No Pain, no gain for Shah

Mixed martial artist of Pakistani origin talks to The Express Tribune about his life

With his shaved head and a tattoo that covers most of his right arm and chest, British mixed martial artist Shahid ‘Shah’ Hussain, nicknamed No Pain, looks ferocious and ready to pounce.

The fighter, whose parents hail from Pakistan, is the reigning British No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Pro Kumite Middleweight champion, and while he might have found some early success in the sport, there is a long way to go for the welterweight fighter in a sport which is still finding its feet in the United Kingdom.



Born in Birmingham in 1980, Shah moved to Slough, which according to him is one of the toughest and ‘least tranquil’ towns in England, at the age of seven and like many families of South Asian origin, he was a victim of racial abuse. However, he did not let that affect his focus.

“I remember how we’d get racially abused by older kids living in the area,” he recalled. “We would have the windows of our houses smashed and tyres slashed and were told to go back to our country. But that’s life and we have to suck it up.”

While it’s not an uncommon mantra for professional athletes to use their initial hardships as a source of added motivation to succeed, Shah’s entry into the sport reads a different story.



“I was working as a bouncer for various clubs in town and much of my work involved ejecting inebriated people from the premises, which most of the times, would lead to fights,” he said. “I ran out of breath very quickly and it is then I realised that I need to improve my stamina and my muscles.” Shah started training in BJJ with Ze Marcello in 2004 and it was at that time that Nawzad Khan, a trainer in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) of Pakistani origin, introduced him to the sport.

“I liked MMA so I watched UFC a lot, but it was not until Nawzad introduced me to the sport that I fell in love with it,” revealed Shah. “Nawzad is one of the most humble guys I have ever met. Yet, at the same time, he is ferocious in the ring and it was he who showed me how to implement grappling with striking.”



Aiming to make up for his late introduction to MMA, Shah started putting in longer hours in the gym and was seen training on Eid as well. But while his training with Nawzad was yielding impressive results, each progression in his career was making it imperative for Shah to train alongside a professional MMA outfit.

“David Lee was a UFC veteran, a student of Erik Paulson — the first American to win the World light-heavyweight Shooto Title in Japan — and was a technical wizard in MMA and BJJ,” revealed Shah after deciding to join David Lee’s Team Crossface. “They [Team Crossface] had a whole roster of fighters of the highest level and training with all these coaches helped improve my confidence and instilled in me the level required to compete in a professional MMA circuit.”



While Shah, who idolises boxing greats Mohammad Ali and Mike Tyson, accepts that his win-loss ratio of 6-10 is not great, he believes he still has a lot to offer.

“I haven’t achieved my goals yet so there’s a lot more left in me. I had to cope with criticism and negativity all my life from my parents and ex-wife and it’s not easy to keep your head straight,” he added. “Doubt creeps into every fighter’s life and I had to go through my worst phase when I lost four fights in a row. However, that’s in the past.”

According to Shah, his most glorious moments in the ring have been against middleweight fighter Will Jackson, whom he defeated twice – with the second win earning him a middleweight title.



“He [Jackson] was looking for a rematch having spent time abroad training at former UFC fighter Kenny Florian’s gym in the US and there was talk that he was going to do this and that to me; that he was a changed fighter now etc etc. Boom! Same result,” he exclaimed.

A frequent visitor to Pakistan, the MMA fighter has had the opportunity to train with a few aspiring athletes from the region and impressed by the ‘raw talent’ in the country, he is confident that with the right training and exposure these fighters can make waves on the international circuit.



“Believe me, they have the talent and potential to become world champions if nurtured and guided in the right direction,” said Shah. “I believe a fighter of Pakistani origin will sign for the UFC within the next two years.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2015.

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