Italy’s Frank Chamizo is one of the best wrestlers in the world. He is amongst the top contenders to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. But what after that? The world champion could venture into the octagon post-Tokyo Games.
Two-times world champion, four times European champion in three categories and a bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Chamizo has been training in the United States for several months due to the nation-wide lockdown and is currently in New York. A week ago the 28-year-old from Matanzas was the main attraction of a wrestling show held in Austin, Texas. And although he lost a tight decision 4-3 to local idol Kyle Dale, he did not give much thought to this outcome for several reasons.
His opponent Kyle Dake weighed 79 kg (174 pounds), a weight which is also not Olympic. Also, it is where Dake is at his strongest. The Cuban-Italian, on the other hand, is best at the 74kg (163 pounds). After losing, he said that he is still number one of the ranking in the Olympic division.
Last March, Chamizo travelled to Las Vegas with his friend Yoel Romero for his fight against Israel Adesanya, in the main course of the UFC 248 poster. Prior to this duel, the two Cubans attracted a large audience in a training session joint. The presence of Chamizo in that program attracted a lot of attention.
Ben Askren, a retired MMA competitor and former Olympic wrestler, and an active social media broadcaster, said in a tweet that Chamizo told him that after the Tokyo Games he would jump into the cage.
This statement caused a stir. Questioned by the Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport, Chamizo said that “my only objective now is the Olympic Games.”
He confirmed his old friendship with Romero from Cuba “where we both come from the struggle and we are very united. Every time I go on vacation to Cuba I am a guest in his house, we are true friends. But I also know many other fighters, Mixed Martial Arts drives me crazy; I love the atmosphere created in those areas ”.
On the tweet of his move to the Octagon, he commented: “In the United States I am often asked if I will ever change to MMA. Actually, as happened with Ben, I do not answer yes or no. I just say that anything could happen in the future, who knows.”
But he clarified that “today I do what I love to do and I have no intention of leaving what I have on an unsafe path.”
The Cuban nationalized Italian in 2015 was designated the best fighter in the world of 2019 in freestyle by the World Union of Wrestling
Chamizo clarified that he will continue in New York because “I have some business to carry out” and announced that he will return to Italy at the end of August and beginning of September “to start preparing for the World Cup in December. Tokyo will be later. The goal is always and only one: the Olympic Games. ”
