CHAMPION FIRAT ARSLAN RECEIVES HIS AWARD FROM JOURNALIST MURAT TOPCU.

Murat Topçu:
You are a legend who emerged from the rings. Could you describe Fırat Arslan to sports fans in your own words?
Fırat Arslan:
I never considered myself a legend. They told me, “You have no talent.”
They said my reaction time wasn’t good. They said my speed wasn’t sufficient.
They said my coordination was weak. They said my weight was too much for my height. They said I wasn’t agile enough, that I couldn’t do it.
And actually, they were right about everything they said. What they said was lacking was indeed lacking.
But they were wrong about one thing: They said, “You can’t do it.”
I became an athlete who never stopped working, who was disciplined, and who never gave up, no matter how difficult it was. I never gave up on my dream. Throughout my life, I fought both in the ring and in life.
My story is more about belief, determination, and patience than talent.

Murat Topçu:
Boxing is often defined more as a way of life than a sport. How did your path intersect with boxing begin? What prompted you to take that first step?
Fırat Arslan:
My story actually begins not in the ring, but in life. At a young age, our father abandoned us. We grew up in poverty. As a migrant child in Germany, I sometimes felt excluded. I experienced not being valued, being second best.
But there is a turning point in a person’s life. My turning point was in the late 80s with the Rocky films. When I watched Rocky Balboa’s story, I saw myself. He was mocked, belittled, but he didn’t give up. By working with discipline, enduring pain, he became a world champion and earned everyone’s respect.
That day I made a promise to myself. I was 18 years old. Maybe I started late, but I had a great belief inside me. I said, “I will also become a world champion.”
That promise changed my life.
Boxing was not just a sport for me. Boxing taught me who I am. It taught me discipline, patience, and character. I fought my opponent in the ring and fate in life. And I understood this: A person is defined not by where they come from, but by where they want to go. Murat Topçu:
For years you stepped into the ring against the world’s toughest opponents. What was the most important motivation that kept you mentally and physically strong during this long and arduous journey? Fırat Arslan:
My biggest motivation was the desire to prove myself. The desire to prove that I was no worse than them. At first, they ignored me, they overlooked me. Then, when they started to notice me, they mocked me. Then they came out against me, they started to fight me. But I had become stronger by going through all the difficulties, and in the end, I won. Years later, I read a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi:
“First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you, then you win.” When I read that quote, I saw what I had experienced. At that moment I understood that the struggle is not only in the ring, but in every aspect of life. Those who walk with patience and faith eventually win. Murat Topçu:
Discipline, sacrifice, and consistency… What were the fundamental principles you considered indispensable on the road to success?
Fırat Arslan:
Discipline, sacrifice, and consistency are not just words. Discipline is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Sacrifice is continuing to work towards your goal while everyone else is having fun. Consistency is being able to walk with the same seriousness for years, not just one day.
I started boxing at the age of 18. I worked with the same discipline for years and at the age of 37, after 19 years, I became world champion for the first time and the first and only world champion in Turkish professional boxing history. I lost my title a year later. Many people said “it’s over.” But it wasn’t over for me. I fought for another 15 years. Falling, getting up, trying again… And at 53, I managed to become world champion once more. I broke the world record as the oldest world champion in boxing history. Success doesn’t come overnight. Success is the repetition of small but correct decisions over the years. Great victories are the result of consistent steps. Murat Topçu:
In the final match of your career, where you wrote your name in the history of world boxing, you knocked out an opponent 18 years younger than yourself. What did that match mean to you? What did you feel when you got out of the ring? Fırat Arslan:
That match wasn’t a farewell for me, it was a message. Age is just a number. If you make discipline a part of your life, take good care of your body, and strengthen your mind, you can be at the top at any age. I felt a great peace when I got out of the ring. Because that night I had completed not just an ordinary match, but the struggle of a lifetime. Murat Topçu:
Championship belts, unforgettable matches, and great victories…
Looking back at your career, what was the moment that made you most proud?
Fırat Arslan:
Of course, the moment I became world champion for the first time at the age of 37 was unforgettable. And 15 years later, becoming world champion once again at the age of 53 was one of the most special moments of my life. But what makes me most proud is not these victories. It’s when young athletes or people who have lost hope come to me and say, “Thanks to you, I didn’t give up.”
It’s when they take me as an example, set their goals again, and continue the fight. That’s the real legacy.
Murat Topçu:
World heavyweight