Victor Wembanyama calls French wrestling superstar Baysangur Chamsoudinov "Baki"

Victor Wembanyama watched a high-profile clash between two renowned French MMA fighters, Cedric Doumbe and Baissangour "Baki" Chamsoudinov, during the PFL Europe 1: 2024 Regular Season. Both fighters risked their undefeated records in the event.

Victor Wembanyama expressed his support for Chamsoudinov, who would emerge victorious.

On his Instagram story, the Spurs rookie posted a message of support for Chamsoudinov, stating:

“Bakiiii 😈”

Victor Wembanyama expresses support for Baissangour "Baki" Chamsoudinov in an Instagram story

Chamsoudinov took home the win, although the victory was controversial. After two tightly competitive rounds, Doumbe began indicating an issue with his foot in the third round.

As the two French fighters paused their exchange, referee Marc Goddard urged them to continue, but neither fighter resumed. When Goddard intervened once more, Doumbe gestured towards his foot, leading Goddard to stop the fight and declare Chamsoudinov the winner.

After the fight, Doumbe mentioned that he felt as though there was a piece of glass or wood in his foot. Because fighters in MMA cannot call timeouts, Goddard made the decision to stop the fight.

After the controversial ending, Chamsoudinov expressed his desire for a rematch, preferably in a larger venue.

“Doumbé is a legend of kickboxing. It was an honor to fight. This is not how I want to win,” he said (per Ariel Helwani).

Victor Wembanyama can play sports outside of basketball

Victor Wembanyama has been compared to a basketball "alien" because of his extraordinary size, length and skill set. However, before focusing on basketball, he experimented with other sports.

According to a profile published on Olympic.com, Wembanyama tried football, primarily as a goalkeeper, and judo before ultimately transitioning to basketball under his mother's guidance.

Victor's mother, Élodie de Fautereau, is a former basketball player and coach., while his father, Félix Wembanyama, is a former track and field athlete. Both of his parents are tall, with his father standing at 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches) and his mother at 1.91 meters (6 feet 3 inches) tall.

Basketball became the primary sport for the Wembanyama children. Victor's older sister, Ève, has competed for France in numerous three-on-three basketball tournaments and has been a member of the LDLC ASVEL Féminin Club in the Euroleague Women's League.

Meanwhile, the youngest sibling, Oscar, is also establishing himself in basketball. He debuted in 2020 for Nanterre's U-15 team, the same team Victor previously played for, and he subsequently signed with ASVEL in 2022.