‘Martial Arts Saved Me’ – Elmehdi El Jamari’s Rise From A Tough Neighborhood In Morocco To ONE Championship
Elmehdi “The Sniper” El Jamari will soon return to ONE’s bright lights for his highly anticipated sophomore appearance in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
The hard-hitting Moroccan star will take on Aliff Sor Dechapan in a high-stakes strawweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 32: Rodrigues vs. Cohen on Prime Video, which airs live in U.S. primetime on June 6 from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fresh off a sterling promotional debut last month, El Jamari is looking to build on that momentum and assert himself as a true World Title threat. He’s also seeking redemption for his older brother, Zakaria El Jamari, who suffered a crushing knockout loss to Aliff last year.
“The Sniper” recently spoke to onefc.com about his life’s journey to ONE Championship.
A Fighting Family
El Jamari looks back fondly on his upbringing in Morocco. Similar to other families from the region, the El Jamaris were a tight-knit unit.
He recalled:
“I grew up in a typical Arab family. Like any traditional Arab family, we are all close, and as brothers, we always cared for and supported each other. My father, who passed away, was the breadwinner. My mother is a housewife.”
But unlike most others in the region, martial arts run deep in the El Jamari family.
For his part, the young Elmehdi followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, with the eldest leading the charge in combat sports.
The close bond between the siblings – particularly between Elmehdi and Zakaria – would shape their respective careers for years to come, as both are now world-class fighters in ONE Championship:
“Mohammad, who is the eldest brother, was the one who encouraged us to get into martial arts. He used to practice martial arts, but he was forced to stop after suffering an injury.
“Mohammad had a huge impact on Zakaria and me. His influence is even bigger on Zakaria, as he took him first to martial arts classes. Then Zakaria influenced me and took me with him to the gym.”
Early Days In Muay Thai
El Jamari’s journey in “the art of eight limbs” began at a young age, starting with some informal training sessions at home with Zakaria.
Inspired by his two older brothers, he quickly fell in love with the discipline:
“I started Muay Thai training when I was 8 years old. I instantly felt passionate about it. Zakaria first trained me at home.”
After a few at-home sessions, El Jamari had a memorable introduction to formal training.
What was initially planned as a day of observation turned into an impromptu display of the youngster’s natural fighting talent and set him on the path to becoming one of the planet’s top Muay Thai athletes.
He explained:
“There was a funny incident at my first training session. Zakaria took me with him to the gym, and I was there only to watch. There was an 8-year-old training in the gym. When the coach went to the shower, Zakaria put the gloves on me, and I started sparring with the other 8-year-olds.
“When the coach came back and saw the exchanges and how strongly I was hitting back, he demanded from Zakaria that I come to training with him every day. From then on, I started training Muay Thai regularly.”
Finding His Purpose
Given his preternatural abilities and the ever-present guidance of his older brother, El Jamari soon rose through the ranks, competing in more than 100 amateur fights to establish himself as one of the Middle East’s top young strikers.
But for “The Sniper,” it was more than just a sport.
Muay Thai became a critical lifeline that helped him avoid the pitfalls and temptations of his surroundings. As he explained, the daily discipline required to compete at a high level gave him structure during his formative years:
“I would say martial arts saved me from so many things. I grew up in a tough neighborhood with a high crime rate. It was a difficult neighborhood. Most of the young men used to do drugs. Martial arts saved me. By practicing martial arts, I stayed away from bad friends and drugs.”
This focus and dedication proved to be worthwhile, as El Jamari stayed on the straight-and-narrow path and found plenty of competitive success.
Showing immense promise, he put his education to the side while packing his trophy case with amateur titles and then turning his full attention to the professional ranks:
“After finishing school with a baccalaureate, I studied economics in college for a year, but then I stopped and traveled to the UAE to focus on my professional career in Muay Thai.
“I had already become Moroccan Muay Thai Champion seven times, Africa Muay Thai Champion twice, and Arab Muay Thai Champion twice.”
Reaching The Pinnacle
As a professional, El Jamari employed his show-stopping power, crisp boxing, and fearless attitude to amass a near-flawless record and emerge as an elite talent and one of his country’s most exciting strikers.
His call-up to ONE this past April was a dream come true, and his epic first-round starching of Thai fan favorite Thongpoon PK Saenchai at Lumpinee Stadium was everything he had hoped for.
The 27-year-old will now return to Muay Thai’s most iconic venue with family pride on the line – and the chance to reach another high point:
“The biggest moment of my career was my debut in ONE Championship. I had waited for it for so long – all my life actually.
“I always wanted to fight inside the Lumpinee Stadium. I used to watch Lumpinee fights on YouTube. Not just any fighter gets to fight at Lumpinee. It is the best arena in the world for Muay Thai. The best moment in my career was when I was walking inside Lumpinee towards the ring.”
