It is not for nothing that the boxing fight of Alexander Emelianenko and Mikhail Koklyaev earned a reputation in the media for the fight of the year in Russia. Let neither the one nor the other boxing masters be, but they managed to create something new for Russian sports - from scratch, an untwisted event that fans eagerly awaited, which hit the airwaves and gathered a full arena of the audience.
No matter what the fight between the scandalous MMA fighter and the never-ending strongman ended, he became a worthy heir to the high-profile battle of Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, when they suddenly decided at the peak of their careers to find out the relationship in the ring, although they had been representing different sports and each other all their lives friend did not compete. There have already been attempts to stage a mixed martial arts show in Russia, but they were usually intended only for an audience of Internet users.
Initially, it seemed that Emelianenko and Koklyaev would confine themselves to skirmishes on social networks, giving fans only a few vivid quotes. However, their conflict went too far, making the battle inevitable. It only remained to decide what style they would fight in, and it was decided to stop at a compromise box, since both had never performed professionally in it.
For Emelianenko, such a choice was rather an obvious plus. Although he is considered to be a representative of mixed martial arts, in recent years he has been preaching exclusively in fighting in the rack and shock equipment. In addition, the 38-year-old athlete still had one duel in professional boxing, albeit ten years ago and ended in a draw.
Koklyaev from scratch to comprehend all the intricacies of the struggle in the stalls and protection from kicking, too, had no time. Known for his achievements in power athleticism, the athlete primarily relied on his mass and the so-called “Lucky Punch" - one lucky blow that sends the opponent to a knockout. At the weigh-in, Koklyaev was 20 kg heavier than Emelianenko and at the same time appeared in great shape, which heavyweight wrestlers could envy.
However, all these subtleties and pre-combat layouts should not have special significance. After all, the VTB Arena was supposed to host a performance, entertainment for the fans, and not a purely professional match, albeit with a clear favorite. It was on the show that ten thousand fans came.
Sensing the transience of the fight, the organizers tried to delay it as much as possible using the undercard fights. Immediately before entering the ring Emelianenko and Koklyaeva, the audience saw a fight with the participation of Maxim Novoselov, a 46-year-old sambo fighter who had served several years in prison for the murder. He spent four rounds beating Alexei Goncharov, who had only one lost fight in MMA over his entire career.
Finally, closer to one in the morning, the stands greeted Koklyaev and reacted more restraintly to the appearance of Emelianenko - sympathies clearly were on the side of the strongman. Koklyaev responded to the support of the public and began the fight as actively as possible, trying to immediately put all his strength into the blow to the opponent.
Twice the weightlifter succeeded, but Emelianenko withstood the starting pressure. Just before the battle, he noted that he could withstand several such attacks, and in his words there was no guile. Very quickly Koklyaev ran out of steam, and Emelianenko, having played a little in public, ended the fight 13 seconds before the end of the first round. First, he sent the opponent to the knockdown, but Koklyaev barely stood on his feet, and soon the referee stopped the fight. Emelianenko was able to avenge the insults with which the promotion of the fight began.
The championship belt was given to the wrestler by a special guest of the evening. From Irkutsk to Moscow came the hero of the last days, Vyacheslav Doroshenko, who saved a nine-year-old girl from a rapist. After the award, Koklyaev announced his desire to take revenge. But if a second duel between the two main stars of the Russian boxing of recent days takes place, then it will be held according to the rules of MMA. Koklyaev himself put forward such a proposal, which Emelianenko is unlikely to refuse. In his appeal to the audience, Alexander apologized to them that he could not stretch the fight for longer.