"A cam? Boxing? Kickboxing? Let's go!"

Vyacheslav Datsik remains one of the brightest fighters of domestic pop MMA. The veteran's fights attract great interest, and his shares do not lower even rare defeats like the one he suffered from Kevin Johnson in early April. And in the near future, Red Tarzan may get a fight with Ivan Shtyrkov, thanks to which his popularity can reach unprecedented heights.

Athletes exchange injections through the press and stir up interest more and more. The promoters, meanwhile, are in talks about a possible meeting in the ring. So, Datsik, after the victory of his colleague over Pyotr Romankevich according to the rules of kickboxing, publicly challenged Shtyrkov. According to Vyacheslav, he was offered to compete with Ivan in boxing, but the opponent allegedly insisted on a fight in mixed martial arts.

"I agreed, but you started crying, begging to take her through MMA. He replied that I hadn't fought for 20 years, I'd been in prison for 13 years and I didn't like hugging sweaty men, so my managers refused... And you're flaunting it. The Ural Chemical Plant was afraid to fight with the old fat Datsik. No need to hide behind fences, find the courage, find the strength. I know that pharmacy diminishes manhood. Collect its remnants, pick it up and accept the challenge. Moreover, people want to see this fight," Datsik said in an interview with the TRUE GYM MMA YouTube channel.

Shtyrkov, after beating Romankevich, stressed that his colleague refused to fight him, but expressed the hope that he would come to his senses and agree. At the same time, he admitted that he did not want such a meeting.

"You keep repeating: 'Datsik – Datsik.' It's like a household name. He talks about me, and I respond in the same way. There was just an offer for this evening, so the topic is developing. I would never suggest, "Let's fight Datsik." There are a lot of decent guys-athletes with whom you can hack. If you really want a fight, then let's discuss superconditions, "Sport-Express quotes the fighter.

He also did not miss the opportunity to once again prick his opponent, saying that he did not have any respect for him in terms of sporting achievements. However, he still praised Red Tarzan for the fact that he achieved success, despite the difficult biography.

As for the negotiations with Datsik's team, the Ural Hulk emphasized: she promoted unusual options like a three-round fight of three minutes in small gloves. Shtyrkov called it "dirt that he will never bring into the RCC."

"Cam, three rounds of two minutes," they drove. Boxing. More than four rounds - we drove. Kickboxing with arms and legs - go ahead. There is MMA, three rounds of five minutes. Everything else is nonsense that does not need to be developed, "Metaratings quotes the athlete as saying.

The point in the dispute was put by RCC Executive Director Nikolai Klimenko, who confirmed that negotiations with Red Tarzan were indeed conducted, and he could take part in the RCC 15 tournament, in which Shtyrkov eventually defeated Romankevich.

"We talked to Datsik's manager. Initially, they offered a kickboxing fight, but he immediately said that he was not ready. Then we considered the rules of fist fights in small gloves, we were offered our own formula for the fight. In any case, Ivan set the choice of the opponent and his rules did not suit him. Perhaps he spoke harshly, but we really had MMA and kickboxing formats. Datsik was not ready for this. I don't think he had much of a chance in kickboxing. He concluded that he would not be able to compete," he said about the negotiations.

At the same time, Klimenko said that he remains in touch with representatives of the athlete. According to the functionary, it would be interesting for him to see him in fist fights, even if the rivals are not Shtyrkov. Therefore, the further appearance of the veteran at the RCC evenings cannot be ruled out.

"I would take him to my dacha to guard the fence"

The conflict between the fighters flared up in early March literally out of the blue. Shortly before the fight with Magomed Ismailov, Ivan was asked about the fight with Datsik. The answer was unexpectedly harsh.

"It's vomit. And how do you like the poster Shtyrkov against Alexander Emelianenko? Did Datsik knock out Emelianenko? So what? I don't want to get into it. Let's then Shtyrkov - Datsik, but in the weight category of 93 kilograms. Normal, right? I think it's impossible," the fighter retorted.

Datsik also did not remain silent and called his opponent a fence guard. At the same time, he expressed a desire to fight him at any time and according to any rules.

"Naturally, I'm not going to lose weight to 93 kg, I won't throw it off. Well, he fought with Mandragon, snatched it from him. If he is not going to guard the fences for retirement, then please - I'm ready. Make suggestions and I'll come. Shtyrkov's boxing level? I would take him to my dacha to guard the fence, "said Vyacheslav.

He also suggested that the reason for the hostility to him on the part of the Ural Hulk is the defeat of Alexander Emelianenko. A native of Khabarovsk last year personally made a lot of efforts to ensure that the veteran recovered from another binge and prepared for a loud battle. As a result, Red Tarzan quickly knocked out his opponent. It was Shtyrkov who was the first to rush to the aid of the loser in the ring.

"Along the way, he was unhappy with the way I got into a fight with Sanya. Still, he put his soul into it: in his training, preparation, and Sanya fell so quickly. He was already in the ring and was ready to jump out to try to knock me out. That was his desire. The student let him down," Datsik said.

By the way, Ivan himself was extremely disappointed that Phoenix returned to his former way of life, and spoke extremely harshly about him in one of his last interviews.

"Fight with Emelianenko? No, never. Well, what are you? And then they will offer a duel with a disabled person, or a one-armed person, or a woman. It's about the same. To offer a professional athlete to fight with Sasha Emelianenko is like an insult, "Shtyrkov emphasized.

In his opinion, Datsik belongs to the same category of freak fighters, with whom it is permissible to fight only for a very good fee. The Ural Hulk has repeatedly noted that he does not regard his opponent as a serious opponent despite all his victories, and in particular was surprised at how he conducts fights in the format of three rounds of three minutes.

"It will be a battle of two titans"

However, other fights can become a serious obstacle on the way to the meeting of athletes. So, in the spring, Vladimir Khryunov announced the holding in 2023 of Vyacheslav's fight with eminent veteran Alexei Oleinik, who recently left the UFC. On May 26, he will face Oli Thompson as part of the REN TV Fight Club. According to a well-known promoter, Oleinik wanted to return to Russia to "fill Datsik's tambourine." The athlete himself confirmed that he was not against the fight.

"If we play in the same league, sooner or later we will meet. It's better to do it sooner rather than later, and when you're ready, not when you're out of shape. We'll fight, but "stuffing a tambourine" sounds rude. I'm used to other words," Oliynyk said.

Meanwhile, RCC intends to concentrate on organizing a confrontation between Shtyrkov and the owner of the AMC Fight Nights light heavyweight championship belt Vagab Vagabov. In preparation for such an important battle, Ivan is unlikely to waste time on Datsik.

However, if they do meet, it will be interesting to look at it. From a sporting point of view, it is really difficult to compare opponents. However, if the fight goes according to the rules of boxing, the recognized knockout Red Tarzan will have a chance, because in this form Ivan has minimal experience. Last year, he defeated Ivan Smirnov by a controversial decision, and this year he lost to Ismailov, who has never been considered a strong striker.

According to experts, the fight in any case will turn out to be intriguing. Former world champion Grigory Drozd believes that the opponents' chances of success are approximately equal.

"My brain refuses to analyze such a fight. It seems to me that this is an equivalent fight. It will be a battle of two titans. I don't know who will hurt whom. 50 to 50. Vanya is now in great shape, but Datsik has also gained full speed for a long time. These are two stocky, tough guys with heavy punches. I don't know who to give preference to," Metaratings quoted Drozd as saying.

In turn, the president of the AMC Fight Nights league, Kamil Hajiyev, called the native of Khabarovsk the favorite if the fight takes place according to the rules of boxing.

"Datsik looks very good in fights with people who do not hold the blow. He really manages to hit hard and hard. But when he encounters resistance and fights with the one who stops him, Vyacheslav begins to have difficulties. Therefore, in this confrontation, a healthy, strong, physically strong and young Ivan will become an impassable opponent for Datsik," Hajiyev explained.