“Fedor will have no problems with the support of viewers in the USA”: Shestakov about Emelianenko’s last fight and Bader’s possible mistake

- Many wanted Emelianenko's last fight to take place in Russia, but it will take place in the USA, and even early in the morning Moscow time.

Does this fact really upset you?

- Of course, it would be great if the second fight between Emelianenko and Bader took place in Russia, moreover, at the arena of the recently opened International SAMBO Center in Luzhniki.

This would be very symbolic, especially since Fedor went to mixed martial arts fights in a sambist jacket more than once.

But we must be guided not by our desires, but by the expectations of the athlete.

Emelianenko is a legend of world sambo and mixed martial arts, has an impressive army of fans, including in the USA.

In general, there is not a single country in the world where he would not be known and revered.

Therefore, despite the fact that Bader performs at home, I am sure that at least half of the audience will cheer for our legend.

Fedor will not have problems with the support of the audience.

- Given your warm relationship with Emelianenko, there was no desire to fly to California and support him?

- You are absolutely right, we have developed very good relations, and I value them very much.

In addition, Fedor makes a colossal contribution to the development and popularization of SAMBO; a whole generation of young athletes in our sport has grown up on his fights.

I always find the opportunity to watch Emelianenko's fights live, even if I am at that moment in another hemisphere, ten time zones from the sporting event itself.

As for my presence in the hall, I repeatedly planned to attend his fights, but, unfortunately, due to circumstances often beyond my control, I could not do this.

- Four years ago, Emelianenko could not resist in a fight with Bader, and since then he has hardly become sharper and more resilient, because he is already 46. What should the legend hope for in a rematch?

- Fedor was, is and will be the best in his business.

I am convinced that he still has no equal.

Emelianenko knows how to achieve results both in the short run and at the end of the fight.

The real skill lies in winning with the least amount of effort.

And in the last fights, Fedor succeeded.

He finds a weak point, a gap in the opponent's defense and hits the target.

The French have a saying 'Entraînement difficile, guerre facile', which can be translated into Russian almost literally: "It's hard to learn - easy to fight."

In my opinion, this is about Emelianenko.

- Emelianenko twice prepared his pupils for a meeting with Bader, but if Nemkov prevailed, then Moldavsky could not and lost by decision.

Is thorough knowledge of the opponent the main advantage of the Last Emperor?

- Vadim performed very convincingly and won by knockout, and it seemed to me that Valentin's victory was stolen.

He certainly did not lose to Ryan, but since the fight took place in the homeland of the American, this probably influenced the opinion of the judges.

To prevent such a situation from happening again, it is necessary to defeat Bader again ahead of schedule - either by knockout, or by a painful or suffocating technique.

Fedor has all the necessary arsenal for this.

In addition, I am absolutely sure that Emelianenko has a plan A, B and even C, but which one he activates depends on Bader's tactics.

One of the mistakes of the American can be just the underestimation of the opponent.

An attempt to drag out the fight until the championship rounds, counting on the fatigue of the Russian sambo wrestler, may backfire.

Plus, Fedor has the highest fighting intelligence, is cold-blooded and difficult to surprise or make him make mistakes.

- Nevertheless, in the first fight, Bender managed to knock Emelianenko down, and in general, the Russian

- I repeat, Emelianenko is a very smart fighter, able to quickly rebuild and change tactics during the fight.

Also, I'm not sure that Bader will bet solely on boxing.

He is also an experienced and well-worn fighter, able to surprise and break stereotypes.

Surely the American has a blank in his arsenal, and maybe more than one.

Therefore, it is extremely important to be ready for anything and calculate all the options, which Fedor's team has probably already taken care of.

- How many rounds, in your opinion, will the fight last and how will it end: with a painful or choke hold, a knockout blow or a decision of the judges?

- I do not believe that the fight will last all five rounds, it is unlikely that Emelianenko will want to give the judges the opportunity to decide the fate of the fight.

Of course, punches are the main weapon in his arsenal, especially at close range, but do not forget about the power of his low kicks, which can break opponents' legs.

Well, I’m not even talking about wrestling, the sambo school made him invulnerable in this component.

To summarize the above, I think the fight will not last more than three rounds.

And, despite the fact that it will take place in the USA, I bet on the victory of Fedor.