Muhamet Qamili, known to friends as “Eti,” has a heart split in two: on one side, the deep affection for his country of origin, Albania, which still welcomes him with open arms and supports him passionately whenever he returns to fight; on the other, his now unbreakable bond with Italy, the country that adopted him when he was just five years old.
A student of the excellent coach Alessandro El Moety, Qamili is becoming increasingly popular among Italian boxing fans, with a big statement made just twenty days ago when he marked his debut at the prestigious Boxing Grand Prix—organized by the WBC and Riyadh Season—by stylishly advancing past the round of 32.
We reached out to Eti to learn more about his story, his love for boxing, and the goals he has set for the future of his career.
You arrived in Italy when you were five years old. What do you remember about that move from one country to another? Was it hard for you to adapt to the new reality?
I’ll be honest with you: it wasn’t hard, because I was very young when I arrived, and I did all my schooling here, starting from the last year of kindergarten. So the adjustment wasn’t too complicated, especially because as soon as I got here, I started hanging out with Italian kids in the neighborhood, and that helped me learn the language quickly. I don’t have memories of struggling to communicate with others. It’s almost as if I was born here, because I remember very little about the early years I spent in Albania. I used to go back every summer and stay there for months with the relatives who remained, but since I spent most of my childhood in Italy, with my school and my friends here, I felt more at home in Italy than in Albania.
At what age did you decide to start boxing, and how did your parents react?
I started before I turned sixteen. Before that, I had played soccer, like most kids in Italy. Then one day, almost as a joke, I said to a friend: “Let’s try a boxing gym.” I was already watching fights on TV, but the idea was just to take up a sport, so I wouldn’t be at home doing nothing. I talked about it at home, and my father said, “If you like it, go ahead. See how it goes.” I immediately connected with my coach El Moety, who still trains me today. I started training, realized I liked it, and soon began fighting. From that moment, the passion ignited, and there hasn’t been a time since when I didn’t feel alive.
You turned professional at a very young age, which is quite unusual in our country. Why were you in such a hurry to enter the “big league” of boxing?
Honestly, I wanted to go pro even earlier, but I had to postpone my debut because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an amateur, I had a lot of bouts, both with the Albanian national team and with my coach, who often took me to tournaments along with other fighters. I couldn’t be selected for the Italian national team because I didn’t have citizenship, so at eighteen, through some contacts, I reached out to the Albanian national team. They didn’t have enough funding to send fighters abroad, so they told me, “If you want to compete in tournaments, you’ll have to cover the costs yourself.” That was something I was already used to doing, so I said to myself: “Might as well compete at the European and World Championships with the Albanian team.” In 2018, I took part in the Youth European Championships and won bronze, then I went to the World Championships and the Youth Olympic Games in the same year. Later, I competed at the Under-22 European Championships, and then I decided I either wanted to go to the Olympics or turn pro—those were the only two paths I was considering. I didn’t want to waste any more time, also because I had always liked the idea of being a professional boxer. Since there was no chance to participate in the Olympic qualifiers with Albania, I told myself, “You know what? This is the right moment to turn pro.” I had about 55 fights under my belt and had faced some really strong opponents—just think that at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, I fought Uzbek Abdumalik Khalokov, who later won the gold medal in Paris 2024. I had the right experience, and my coach and I agreed that it was time to take the big step.
Of the 15 professional bouts you’ve had, 4 took place in Albania. Do you notice significant differences between how boxing is experienced in Italy and in Albania?
The Albanian people are much warmer towards their athletes. Here in Italy, when you fight, the people who come to see you are usually those who know you personally—you only hear them cheering. In Albania, on the other hand, even people who don’t know you show you their support. I fought in major events there. One took place at the Air Albania Stadium in Tirana in front of around 15,000 people, because Florian Marku was headlining the event. Another time, I fought for the WBC Youth Title in a public square, and there were around 1,000 to 1,500 people. Everyone was shouting my name; everyone was happy to see an Albanian guy who lives in Italy getting in the ring. The same happened to other boxers like my friend Ermal Hadribeaj, who is also Albanian and lives in Miami. The support there is warmer; they make you feel at home. Here, the public isn’t as involved: if you tell someone you’re fighting, they ask if they can come watch without paying for a ticket. Over there, once word spreads that an Albanian guy is fighting, everyone says: “Let’s go watch him, let’s go cheer for him.”
Like all other participants in the Boxing Grand Prix, you only found out who your opponent would be shortly before the fight. In the first round, you looked a bit hesitant—were you dealing with nerves because of the big occasion, or did not knowing much about your opponent hold you back?
We had found a video of Semonchuk, but it was three or four years old, and in boxing a lot can change in that amount of time. In fact, he caught me off guard right away. We knew he came from MMA, and I expected him to be tough and come forward, but I didn’t expect that crazy pace. I’m a diesel—I’m used to starting slowly and building as the fight goes on. When I saw him throwing combinations non-stop right from the start, I thought: “We’re starting off like this? Are we back in the amateur days?” His approach really surprised me. I’ve even fought ten-rounders, so I’m used to pacing myself, and I’d never faced a professional who came out that fast. Even in the amateurs, you usually have thirty seconds of feeling each other out. I wasn’t that nervous; of course, I felt some emotion because I was fighting in a big event, but what threw me off more than nerves was his tactics. Then my coach’s advice was crucial in helping me turn the fight around. From the corner, he sees things you just can’t see from inside the ring. In many moments, when I followed his instructions, my actions felt natural. Other times I didn’t listen, and when I watched the video afterwards, I realized he had told me exactly what I needed to do. One thing that threw me off a bit was that they didn’t let the coach into the ring during the break—they only allowed the cutman in, saying it was better for his work. That threw me off, because I’m used to facing my coach and looking him in the eye. Instead, Alessandro had to speak from behind me, and I had to turn halfway between him and the cutman to hear what he was saying.
In the round of 16 you’ll face Yoni Valverde Jr. We wish you the best of luck. What’s your take on your next opponent?
He’s a good boxer, skilled at counterpunching. I think I’ll feel a thousand times more comfortable against him than I did against the Ukrainian fighter. I’m not saying it’ll be an easier fight, but I feel better when facing a technical opponent because the punches follow traditional paths and the rhythm is slower. He’s used to long fights too, since he’s already done three ten-round title bouts. I don’t think he’s a huge puncher—his record shows he hasn’t won many fights by knockout. Technically he’s a good boxer, but funnily enough, I’m more worried by guys who don’t know how to box and just throw themselves in headfirst, use their elbows, clinch… The Ukrainian was good at clinching—he would trap my arms and I couldn’t work the body. Against the Frenchman, I expect a cleaner fight, both technically and tactically.
What goal did you set for yourself when you decided to take part in this amazing tournament?
The goal is to win the tournament—that’s why we entered. I’m keeping my feet on the ground because I’m a humble guy; I don’t like to brag or say things that aren’t true. But looking at the other participants, while the level is high, I haven’t seen any unbeatable fighters. Of course, I’ll need to stay highly focused for every opponent, but I don’t think there are any superstars in the mix—I believe I’m on their level, and there’s no one that particularly worries me. That may sound a little cocky, but I assure you it’s not.