UFC Fight Pass
Mahmoud Sebie | A Warrior By Definition
Mahmoud Sebie Brings A Prestigious Wrestling Background, UFC Star Support, And An Incredible Story To Las Vegas For Tuff-N-Uff 143 on UFC FIGHT PASS
On the surface, “The Prince of Egypt” Mahmoud Sebie is a 5-2 welterweight set to headline Tuff-N-Uff 143 against Ernesto Rodriguez on April 25.
However, as is true with any fighter, Sebie carries a story that puts in perspective what drives a fighter to wrap their hands and go to war.
The Olympian, four-time Arab wrestling champion, and now welterweight MMA prospect has a story that writes new pages every day.
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“I started wrestling in Egypt in 2002,” Sebie explained. “During that time, I lived in different countries. I lived in Turkey, Germany, Greece, and Italy. I left Egypt when I was younger, like 13 years old. So I was living between Europe and also going with the national team and trainingbut living there looking for opportunities.”
Living by himself as an early teen, wrestling kept Sebie on a path towards the Olympics. In 2016, Sebie competed in Rio de Janeiro in Greco-Roman competition.
Still representing the Egyptian National Team in 2018, Mahmoud Sebie was taken off the Federation. Sebie, clearly not one to pull punches, spoke out on the corruption in his home country and moved to the United States.
Sebie spent a stint training and coaching with the All-Marine Wrestling Team, helping one athlete make Team USA, hoping to become a United States Marine. When that goal couldn’t happen, the ex-Olympian became discouraged.
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“I even did the ASVAB and I passed it,” Sebie explained. “It didn't happen and at that time I got depressed. I wanted to do this because when you're in the Marine Corps for the Marines Wrestling Team, your only job is to wrestle for the country. I wanted to compete so bad and I got depressed at that time in 2020.”
After pondering the future, a close friend connected Sebie with First Round Management. From there, “The Prince of Egypt” committed to fighting MMA.
“I moved to Miami right away in 2020, I trained for two months then I had my first professional MMA fight in January 2021,” Sebie said. “In 2021, my whole journey started with MMA. I had my first fight and this whole time I was living in Miami and I started to train. I knocked the guy out in the first minute.”
Seven fights in, including a bareknuckle MMA bout, Team USA Wrestling came calling. After training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, coaches questioned why wrestling wasn’t still the focus.
Mixed martial arts gave Sebie a new passion, but wrestling still had blessings to give.
“I had a green card and I was supposed to get my citizenship back in 2020,” Sebie explained.“When the pandemic happened, they pushed all the cases with immigration because there were a lot of cases and with the pandemic, Immigration and the USCIS, they had a lot of cases. Longstory short, [Team USA] said, ‘Okay, we're going to get your citizenship.’ I got a letter from Team USA and the Olympic team and my lawyer got a support letter from the White House. Boom, three days and I have my citizenship.”
Brought back into the wrestling world under Team USA, Sebie became a finalist in the 2024 Pan American Wrestling Championships, beating legends of the sport along the way.
Injuries sidelined the Egyptian, and if life hadn’t given enough hurdles, Sebie’s coach got diagnosed with cancer. A man he considered a “father and a mentor” took all attention away from the chaos that is combat sports.
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“I was like, ‘I don't want to do this anymore,’” Sebie reflected. “I really love him to the point that I don't want to do this without him. My dream to make it to the UFC, my dream to become a UFC champion, is all because of him. He taught me everything in the sport and I owe everything to him.”
Turning tragedy to motivation, Sebie’s MMA training is in full swing. Several canceled bouts haven’t deterred the drive to get back in the cage and when Tuff-N-Uff called, it was a no-hesitation agreement.
Fighting is not a job, not a hobby, but a way of life for the 32-year-old. Hitting obstacles at almost every turn, any opponent willing to step in the cage with Mahmoud Sebie is in for a rough night.
“I'm not here to just fight,” Sebie emphasized. “I mean to take what is mine.”
With Welterweight gold in his sights, Mahmoud Sebie steps onto the Tuff-N-Uff stage with the support of UFC stars such as Yair Rodriguez, Jorge Masvidal, and Belal Muhammad.
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