“Habib would beat Georges”: Imadayev about a possible duel between Nurmagomedov and Saint-Pierre, a conflict with Griffin and Masvydaly’s belt

- You started your career in the UFC with defeat . What does the upcoming duel with Danny Roberts mean to you?

- Like all other fights, this one is very important for me. On the way to the title there are no less or more important fights.

- At the moment, your opponent has a series of two failures. Will you be upset if Roberts is fired from the UFC after losing from you ?

- The promotion management is dealing with such issues, not me. Roberts is a good fighter. In my opinion, he is stronger than Max Griffin.

- What is your opponent dangerous?

- I prefer to think about my strengths, and not about the opponent’s weaknesses. On Saturday, nothing will come as a surprise to me. I'm getting ready to fight both in the stance and in the stalls.

- In anticipation of the previous battle between you and Griffin, a series of conflicts occurred. Was there a misunderstanding with Roberts?

- No. Today I first saw him

“During the duel of looks, you touched Roberts' forehead with the peak of a cap.” Tried to put psychological pressure on him?

- No, this did not happen on purpose. But you need to understand that we come here to fight, and not play battles.

- Athletes often experience serious problems with a weight racer. How are you doing with this?

- Weight loss is the hardest test for an MMA athlete. I can’t say that the process goes without difficulties, but I’m sure I can stand it. I just have to drop a little.

- In April, you lost to Griffin, but it still remains a question of what happened between you. The American said you were chasing him at the hotel. It's true?

“That wasn’t.” He spoke a lot before the fight, and at the meeting I asked him to answer for his words. He hesitated, began to cry. I can say for sure that I did not attack him. He just said to watch what he says.

“Nevertheless, Griffin called the police ...”

- Not only - he called the guards, representatives of the UFC. I don’t understand why he did it.

“If you met again with an American, what would you ask?”

“I have nothing to say to him.” I think, first of all, I would have beaten Griffin well.

- If you defeat Roberts, are you ready to ask the UFC to arrange your revenge with him?

- No, and for several reasons at once. Firstly, he will not agree to a second duel with me, and secondly, Max is not interesting to me as an opponent. Welterweight there are a huge number of more cool athletes that I would like to fight.

- Already have options?

- First you need to get the better of Roberts. If I win, I will announce my immediate goals.

- Recently, Jorge Masvidal has become one of the most popular fighters of the UFC. Are you considering him as a possible adversary?

- Of course. Masvidal owns the belt of the “toughest gangster,” but I think it should belong to me. As soon as he found out the results of the battle, he called his coach and said that Jorge took my title. It is necessary to return it. I really hope to meet him.

- Which belt would you like to win in the first place - the one owned by Kamaru Usman or Masvidal?

“It doesn't really matter to me.” Before joining the UFC, I set myself the task of becoming a champion. It doesn’t matter which belt is on my waist.

- Usman will defend his title in a fight with Colby Covington. Who do you prefer?

- A very interesting match. In my opinion, Usman will prevail. I bet 60 to 40 in his favor.

- Recently, much has been said about the possible return of Georges Saint-Pierre. Do you think he could again become the champion of the UFC?

- It is difficult to say whether he is able to once again become the strongest welterweight. But at the same time, I note that I consider Saint-Pierre to be one of the greatest fighters in the history of UFC.

- Whom else would be noted?

- John Jones.

- Khabib Nurmagomedov has repeatedly expressed a desire to beat Saint-Pierre. Who do you think would win this battle?

- I think Nurmagomedov would have beaten Saint-Pierre. Habib is a young and more charged fighter, while Georges is already old. In his youth, the Canadian performed at the highest level and surpassed his counterparts, but since then a lot of time has passed.