Magomedsharipov's promise, Russian address to Kattara and Hardy's dance: what are the memorable trainings of UFC fighters in Moscow

An open training session took place in anticipation of the UFC Fight Night tournament in Moscow. By tradition, athletes took part in it, who on Saturday will have to fight each other in the two main fights of the evening. So, at the beginning of the event, the Americans Greg Hardy and Calvin Kattar climbed to the platform, after which they were replaced by the Russians Alexander Volkov and Zabit Magomedsharipov.

Initially, Hardy was not supposed to be among the participants in the Moscow tournament. Volkov’s opponent was the eminent Brazilian Junior dos Santos, and Greg spent three rounds with Ben Sosoli in Boston less than a month ago. He won on points, but subsequently the result of the fight was canceled, and the athlete himself became a defendant in the scandal. So, between the second and third rounds, he used an inhaler, which is strictly prohibited by UFC rules. It is noteworthy that he received permission for this from one of the representatives of the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission (MSAC), but subsequently the higher authorities recognized the fight as failed.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Hardy expressed a desire to replace the injured dos Santos and speak at a tournament in Moscow. Thus, he got a chance to rehabilitate himself for the oddity in Boston and instantly break into the UFC top heavyweights.

During training, the American behaved quite impressively. So, he leisurely performed a stretching, after which he began to work out high-kicks (kicks to the opponent’s head). At the same time, the athlete was clearly in high spirits and even several times began to move to the beat of the music playing in the arena.

Answering questions, Greg was also extremely positive and spoke highly of his future rival. In addition, he told why he agreed to go to the duel on a short notice.

“I wanted to provide the UFC service, because the management helped me throughout my career. In addition, as a war prince, you cannot refuse a fight with such a sports legend and a great drummer as Alexander Volkov, ”said Hardy.

He admitted that he was impressed by Russia and promised to arrange a spectacular battle.

“You can wait for a real war, blood and an octagon show,” Hardy concluded.

Kattar later appeared in the arena. As befits a specialist in percussion technique, he devoted himself to training in demonstrating skills in boxing. At the same time, almost every athlete’s blow to the paws was met with disapproving exclamations from the crowd. Fans in full showed a negative attitude towards the enemy of Magomedsharipov, chanting both the name of their idol and insulting slogans against Kelvin.

The American himself reacted to everything with a smile, and for a short time completely conquered the hall, starting the speech with the word "Thank you" spoken in Russian.

“I am fueled by your energy. She only helps me. I’m going to return to the USA with a victory, ”said Kattar, which again provoked the anger of the public.

Like Hardy, his compatriot approaches the Moscow show as an outsider, but success can give a powerful impetus to his career. Currently, Kattar takes 11th place in the featherweight rating, but a victory over the fifth number can instantly include him in the race for the title.

Unlike a series of trash tokers, the American did not downplay the merits of Zabit. He admitted that he admires the Russian fighter, but intends to present a sensation and prevail over him.

“Hammered - a real beast and is rightfully here. Thanks to him for agreeing to this fight, because he deserves an opponent from the top five strong featherweight. I want to overcome him and take the place of Magomedsharipov in the ranking, ”added Kattar.

After the appearance of Volkov, the atmosphere in the hall changed dramatically. Fans warmly greeted the seventh number of the heavy weight rating, which they managed to miss very much. The last time Alexander performed in Russia in 2016 at the M-1 Challenge 68 tournament in St. Petersburg. The athlete was supposed to return to the Northern capital in April, but withdrew from the show.

Like Kattar, Volkov made the main emphasis on paw work, but also added another defensive exercise to the program. For several minutes, the Russian cleverly dodged the attacks of the opponent, showing reaction and dexterity.

Unlike colleagues, the domestic heavyweight did not allow the local interviewer to ask himself questions, but he picked up the microphone. Alexander turned to the fans and said that he was the main motivation for him in mixed martial arts.

“We are trying to win and do it beautifully, to please you. This is all done for the sake of the spectacle, so that you come to tournaments, enjoy, ”said the athlete.

The last on the platform was the participant in the main match of the UFC tournament in Moscow. Like other Russian fighters, Magomedsharipov was very warmly received at home and for several minutes they chanted his name. Zabit himself did not remain in debt and pleased the audience not only with beautiful kicks from a turn, but also with skills on the ground. So, during the training, he easily hooked a sparring partner, after which he brought down a flurry of attacks from above.

The upcoming tournament will be special for Magomedsharipov, because he will perform for the first time in his native land after moving to the UFC. Earlier in an interview with RT, he admitted that he wanted to speak in Russia, but the promotion management refused to meet him. This should not have happened this fall, because initially the fight with Cattar was planned at the show in Boston. However, due to Zabita’s health problems, the battle was postponed to a later date, which allowed him to be organized in Moscow.

“In Russia, you feel a great responsibility, especially considering the fact that you are playing in the main fight of the evening. But I’m only glad to have a fight in front of my audience, ”Magomedsharipov admitted.

The Russian was modest and refused to answer exactly how he plans to deal with the American, but promised to make every effort to win.

“Support is felt. I think on the day of the tournament it will be felt even more. Perhaps this will put pressure on me, but I’ll try to please my fans, ”said the Russian featherweight.