training and travel to tournaments, while coaches and teammates at Olympus boxing club, JR Academy jiu-jitsu, Rocky Mountain jiu-jitsu and University Wrestling have contributed to his skills, confidence and experience.

Family, sponsors and faith

He thanked his parents first for helping him through his career. Karout then singled out sponsors for getting him to tournaments and helping pay for training. Those costs are part of the support he considers necessary to keep competing, although he did not name individual sponsors or give an amount.

Karout also thanked God. He described faith as important to what he has been able to do, placing it alongside the practical support from family and sponsors in his account of his career.

The teams behind his training

His list of training groups covered boxing, jiu-jitsu and wrestling: Olympus boxing club, JR Academy jiu-jitsu, Rocky Mountain jiu-jitsu and University Wrestling. He credited them with helping him develop not only technical skill but also confidence and experience.

For all his belief in his own ability, Karout was clear that progress has involved many people. The teams he named fit the broad approach he described for Havoc FC: preparing to handle striking and grappling rather than treating one discipline as his entire identity.

Who is Ali Karout?

Ali Karout is a Canadian national team combat sports athlete with experience in MMA, boxing and Muay Thai. He is a Pan-Am medalist whose competitive background spans multiple disciplines.