“They are afraid to sign a contract”: Shlemenko about negotiations with the UFC, Adesanya’s talent and Emelianenko’s problems with alcohol

- How are things in your negotiations with the UFC?

- They are underway. Most recently, I ended the period of exclusive negotiations with Bellator. January 19 was completely free. From that moment, my manager Alexei Zhernakov began to communicate with the UFC. Now we are building a dialogue, it will be seen further.

- You can say that the priority for you is exactly speaking at the UFC?

- Of course. Otherwise, I would have stayed at Bellator, which offered me very good financial conditions. But decided to move in a different direction.

- Why?

- In Bellator, I was already a champion, defended the title three times, became the winner of the Grand Prix. In fact, I won everything there. At the moment, there is only one belt that I would like to try on, it is in the UFC. Despite financial losses, we decided to work on signing an agreement with the Absolute Fighting Championship.

- Do you think it is worth waiting for the signing of a contract with the UFC in the near future?

- I do not think so. The problem is that I'm not an ordinary athlete. Everyone knows that basically UFC debutants get $ 10-20 thousand for the fight, plus the same amount is the prize for the victory. Of course, such conditions do not suit me. As a result, negotiations are a bit slower.

- Do not consider signing a minimum contract?

- During the negotiations, considering me as a newbie is stupid. For these guys they have different prices. I have a lot of friends from abroad performing in the UFC, I know about how much they receive. But I do not want to run ahead and name any amounts.

- In your opinion, how much will UFC take into account your regalia in Bellator?

- Usually they treated champions of other organizations well, but there are nuances.

- What kind?

“It is not beneficial for the promotion that I immediately win and take the belt.” I think they would like to see how the champions of other organizations are inferior, otherwise the notorious level of the championship will be called into question. In this regard, it seems to me that the UFC is a little afraid to sign a contract with me. I can not be put with debutants, athletes from the top 15 rating should be given as rivals. And they risk losing.

- Recently, Eduard Vartanyan said that the UFC has temporarily suspended the recruitment of Russian lightweights. Is there no such situation in average weight?

- This is a professional sport, so you can’t say that they do not take the Russians. Everything here is purely individual. As for me, I have an advantage. Firstly, I was a champion in the American promotion, and secondly, I played in the main fight of the evening on non-local television more than ten times. But in some ways, Edward is right.

- What exactly?

- According to my information, the UFC has temporarily stopped signing new fighters. Currently, there are about 600 athletes in the promotion roster, most of whom are not up to standard. To attract new ones, they need to revise a number of agreements and carry out a certain purge.

- In case of signing a contract with the UFC, would you like to make your debut in the Russian tournament or does it not matter?

- Of course, speaking at home is a priority. I think it would be beneficial for the UFC to put me in the main fight of the evening in the Russian tournament. Most of my 73 fights closed the show program, which speaks for itself. But in general, I’m ready to fight abroad - it all depends on the opponent. It is very important for me to fight often, which is why I am very interested in the contract with the Absolute Fighting Championship.

- Do you think you can implement this plan in the UFC?

- Yes. Look at Peter Jan - he had four fights in a year. I think I could spend five to six fights. That would be a great schedule for me. I’ll get to the title faster.

- Speaking of the duration of the contract, for how many fights would you like to conclude an agreement with the UFC?

- I would like a standard agreement for three fights. You can quickly hold them, and then renegotiate the contract on more favorable terms. If you have champion ambitions, then it is better to opt for shorter-term agreements, not to sign a contract for six bouts at once.

- Explain.

- At the beginning, the conditions may not be the best, but you can win beautiful knockouts three times and get a more profitable offer. But there is a flip side to the coin.

- What?

- There is a risk of not showing yourself in the best way and staying overboard.

- You said that you can perform not only in the middle, but also in the welterweight category. Are you sure you can make weight?

“It takes time, but yes.” Capable of that. At the moment I weigh 88 kg. To the welterweight category, I need to drive 11 kg. It is quite capable. But at the same time I would like to focus on performances in the middle division.

- What are the advantages?

“That would allow me to fight more often.” But I do not refuse my words - I am ready to speak in both categories.

- In welterweight, Kamaru Usman owns the belt, and Israel Adesanya on average. Who can be called a more suitable opponent for you?

- Hard to tell. For some indicators, Usman is more convenient for me, for others - Adesanya. Israel is a drummer. It would be interesting to test your skills against such a high-class fighter. It will take a little longer to prepare for the battle with Kamaru, because he is a basic fighter. Work with him will be harder.

- At the moment, Adesanya is considered one of the main talents of the promotion. Do you agree?

- Of course. The UFC has made a big bet on Israel. He is probably the main star now. But if you look at the battle with Calvin Gastelum, you can see many gaps in his work. In that battle Adesanya had a hard time. In the future, he will face a serious test in the form of Yoel Romero. He will show whether the New Zealander meets the expectations of the leadership.

- Who do you think is your favorite?

- Romero is not a gift, but I will give preference to Adesanya.

- Many compare Adesanya with Anderson Silva. Do you think Israel deserves it?

- They are similar - in terms of both style and anthropometry. Let's see if he manages to achieve the same heights as Anderson. But personally, I think not.

- Which of the middleweight fighters have always impressed you personally?

- Dan Henderson.

- In the light of the unsuccessful performance of Hector Lombard, are you not afraid of the transition to the UFC? Still, you lost to him in the Bellator, but at the same time he himself could not succeed in the UFC, losing in eight out of 12 fights.

- Not at all. I just want to prove myself there.

- There is an opinion that in the UFC the average level of fighters is higher than in other organizations. Do you agree?

- Not. I fought with Geghard Musashi, who was one of the five strongest middleweights of the UFC, recently fought with David Branch, another representative of the top 15 ranking. In both fights it looked pretty good.

- If you could choose an opponent for the first fight, who would it be?

- Adesanya. That would be perfect. All in all, I don't care. But if we talk about with whom I would like to fight in the octagon, Bruno Silva comes to mind. We met with him in 2018 (at the M-1 Challenge 93 tournament), I lost. But, in my opinion, there was a referee oversight. I would like to have a rematch with him in the UFC. However, now the Brazilian is disqualified for doping for two years.

- Recently, your teammate Andrei Koreshkov said that he would not go to the UFC on poor conditions . How do you feel about this position?

- As a priority, I chose not money. Andrey has a different situation now. He can afford to stay at Bellator for a while. Make some money.

- In case of transition to the UFC, how good are its prospects?

“I think great.” It seems to me that he could become the first contender for the title. Many may disagree with me, but the same Douglas Lima is no less a dangerous opponent than Usman. And maybe even more.

- Speaking of Russia, at the moment the most discussed event is the battle between Alexander Emelianenko and Magomed Ismailov. Are you intrigued by this fight?

- I can’t say that I look forward to it. It would be interesting to see how this battle will take place, how Magomed will deal with Alexander. But I would not call it the battle of the year.

- Ismailov spent his entire career in middleweight, but decided to agree to a bout with Emelianenko in the heavy. The right move?

- If it concerns career advancement, then yes. For him, the battle with Emelianenko is the most important in life. Both in terms of money and in terms of prestige.

- The head of Fight Nights Global, Kamil Gadzhiev, said that Ismailov had no chance against Emelianenko, because he simply “shot” him from a distance. Do you agree?

- Only if Emelyanenko stays sober and prepares for the fight. If Sasha continues to thump, then he will not “shoot” anyone. As if he reached the cell. Everyone has already repeatedly seen what this drunkenness led him to, what he looked like afterwards in fights.

- Does it surprise you that Emelianenko behaves in a similar way before such an important event?

- Not. He considers the battle with Ismailov an easy walk. But I think he can pay for it.

- Sergey Kharitonov called Emelianenko a disgrace to MMA. Do you agree that such fighters discredit the image of Russian mixed martial arts?

- Of course. Suddenly, the young will begin to take an example from him, to drink. This is immoral behavior. Plus, he was already in prison for rape.

- Recently, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov said that Emelianenko could become one of the best fighters on the planet if he trained with him. Do you agree?

- He has very good data, but the whole problem is in alcohol. If you remove this, then he could become one of the best, no doubt. And not only under the leadership of Abdulmanap. But it would be hard for Nurmagomedov to deal with Emelianenko.

- Why?

- He is an adult, he knows what he needs in life. It is unlikely that he would seriously listen to Abdulmanap. Watch how he communicates with his brother.