"I couldn't use my strongest weapons. My opponent was very well prepared," the Bulgarian fighter said after his loss in the ring.

Bulgarian fighter Ali Yuzeir was part of the main draw of the SENSHI 32 Grand Prix in the 85 kg division. Unfortunately, the Bulgarian fighter was eliminated in his opening bout by none other than the eventual tournament champion, Ireland's Joshua Akingbade.

"I feel good after the fight. Everything was going according to plan in the first round. In the second round, things changed—I took a heavy shot and had to fight in a southpaw stance until the end. I couldn't use my strongest weapons. My opponent was very well prepared, and our game plan simply didn't work against him," Yuzeir said on the Bulgarian morning TV show Bulgaria Sutrin.

Yuzeir admitted that his opponent moved exceptionally well around the ring and was very quick.

"I don't dispute the result at all. He was the better fighter and much more mobile than I was. We always analyze our performances after every fight. I haven't returned to the gym yet because I'm taking some time to recover. The injury isn't too serious, so I'll rest until the end of the week, and then we'll start working on my mistakes," he told Bulgaria ON AIR.

According to Yuzeir, a defeat can teach a fighter far more than a victory. "You see all your mistakes, and you go into your next fight much better prepared."

The Bulgarian fighter also spoke about the mental challenge of overcoming a loss. "For the first two or three days you're disappointed in yourself, but once you get back into the gym and start preparing for your next fight, those feelings disappear. After a win, the motivation isn't always the same. My coaches notice every mistake, and their role is incredibly important. We'll work even harder for the next fight."

Yuzeir revealed that he and his team always study their opponents' strengths and weaknesses during training camp.

"We train twice a day, and sometimes even three times. Preparing for a tournament like this is extremely demanding and expensive. The evening session is the most important one because that's when we focus on technique and sparring, which are essential for every fighter."

The Bulgarian also explained that he never enters a fight looking for an early knockout. Instead, he carefully identifies his opponent's weaknesses and builds his strategy around exploiting them.

Looking ahead, Yuzeir hopes to return to the SENSHI ring.

"I would be very happy to receive another invitation to compete at the next SENSHI event. I have two important competitions ahead of me—the Muay Thai World Championship in Kosovo and the European Kickboxing Championship later this year in North Macedonia," the Bulgarian fighter concluded.

You can watch the full video interview with Ali Yuzeir on the Bulgaria ON AIR website.