“I would like to perform up to a maximum of 40 years”: Magomedov about MMA fatigue, training in the USA and the duel with Bagov

- Your fight with Ali Bagov is the last one in the quarterfinals of the ACA Lightweight Grand Prix.

But unlike the previous two, it will not be the main event of the evening.

Isn't it embarrassing?

- Of course not.

Personally, I wanted my fight to be the fifth or sixth in the program.

- In general, does the performance in the final bout add motivation or excitement?

- Of course, this is a big responsibility.

It's one thing if you fight in the beginning.

But if you are listed in one of the main fights of the evening, it is actively promoted, the attention of the public is noticeably higher.

This can put pressure on the athlete, fetter him.

But not everyone takes it so seriously.

- You fought with Alexander Sarnavsky in the status of headliners.

Did you feel extra pressure then?

— No, I didn't think about it.

If there was something, I tried not to get hung up.

Plus, he arrived at the arena not at the beginning of the show, but later.

And that helped too.

We didn't have to wait long.

- As some fighters say, fighting in the main fight of the show is an extra problem.

Due to the five-round format, the preparation is noticeably harder, and the fee is the same.

- We have a special situation - after all, we fight in the Grand Prix, and there all the battles take place in the format of five rounds.

But as far as I know, there is a certain cash bonus for performing in the main fight of the evening.

All this is written in the contract.

- Initially, Ali Bagov was supposed to meet with a foreign fighter in the quarterfinals of the Grand Prix.

Do you know with whom exactly?

- Not.

I only know that I myself was not among the participants in the tournament, but later I received an offer to fight Bagov.

Decided somewhere on the second day.

- Some people think that Ali is an uncomfortable opponent for you.

Do you agree?

How can he be comfortable?

Bagov is physically strong, strong, weighs more, constantly fights, puts pressure.

Perhaps if I were younger, it would be a little easier.

But now I can hardly do what I did six or eight years ago.

Perhaps it's a matter of laziness, lack of concentration - such moments are present.

- How do you deal with it?

- I force myself.

It probably helps that he's been doing this almost all his life.

You assemble and do it automatically.

- Probably, this is the reason for all the problems - a certain satiety of battles.

- Yes.

Fatigue from training, fights, weight races - all this makes itself felt.

This was not the case before.

In the old days, he could rest for an hour and plow in the hall again.

Now you work out, you get tired, but you can’t get up in the morning.

To recover, sometimes you have to take a short break.

- When did it start?

- Before the fight with Bagov.

Perhaps the reason is a long rest - after the fight with Sarnavsky, he did not train for seven to eight months.

- How did the audience react to the long absence?

- They said that it was necessary to resume training, he himself agreed.

I thought, I’ll start training again, get involved, get in shape, and only then I’ll ask the league’s leadership to organize a fight for me.

But suddenly there was an offer to participate in the Grand Prix.

As a result, he fully returned to the hall after Ramadan.

I think there was enough time to prepare.

But you understand, long downtime affects.

You quickly get used to good things

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- Everyone knows about Bagov's main weapon - wrestling.

But few people remember that you are still in the top 5 in UFC lightweight history in terms of takedown defense percentage.

Above you are only Donald Cerrone, Leonardo Santos, Gleison Tibau and Rafael Fiziev.

“Honestly, I didn’t know about it.

I don't follow statistics.

Although it is very nice to realize that you are so high.

The fight will show how worth believing this.

Bagov is a good fighter.

- Who would you call the strongest fighter in the history of the MMA lightweight division, if you leave out Khabib Nurmagomedov?

- Unlike him, the rest are overly fond of striking, they begin to forget, due to which they could take over.

Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, always did exactly what was needed to win.

Yes, sometimes he boxed with opponents, but at the right moment he always remembered his strong qualities.

Therefore, it is difficult to single out someone other than Khabib.

Probably, now the strongest in this aspect is Islam Makhachev.

Charles Oliveira also began to wrestle well.

Perhaps in "physics" he added.

Now they are both very strong in this.

— Where do you see Bagov's weaknesses?

For example, some note his stamina problems.

- Maybe it was before, but now Ali fights differently - he takes the rounds.

One will take it, in the other it will slow down a little, then it will increase in the final ones.

For all 25 minutes, Bagov works at a pace, constantly loads, fights.

I wouldn't say it lacks functionality.

Still, it is very difficult to fight throughout the fight.

- If you take the participants of the ACA Grand Prix, would you call Bagov the strongest of them in terms of wrestling qualities?

- Artyom Reznikov also has a very good fight.

He is very explosive.

I think in the freestyle he is a little stronger than Bagov.

Ali works a little differently.

It would be interesting to see them against each other.

But that's exactly what you're trying to prevent.

- Of course.

It’s not just that I’m flying there, I’m going through the training camp, the weight race.

Whatever fraternal relations may be between us, we will have to fight.

I'm only looking forward to winning.

- As far as we know, the next fight will be your last under your current contract with ACA.

If you reach the semi-finals, will the contract be automatically renewed?

- This point has not yet been discussed.

I assume that the agreement will last for the duration of participation in the Grand Prix.

But these issues will be resolved after the battle.

Let's see what they offer.

- In that case, are you not afraid for the decision of the judges?

For example, many remember the fight between Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson.

A few months before the tournament, the American announced his intention to end his career, and subsequently lost by a rather controversial decision, although he knocked down the champion twice.

- I'm not leaving the sport.

As for the contract, the judges may not know about it.

Unless they read the interview.

Apparently, it is worth saying that the new agreement has almost been signed

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- During your career, you lost only six times, and all by decision of the judges.

Were there defeats that you would call controversial?

- Yes.

In 2019 he fought Nate Andrews in the PFL.

Then I was absolutely not agree with the verdict of the judges.

And in other cases, there was something to complain about.

But what to say about it.

There were reasons for everything.

Sometimes you prepare alone - without a team, sometimes you are overloaded.

- In what sense do you “prepare without a team”?

- When I fought in the USA, I could not take my coaches from the Highlander, I worked with locals, from the American Top Team.

You need to understand that this is a huge hall, a lot of fighters are training there, so no one works with you individually.

You are in the general group, you are engaged in weight cutting.

It is now that many Russians are training in the same ATT.

Some lead the camp, others help them.

It used to be different.

There were three or four of us from different weight categories, everyone is busy preparing for their fights.

In our sport, two aspects are important - the team and money.

If there is a second, then there will be no problems with the first.

- At one time, Peter Yan encountered problems in

- No, no one refused to work in pairs.

The fact is that the coaches could not always pay due attention.

Of course, I do not shift the responsibility to them.

I myself am to blame for the defeats.

But it's good when the team works for you.

However, this requires money, space, specialists, sparring partners.

- How much does it cost for a Russian fighter to hold a training camp in

— Depends on their duration.

A month in the American Top Team will cost about $ 5 thousand - to feel confident, to pay something to the coach.

But if you bring sparring partners with you, the costs go up.

They also need to be fed.

— What fees in your career were the most expensive?

— My first visit to the USA.

I flew to New York, after which I was sent to Texas.

We went there by car with my friend Misha Lyubimov.

For two, we then spent about $10 thousand. And this is not counting the payment for the hall, which was carried out at the expense of a percentage of the fee for the fight.

Then I gave 10-15% of the total amount.

— Are fees cheaper in Russia?

- I would not say.

For 200-300 thousand rubles it is possible to hold a good camp.

With this money, you can take two coaches with you, several sparring partners, rent a gym.

It is also worth considering vitamins, pharmacology.

Some people only shove drugs into themselves for a million rubles.

I don't practice it myself, so I don't know for sure.

- The mentioned Henderson competed until the age of 46 and even at that age he was part of the middleweight elite and claimed the title.

You will turn 38 in November. Do you see yourself in professional MMA in seven or eight years?

- I can not say.

But I think not.

I would like to perform up to a maximum of 40 years.

Even as a child, he said that he intended to leave at that age.

But you can't speak ahead.

Who knows what will happen next.

Maybe there will be a need to fight.

In fact, I thought about ending my career even after winning the M-1 Global belt.

But still haven't done it.

- As I understand it, the proposal from the UFC

- Yes.

There was interest from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

And then everything turned around.

- You won

“Then it was a passion.

There was more excitement, composure.

Now it's not like that anymore.

Apparently the years are taking their toll.

You can't be stressed all the time.

Previously, he rested in every sparring, he certainly wanted to take over.

Now there is no such thing.

Lost and fine.

This is a normal workout.

I wouldn't say I'm old.

But when you have been in sports for so many years, a certain fatigue accumulates.

You eat, as they say.

Perhaps you need to try something new.

Suddenly it will be interesting.

- For example?

- I don't understand yet.

The head is occupied with fights, trainings.

I would like to have some kind of business, but it has not yet developed.

- Many athletes open their gyms, restaurants.

What would be of interest to you?

I would like to start my own farm.

- Despite the fact that you are one of the most experienced representatives of the Highlander Hall, you are not particularly involved in mentoring among young people.

Coaching does not appeal to you?

- I can give you some advice.

But in order to do this, you must constantly be in the hall.

And after the fight with Sarnavsky, I was not there for more than six months.

If I end my career and go there for myself, then maybe I'll get into it.

But for now, it's completely irrelevant.

- During your career, you managed to fight in the UFC, reached the final of the PFL Grand Prix, owned the M-1 Global welterweight title.

What achievement do you consider the most significant?

There were enough memorable moments.

Conquering and defending the M-1 title, the first victory and defeat in the UFC.

Two fights with Magomedrasul Khasbulaev also stuck in my memory.

What else would you like to achieve before your 40th birthday?

I don't look far ahead.

I would like the duel with Bagov to be successful.

- You are considered one of the most modest fighters in MMA.

What is this - upbringing, a warehouse of character?

I guess because I don't talk much.

I don’t think that there are very modest guys in MMA: everyone has a character, ambitions, everyone gets angry from time to time.

It was just that earlier it was not customary to talk so much, it was necessary to prove everything with deeds.