Spanish Rapper Gazir Sets Guinness World Record with 200 Freestyle Battles in 11 Hours

Picture this: freestyle rapping—spontaneously delivering rhymes and punchlines—taken to an extreme level. Imagine sustaining that intensity for over eleven hours without pause.

Now picture doing it while facing off against 250 competitors in 200 freestyle battles and losing only three of them.

On 7 November, 24‑year‑old Spanish MC Gazir (born Gabriel Sánchez Poyal), a physics student at the University of Oviedo, broke the Guinness World Record by completing 200 freestyle battles in under 12 hours. Four days later, speaking with Euronews Culture, he apologised for his voice, which was still recovering.

“Every part of my body, my mind and even my soul was involved to make this possible,” he said.

In a typical freestyle contest, he explained, he might have three or four battles a day. At the Red Bull Gazir Contra Todos event, held in his hometown of Gijón, he performed 50 times as many.

The challenge required finishing within 12 hours and losing no more than ten battles. Gazir completed the marathon in 11 hours, 23 minutes and 14 seconds, winning 197 of the 200 battles.

By the end, he was exhausted—understandably. His fitness ring recorded roughly 3,000 calories burned.

Training like an athlete

Gazir described rapping as far more than a mental exercise. During September and October, he followed a rigorous schedule supported by a personal trainer, nutritionist, psychologist and vocal specialists.

“My routine became like the routine of an athlete,” he said, calling the preparation the biggest challenge of his career.

He ate specially tailored meals at set times, worked out at the gym and spent hours perfecting his freestyle technique. Some days he trained with other rappers, drawing inspiration from their insults and improvisations; on others he practised alone at home, rapping about household objects or random topics found online.

Perhaps the most critical aspect of his preparation was his voice. Freestyle battles are loud, high‑energy contests involving rapid‑fire exchanges—“it looks like I’m shouting all the time,” he noted.

Working with coaches, Gazir improved his breathing and projection to maintain intensity for hours without damaging his vocal cords.

During the record attempt, he had just 20 seconds between each battle and a four‑minute break after every 40 battles—barely enough time to catch his breath or grab a snack.

He quenched his thirst with water and isotonic drinks, snacking on mashed bananas and other fruit during the short pauses. He also consumed a few Red Bulls, keeping his energy sources largely natural.

‘No limits to the imagination’

No amount of physical preparation could guarantee fresh material. “I didn’t plan anything,” he said when asked how he kept his rhymes original. “In freestyle, you have to improvise all the time.”

Each battle consisted of four‑bar verses with six turns per rapper. Every insult, punchline or pun gave Gazir new material to work with, provided he could craft a comeback before his next turn. After each battle, he had to start from scratch.

“Maybe your voice has a limit, maybe your legs have a limit,” he reflected. “But if you are with the flow, with the energy of each battle, each bar, each moment, the imagination has no limits.”

He won his first 115 battles before being defeated by Babi in the 116th bout at 5:39 pm—more than six hours into the marathon. Later losses came to Skone and Bnet, two Spanish rappers and former world champions, but he closed with a victory over Mexico’s Aczino, a three‑time Red Bull Batalla winner.

The strong turnout of fellow rappers, he noted, reflects the growing popularity of freestyle in Spain and Latin America. Gazir, who has made a living as a freestyler since he was about 17, described the Spanish scene as now “mature,” with professional leagues, national competitions and international tournaments.

While he continues to compete, his university studies in physics remain a welcome distraction. “Sometimes it’s useful to disconnect from your routine,” he said.

Looking ahead, Gazir is already eyeing another challenge that could be even tougher than his marathon battle: learning to freestyle in English. “It’s really difficult, but it will be a good challenge,” he admitted. “I will be making freestyle in English soon.”

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