The excitement around tickets, a physical examination in Grozny and a new warning: how Emelianenko and Ismailov prepare for a full-time battle

The hype around the tickets

One of the most anticipated events in the world of Russian mixed martial arts remains the battle between Alexander Emelianenko and Magomed Ismailov in the framework of the ACA 107 GrandPower tournament, which will be held on April 3 at the VTB Arena in Moscow. In confirmation of this fact, the organizers gave statistics on ticket sales. So, in the first week, fans acquired 25% of their total number. The cost varies from 1,500 to 75 thousand rubles, and the first day of sales brought the promotion 3 million rubles.

To a greater extent, such a hype is ensured by the figure of Emelianenko, whose reputation in the world of MMA is very ambiguous. His colleague, a representative of the middle weight category Vladimir Mineev, explained the phenomenon of Alexander’s popularity by the fact that many fans associate the scandalous fighter with themselves. In addition, he admitted that to some extent he himself sympathizes with him.

“I do not think that Alexander is a role model, but he is honest. I appreciate it in him. The people love Emelianenko, because he is like most of the men who live in our country. This is a Russian man from the middle zone. Stole, drank - to prison. Someone was in places not so distant, someone could just drink, buzz, fight, call someone. This is normal for us. Unfortunately, this is a fact, ”Mineev shared.

Continuation of the confrontation

Meanwhile, athletes continue to prepare for the fight. Ismailov said that he is training at full strength. He expects that the “best version” of Emelianenko will be released against him in the octagon.

“In general, I had a positive impression of him, although I believe that Alexander is irresponsible, underestimating his approach to this confrontation. With me, you need to be more serious in the training process, you need to eat, sleep and exercise properly. I need a victory over the best version of Alexander Emelianenko. Therefore, we look at his best fights, where he was in the best shape, ”Ismailov said in an interview with ACA’s official YouTube channel.

As for Emelianenko, he underwent a medical examination, which did not reveal his health problems.

“During the medical examination, which was held by Alexander Emelianenko in Grozny, no pathologies were detected. We checked everything, including the cardiovascular system. Alexander is healthy, ”ACA representatives said.

At the moment, he is training under the guidance of the mentor of the Grozny club Akhmat Murad Bichuev. The press service of the promotion shared one of the fragments of its preparation.

View this Instagram post

🎬 A fragment of @AlexEmelyanenko training at the Akhmat club.

Publication by ACA MMA (@aca_mma) Feb 14, 2020 @ 6:39 am PST

Meanwhile, Emelianenko himself on his Instagram page published a new video message to Ismailov. In addition to him, in the video there is the head of the Akhmat club Abuzayd Vismuradov, according to whom the fighter will soon gain the best shape.

"Akhmat" invited me to prepare, to gather. So I beat my bald head. “Akhmat” is power, ”said Emelianenko.

Ismailov’s response was not long in coming. He posted a comic video, mounted from frames from a press conference on the upcoming battle. On it, Emelianenko allegedly performs an opera aria.

View this Instagram post

😂💣

Publication from Official Fan Group !! (@maga_isma_team_) Feb 13, 2020 @ 5:14 am PST

Many are watching with interest the dive of two fighters. It is worth noting that opponents, unlike most of such confrontations, treat each other fairly respectfully, preferring to exchange taunts rather than insults. Ismailov himself praised the intellectual abilities of Emelianenko.

“He is my best rival not only in the cage, but also outside it. We can make some noise with him, he is the most correct character for this, he understands humor and is capable of paring. In this I respect him. But I don’t want to drag Alexander into the octagon. Let him jump in there. If Emelianenko gets drunk, we will knock alcohol out of him, ”Ismailov added.

Future rival

Despite the fact that there are still two months left before the fight, there is already talk about who the winner will meet with. One of the most likely candidates is Mineev. The fighter himself does not deny the possibility of a meeting with Emelianenko, which can follow the rules of boxing.

“If Alexander defeats Ismailov, I would be interested to meet him. As for the boxing fight, REN TV and Kamil Gadzhiev (the head of the Russian promotion Fight Nights Global. - RT ) are interested in this. This is an interesting confrontation, ”quoted Sportee Mineev as saying.

Ismailov also claims to fight with him, and the rivals have already met before. In October 2018, the fighters failed to identify the winner during the 25-minute match. However, this confrontation also caused tremendous interest among fans who would like to see rivals in the octagon again.

At the end of January, Hajiyev announced a potential revenge, and now Mineev himself confirmed that the fighters had already agreed on a second meeting, but so far only in words.

“The ACA had the opportunity to offer me this fight before, but they did not. At the moment, there are no offers from them either, but interest in revenge has not subsided so far. And Gadzhiev has this interest. They communicate with Maga. Ismailov confidently told him that he wanted revenge. How much will I get? We agreed with the promotion for 10 million, ”Mineev said.