Soufiene Oudina hails from Hem, near Lille in north of France, and has built his career far from Paris and the capital’s facilities. But this hasn’t prevented him from reaching the highest level and making it into the ranks of HEXAGONE MMA, for whom he will make his debut on July 28th.

Martial arts gave Soufiene Oudina the chance to “change his life”. “When I was young, after my studies, I stopped everything: I stopped working, I made small mistakes and I had my small worries… But one day, I questioned myself, and I started MMA to give myself a framework and get back into shape.”
One thing led to another and what started as a hobby became a passion, to the point of pushing him towards a career in the cage. “At first, I agreed to take just one fight. But I got hooked on the game, and it has been going on for 10 years now!”
And yet, in Hem, where he grew up, Soufiene Oudina wasn’t given any shortcuts.
“Life there is, in some aspects,more difficult than elsewhere, so a lot of people don’t make it through. At the time, MMA was developing mainly in Paris and it took more time for it to be developed elsewhere.”
Despite a context that doesn’t encourage performance, Soufiene Oudina has built a solid environment around him, that includes boxing lessons with former Olympic vice-champion Daouda Sow, who hails from a nearby town.

“People are always reminding me of my age”.

“I’d say I’m a complete fighter, who works in all of the areas of the game to be able to respond in every situation. I don’t have any specific strong points but I define myself above all as a finisher.”
At 39 years of age, and with 90% of his victories coming before the bell, the Franco-Algerian sets himself no limits.
“My aim is to fight as hard as I can, and to enjoy myself. “People are always reminding me of my age, but the reality is that I have never felt so fit!”
Through sport, Soufiene Oudina also hopes to set an example for the younger Algerian generation to whom he’s very attached.
“In remote towns like the one that I come from, there’s a lack of structures and resources. I want to show that, despite the situation, you can make a career in sport. When I go to Algeria, I don’t hesitate to visit the various clubs and train with the locals.”