It's Showtime Gago Drago

A crowd pleaser wherever he enters the ring, Dutch-Armenian Gago Drago is known for his ultra-aggressive fighting style of always moving forward and pressuring opponents with fast punch combinations and unpredictable kicks. Heart and guts are the key ingredients of his game, which together with his flamboyant style, account for his immense popularity amongst fight fans.

On top of his game, Drago, on 9 July won the second edition of Enfusion, a Contender-esque reality show focused on Muay Thai, dubbed the ‘Test of the Champions'. The 2010 edition features 16 fighters from around the world, all in the 70 kg MAX division. In January 2010, the 16 gladiators traveled to Koh Samui in Thailand, where they had to determine who was the best. After two weeks of competition, only four fighters were left: Gago Drago, Pajonsuk Superpro Samui, Armen Petrosyan and Rick Barnhill. The final of the Enfusion reality show took place on Friday 9 July in Lisbon, in the town's indoor Lisbon bullring - a truly suitable venue. Gago Drago won his first fight by beating Rick Barnhill from England by KO in the second round. Thai champ Pajonsuk Superpro Samui won his contest against Italian Armenian Armen Petrosyan (brother of the current K-1 Max champion Giorgio Petrosyan) after an extra round. As a result, Gago Drago faced Pajonsuk in the big final of the reality show, which he won after three amazing rounds, becoming the 2010 Enfusion Champion.

Gago Drago, or Gagik Harutjunjan - as his real name is, was born in the town of Verinshen, in Azerbaijan in 1985. As a result of the hostilities between neighboring countries Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenian-born Drago and his family first fled to Russia in 1989. Ten years later in 1999 Drago and his father decided to move to Holland in search of a better life. After a while the two were joined by the rest of the family - Drago's mother and his two sisters. During his stay in Russia, Drago started training in full-contact and had four fights. Wanting to continue his involvement in kickboxing, shortly after his arrival in Holland, the then 14-year-old youngster started training at the world famous Gym Alkmaar under the guidance of Edwin Van Os - one of the key people behind the It's Showtime organisation. Literally from day one, it became clear that Drago is an exceptional talent and in just one year, he fought 16 fights (winning all but one), evolving in record time from beginner status to A-class fighter in the highly competitive Dutch circuit at the tender age of 16. Some compare his explosive boxing style to that of the legendary Ramon Dekkers. One thing is for sure though - both fighters know how to dish out punishment, as both, before becoming full pros, finished their education as cooks in Holland!

Our European correspondent Kostas Argyriadis caught up with Drago in Holland during his preparation for the big final of the Enfusion event, where the following exclusive interview was conducted.

How did you get the nickname Drago?

My fellow fighter and teammate at Gym Alkmaar, Shin Yakutat, actually first came up with it. One day I was warming up in the gym, when Sahin started laughing and told me that I reminded him of this guy Drago from a Rocky movie he had seen the day before. After that it was picked up by my trainers and it kind of stuck to me because it is a great sounding name for ring speakers.

Holland is known as a hotbed for kickboxing champions, do you feel that fighting out of that country has been a major factor in your career?

Definitely. The high frequency of kickboxing events and the sheer amount of top fighters here allows you to develop yourself to the fullest in the Dutch circuit in record time. In order to make it to the top in Holland you have to be very though indeed. I remember my very first sparring session at Alkmaar Gym when I was just 14. Being used to the full-contact style (kicks only above the waist) which I had practiced in Russia, I got a bloody nose within minutes from a knee by Sahin Yakut. My face was covered in blood; some other 14-year-old boy may have been shocked, but all I thought was... hey! I want to become like him.

What was the fight that made your name in Holland?

People really started to take notice of me after my first fight against Chris van Venrooy in January of 2002, who was one of Holland's top fighters at that point in time. Still officially a B-class fighter, I came in as a last minute replacement and against all odds won the fight on points.

Drago, you had an incredible winning streak as an A-class professional of 30 fights, lasting five years from 2001 to 2006, which was cut short when you lost on points against the Dutch/Moroccan ring technician Faldir Chabari in an epic battle in Holland. What happened at that fight?

Kostas, you are too kind and forgot my one loss on points during that period: in 2002 against William Diender, which was probably my worse fight ever. I do want to point out however that during that bout my trainer Edwin van Os, for the first time in my career, wasn't in my corner because his flight from Spain was cancelled on account of a storm and that his absence had a big impact on my performance. As to the Chabari fight, he may not be that known yet in the international circuit but he is probably the best defensive fighter in the world at the moment and one of the smartest and best technicians I have ever met in the ring. It was a classic battle of two completely different styles. I started out aggressively but hurt my shin in the first round with a block, which hindered me during the whole fight. Still, I was constantly on the attack during the last two rounds pushing him back, while Chabari was on the defense countering and picking up his points. In the end the judges gave it to Chabari in a 3-2 split decision, although personally I expected them to call it a draw. Never mind, that fight was a wake-up call for me to train even harder and work on improving my weak points and listen better to the instructions from my corner.

From 2001 until December of 2005 you fought and beat practically all the best Dutch fighters, short of the ones who compete in the K-1 like Albert Kraus and Andy Souwer, why did it take you so long to get noticed internationally?

I came to Holland as a war refugee without a resident permit and it took me several years to get the necessary papers, which would allow me to travel abroad, which I was allowed to do as of late 2005.

I recall that you immediately made a successful K-1 Max debut in the spring of 2006, winning in the preliminaries against Ole Laursen, ironically enough billed as an Armenian fighter. Two months later you found yourself at the finals of the 8-man K-1 World Max where you won against Albert Kraus, but lost on points against Buakaw in the semi finals. How do you reflect on that first experience in Japan?

It felt a bit odd to be billed as an Armenian fighter because I fight out of Holland, but at the same time it made me proud to represent my country of origin. As a matter of fact, I was lucky to have the Armenian nationality because the K-1 organisation definitely did not want a third Dutch fighter in the finals (along with Albert Kraus and Andy Souwer). As to my performance, I believe it was one of the toughest K-1 Max tournaments ever, because all four winners of the previous K-1 World Max tournaments were competing in it. My win against Kraus was very important and emotional for me because in Holland at the time, he and Souwer were the two top names and now I've beat him, I join the elite club. As to the Buakaw fight, looking back I can honestly say that I overestimated him and because of that did not fight as I usually do, by pressuring my opponent from the opening bell and that was my big mistake. I should have gone out with my guns blazing as I normally do and not fight so cautious, that just is not my strong point.

At the K-1 World Max 2007 final eliminations you lost against Mike Zambidis, what are your thoughts on that fight?

Mike is an aggressive offensive fighter like me, he got the better of me in round one and after that I really never got into ‘overdrive mode' during that fight. It was close though; we went an extra round after which he got the point win. I hope I can fight him again because I just wasn't myself in that bout.

You finally made it into the K-1 World Max 2007 final, though on a wild card, where you were stopped by Andy Souwer, in your first ever and only KO loss.

It was just bad luck against Andy. I was in front on points and everything was going well, when he sent me to the canvas in the second round with a right hook, his trademark punch. I should have seen it coming and I was expecting it, but sometimes I get a bit carried away and neglect my defense being always on the offense - Andy is a sharpshooter and that is what happened.

The next year during the 2008 K-1 World Max finals you picked Masato for your first opponent, why did you chose him?

I felt that he was the best fighter of that moment; I always want to fight with the strongest fighters, so I chose him. It was a very hard fight, which I lost on points in a very close decision, but he deserved the win.

To get into the finals of the 2009 K-1 World Max GP you beat highly respected Sato in the final-16 event, but then lost to the much less respected Yuja Yamamoto in the quarterfinals of the World Max, how did that happen?

The fight against Sato was more difficult; everybody thought I was going to lose it, so I showed everybody wrong. My strong point is my fighter's heart and my weak point is my emotions, which sometimes get the better of me in the ring. Against Yamamoto it was a close fight and perhaps I did not push the fight enough because I wasn't fighting one of the big names, being in Japan they gave the victory to him, my mistake!

How do you compare fighting in Europe as to Japan?

Things in Japan with K-1 are handled more professionally, although I must say that at this moment the yearly It's Showtime Amsterdam Arena event is the biggest kickboxing show on earth in terms of ticket sales. It is a big thrill to fight in the It's Showtime events. I like fighting both in Europe as well as in Japan, perhaps even more so in Europe. Winning the K-1 Max tournament would, however, for me be the ultimate accomplishment as a fighter. So in that sense, winning in Japan is more important to me.

You recently won the Enfusion reality event. Can you say a few words about that show?

As far as I know, the show will be aired as of September in several countries and I am not allowed to disclose too much details at this point. I can say that the 16 competing fighters were split into four groups, which competed against each other. I was in the same group with Sahin Yakut, Armen Petrosyan and Panjunsuk. Each of us had to win two fights, which were held in the Petch Buncha stadium in Thailand to make it to the final, which will be held in Portugal in July. I beat Paasi Luukanen from Finland and Bruno Carvalho from Portugal by KO to get to the final, but that is as far as I can go disclosing facts.

The winner of the K-1 World Max 2009 is Italo Armenian Giorgio Petrosyan, will there be an all-Armenian final this year between you and Giorgio?

[Laughs] I hope not, he is too strong and very clever, I prefer any other fighter to him! IK