A promise to shed blood, a comparison of Hardy with Dziuba and criticism of McGregor: what was the UFC Fight Night media day in Moscow

In Moscow, the UFC media day was held, during which journalists could ask questions to the fighters participating in the Fight Night 163 tournament. According to tradition, the event was divided into two parts. First, media representatives were invited to talk with nominee outsiders (blue corner) of upcoming fights, and after a traditional duel of looks at the arena, favorites (red corner) came out.

It is noteworthy that the procedure for dividing the fighters into two groups is reflected not only in their participation in the promotion of the evening, but also in where they will prepare for the upcoming match at the tournament. So, Sergey Khandozhko was the only Russian in the blue corner and, therefore, will expect a fight in the company of foreign athletes. True, the athlete himself admitted that it did not matter to him and said that he would not feel discomfort.

It is not surprising that the attention of the local public was largely concentrated around Khandozhko. A crowd of journalists immediately lined up for the Russian athlete, while Ed Herman, who was nearby, was noticeably bored. Unlike his colleagues, the American came to the event not in a tracksuit, but in a jacket, making an application for the status of the most stylish participant in the Moscow show.

However, in the end he was circumvented by compatriot Greg Hardy. During an open training session, the opponent of Alexander Volkov pleased the audience with dances, and at the media day he attracted attention with his appearance. So, the American put on a red hat and scarf, which against the background of a black shirt and trousers looked quite contrasted.

“Did I dance during training yesterday?” I do it all the time, this is my style. Always positive ... I have been speaking at the UFC for a year now. Almost all of my fights ended in the first or second rounds, but I will fight with Volkov as much as I need, ”Hardy quotes Prostoprosport.

In October, the American fell into a scandalous situation. In the battle with Ben Sosoli, he used an inhaler, for which he was deprived of victory by unanimous decision. But as representatives of the UFC said, this will be ruled out at a tournament in Moscow.

“Hardy will not be allowed to use the inhaler in a duel with Volkov,” said UFC Vice President Jeff Nowitzki MMA Fighting.

As for Kelvin Kattar, on the eve he already managed to feel the hatred of Russian fans. During the training, each of his actions was accompanied by a buzz, but to the credit of the American, he rather calmly reacted to the actions of the fans. However, during the media day, the American again noted a replica, which could cost him a harsh reaction from the stands during the show.

“I can say for sure that for him I am the toughest opponent in my career ... I don’t think what will happen after and what kind of opponent I will have. But Zabit already says that his next fight will be the title one, as if he had already defeated me. This is a big mistake. It is important not to get ahead of events and concentrate on the upcoming meeting, ”the Championship quotes Kattara.

Otherwise, Calvin was extremely restrained and did not allow himself provocations. In general, all the fighters behaved more than respectfully, and only Zelim Imadayev distinguished himself. During a duel of looks, the Russian visor hardened his visor with a visor cap. He grimaced, but did not respond to the actions of the athlete.

At the same time, it is worth noting that Imadayev has already managed to become famous for his complex character. So, before the UFC 236 tournament, he allegedly pursued future opponent Max Griffin and tried to arrange a fight with him right at the hotel. As a result, the American had to turn to law enforcement services.

True, the Russian himself denied this and admitted that he only talked with his opponent. According to him, there was no fight between the athletes, and Griffin’s statements were a lie.

It is easy to assume that among the representatives of the red corner, the participants in the two main battles of the evening enjoyed the greatest attention. A crowd of journalists gathered around Alexander Volkov and Zabit Magomedsharipov, and the heavyweight caused the greatest excitement. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in April he was supposed to speak in Russia, but then his fight with Alistair Overeem was canceled due to the Russian’s health problems.

“All changes in the year in me can be seen in the cell. Someone may not even notice them. Grew up in many aspects. We have done a tremendous amount of work. In general, I am satisfied with my physical condition. Psychologically, I am very charged for a good fight, ”Volkov quoted Sports.ru as saying.

One of the questions concerned the future battle. So, Volkov partially agreed with Hardy's words that during their fight we should expect “war, blood and an octagon show”.

“Of course, all this will be. Only blood is not mine, ”Volkov told RIA Novosti.

The Russian commented on another statement by the American. On the eve of Hardy, he called his counterpart a sports legend, but Volkov admitted that he was trying not to pay attention to such remarks.

“Many rivals in the heavy division refused to go to Russia, but Hardy did it and saw what kind of support our fighters had. I think his respectful attitude is connected, inter alia, with the understanding that he is not at home. Probably, in his own words he addresses not to me, but to fans who, with such an attitude, could support him, ”the athlete expressed his opinion.

At the same time, Volkov remembered Hardy's career in American football and compared him to the leader of the Russian national football team.

“I don't think Hardy is more hype than Dos Santos. But it is popular from all points of view. They know about him - he comes from another sport. It is similar if, for example, Dziuba transferred to MMA. Will Artyom be at the tournament? He has a very busy schedule - training, matches in the Champions League, team. Our team invited him, ”Volkov added.

Traditionally, there were some questions about McGregor. Volkov expressed his opinion on the Irishman’s behavior during a press conference in Moscow.

“Be that as it may, he does it on purpose so that Habib fans are forced to give Conor a rematch. He sells himself, a fight, but for Russia he does not do it very correctly ... Such shocking people have both haters and fans. I don’t know if he played too much, but some words are definitely superfluous, ”concluded Volkov.

Magomedsharipov, on the other hand, spoke about weight loss and replied that it was more important for him - the UFC title or the love of the public.

“Of course, the recognition and support of the fans. It is very nice when you are loved, worried about you ... As for weight loss, there are four kilograms left. In the evening we will clean them, ”admitted Magomedsharipov TASS.

On the eve of the fifth number of the featherweight, the UFC has already admitted that performing at home is not easy for him because of the burden of responsibility.

“We must try to remove the excitement and calmly fight, because professional fighters must cope with everything. I think we will succeed, ”Magomedsharipov noted.

Over the past years, Conor McGregor has been the most coveted opponent for most UFC athletes. A duel with the Irish guarantees record fees for his counterpart, in connection with which most want to meet him in a cage. However, Magomedsharipov has a different opinion.

“I no longer consider him an athlete. He lost so many times. It doesn’t show anything like that. Just chatting, and that’s it. There are much more serious fighters with whom we could fight, ”concluded the Russian.