Nasrat Haqparast, the mixed martial artist dubbed as the clone of Kelvin Gastelum, will be returning to action this Saturday for his first fight in Las Vegas.
The German-born fighter has caught the attention of MMA fans for his resemblance to the middleweight contender.
Add to that, he also made waves in August 2019 as he shown his knockout power against Joaquim Silva at UFC on ESPN 5 to score his third straight UFC win.
This weekend, he is set to fight under the big lights as he heads to T-mobile Arena to lock horns with Drew Dober at UFC 246, the first pay-per-view event of the Nevada-based promotion.
“It’s a great moment. I’ve been a big UFC fan since I was a kid. This is a dream come true, but at the same time we need to remain focused. (We can’t) get impressed by all of the things outside of the fights – but it feels good for sure,” Haqparast told MMA Junkie.
Good Outcome
The lightweight fighter is currently holding a 11-2 overall record, 3-1 in the UFC, and he has no plans of slowing down as he vows to deliver the goods in what he considers as the biggest fight of his life.
“It’s a fun matchup,” Haqparast said of his opponent.
“Drew is a great striker. He’s a tough guy. He’s experienced, you know? From fight to fight, I take every opponent seriously.”
“I just think this is the fight of my life. I need to fight until my death. I need to prepare like it’s the last day of my life. We take it very seriously, and I look forward to Saturday.”
Destined for bigger things, Haqparast is confident his hand will be raised this Saturday.
“The only thing I know is that I’m going to win.”
“I know that I train harder. I sacrifice much more. I don’t know the outcome. I don’t know how I’m going to win, but I know for sure I’m going to win. There’s only this outcome Saturday.”
Fight Of The Night
In an interview with UFC.com, Haqparast also sees him winning the ‘Fight of The Night’ honor along with Dober.
“He’s still young — 31 is very young for the sport — and he always gets better from fight to fight. He has a very exciting fighting style and we really take him seriously.”
“Drew Dober is a very tough guy with very high level striking, and I think that is what the fans want — two well-rounded martial artists who go in there and try to bring the Fight of the Night.”
“That’s what the fans are paying for and so I’m looking forward to some exciting matchups in 2020.”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Nasrat Haqparast and Kelvin Gastelum)