- When the
UFC offered you a fight with Drew Dober, did you have any other options and how quickly did you accept this fight?
- I would not say that I accepted it immediately and with joy.
But at that time there were simply no other options, so I agreed.
Then Dober was still among the 15 best.
Then the weight category changed, new fighters came, someone flew into the top 15, and he took off from there.
Therefore, one could say that they gave me a top opponent.
- In 2016, you should have already met him and even held a training camp. Does it help you prepare for the fight now?
- It doesn't matter.
All rivals are different, and you need to prepare for each.
- Dober has changed a lot since then, in your opinion?
- I think, yes, he added quite a lot.
He grew up as a fighter, brought up his weaknesses.
Thanks to this, Dober reached the top.
We can say that before he could both win and lose, but now he has become a stronger rival who must be taken seriously.
- You haven't fought for a long time. Given this, is there a desire not only to win, but also to arrange a spectacle?
- Of course, the first task is to win.
But a lot will also depend on how quickly or how beautifully I was able to finish the fight.
- Who became the leader in lightweight after the departure of Khabib Nurmagomedov?
- I would say that there is no absolute leader.
As I said, the ideal UFC would be to play the belt between Charlis Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.
I can't call anyone an unconditional leader.
All fighters have defeats and victories.
It's just that Oliveira has a good winning streak, although he also lost a lot.
And Poirier recently made a loud statement by winning a big fight (with Conor McGregor. -
RT
).
- Can you remember your first days in
AKA?
- I came and saw that there was sparring in the cage.
Then I still could not connect two words in English and said to Khabib: "Tell me to be put in a cage with someone, I want to try."
He agreed and spoke with Javier Mendes.
At the time, AKA trained Leon Edwards, who is now the top welterweight champion.
Javier warned that he is a good drummer and has a powerful left leg.
I thought that in the first sparring in AKA you need to show yourself well.
Therefore, he knocked him down immediately after the start of the battle and began to control.
Edwards was then a completely different fighter, now he pulled himself up very strongly: both in wrestling skills and in stance.
Then he came to AKA to improve the fight.
- He was able to climb in that sparring?
- Honestly, I don't remember, but I was pleased with my sparring.
The fact that Edwards came to improve wrestling suggests that he knows his weaknesses and is even ready to come to another continent to grow up as a wrestler.
Then we trained together for another month.
- Mendes always says that you are a fighter without weak points. What do you think, what exactly did you improve when you came to America?
- Probably in grappling and stance.
AKA has a very good grappling trainer.
I've always been good at this and competed in tournaments, but I didn't have fighting grappling.
It differs from usual when you can just lie on your back and do painful holds or sit on top and control.
Combat grappling is a different game, different grips, leg traps.
You can no longer lie on your back, at any moment an elbow or a blow can fly into your head, which will end the fight.
And in this regard, I scored quite a lot in AKA.
- You trained under the guidance of Javier Mendes and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. What unites them and what is the main difference between them?
- In a nutshell, they are united by the old school where they grew up.
For example, if a wrestler has a strong side, then Abdulmanap did not try to turn him in the other direction.
He did not force the drummer to just fight, but gave the opportunity to develop his strike, so that he would further improve this component.
Because otherwise, the athlete could be confused.
It's the same with Javier.
If a guy comes who is good at fighting, he will not make a drummer out of him.
He will show you how to move in a stance so that you can also fight and show your base.
And as for the difference, in America there is not so much discipline in the gym.
There is a completely different approach to coaches and fighters, not like in Dagestan.
Abdulmanap's discipline came first.
- You underwent heart surgery. How did you feel then from a psychological point of view and how did you go through it?
- It was radiofrequency ablation, and not some kind of terrible or difficult operation, they did not open my chest and did not climb inside.
Many people go through this every day.
When I asked the doctor how it would affect my career, he told about biathlete Dmitry Malyshko, who won the Olympics a few months after this procedure.
I then relaxed and realized that it would only be a plus.
I could have lived in peace without surgery, but they told me that if I plan to play sports for a long time, it’s better to go through it all the same.
There would be no harm without her.
Then I decided why not.
In addition, I was convinced that my doctor studied in America and Germany, I saw how he was treated in the hospital.
Unfortunately, I forgot his last name, although I should have given it so that people could refer to him.
- Is it true that before the operation you practically did not tell anyone about it?
- Yes, only to my older brother and a couple of friends.
Neither Khabib, nor Abdulmanap, nor Javier knew.
I just didn't want it to fly apart.
If it was a finger operation, nobody would be interested.
People do not have an understanding of what was happening, everyone immediately thinks that my chest was cut and my heart was taken out.
And everything is much simpler.
I was even conscious under local anesthesia and watched on the screen what they were doing to me.
- Who plays football better - you or Khabib?
- I'm better now.
Khabib has a lot of excess weight and is not as mobile.
- Khabib said that you remind him of Gareth Bale, he would put you in the place of the left midfielder. What position would you assign him to?
- Now I would make him a judge.
(
laughs
) So that he decides everything in our favor.
In general, Khabib sees the field very well.
He loves the sport with all his heart and is well versed.
He does not need to shout anything, he himself knows who and where opens.
So you can make it a passer in the center.
- This time you will have Javier and Khabib in the corner. Who will be the third?
- My elder brother Muslim.
He was in almost all the fights.
- What does Khabib usually say to you at the last moment before going into battle?
- In battle, the main thing is not to succumb to emotions and calm down.
He says: "Relax, do your job, show what you did in training."
There are no definite words, Khabib just says to carefully do his job.
- When Khabib ended his career, what did you think about first of all? That now the path to the
UFC championship is
open, or that now you have an even greater responsibility?
- No, there were no such thoughts.
I was glad that I no longer have to go through this stress, which was when Khabib spoke.
His weight cut was tough and the fights were emotional.
And now you no longer have to worry about it.
I wanted him to finish his career without defeat.
I also did not understand what he should strive for further?
There is money, there is a belt, but there are no more principal rivals.