"We will get an unpredictable fight": Ismailov and Mineev can fight according to the rules of boxing

"The year should be completed with such stories. That would be epic."

The confrontation between Magomed Ismailov and Vladimir Mineev did not leave indifferent domestic martial arts fans. They had two fights with each other, and many still dream of a third. It seems that the head of the AMC Fight Nights league, Kamil Hajiyev, wants this more than anyone else, who has repeatedly stated his desire to bring the principal rivals together again.

Once again, he did this during the weigh-in procedure before the promotion tournament in Ulyanovsk. At first, the manager said that Volzhanin's return would take place on September 15 in Elista. He did not say details, but previously admitted: the organization is working on a fight according to the rules of kickboxing.

Then the leader noted a couple of more intriguing statements. According to him, after the kickboxing meeting, Mineev should fight Ivan Shtyrkov in Sochi. Finally, he mentioned the fight with Ismailov according to the rules of boxing. Vladimir's farewell speech, according to his idea, should take place in Ulyanovsk.

"I can't tell you now when this will happen, but the fact that you need to fight is a fact. It just so happened, or rather did not work out, that I did not fight in this city. We need to fix it," Volzhanin replied.

A little later, he commented on the plan outlined for him by Hajiyev. Mineev admitted that he does not want to choose between two high-profile voiced confrontations.

"I think the fight according to the rules of boxing with Ismailov would be louder. As for kickboxing, this type is just closer to me. I don't see the point in choosing, you just need to have two fights. If you put it in a temporary disposition, it would be more convenient first with Shtyrkov, and then with Ismailov, "Match TV quotes the athlete as saying.

But the organization of the confrontation in September came as a surprise to him. Vladimir admitted that he discussed this idea with the head, but without specifics and decision-making.

"I just found out from Kamil that maybe I'll fight in September. To be honest, it was more of a surprise for me. We've talked about it, but to say it's going to happen 100%... Now I'll go and talk to him, where does such confidence come from," Mineev added.

Finally, he did not rule out that he would end his career in the near future. According to Volzhanin, it was not in vain that Hajiyev raised the topic of the farewell fight. Everything will depend on how the next meetings will go, including with Ismailov. In the future, Vladimir would like to continue to engage in public activities in the field of MMA in the Ulyanovsk region.

As for the third confrontation with Magomed, Hajiyev emphasized back in May: he discussed this idea with both opponents, and they agreed.

"Therefore, either one thing will happen, or Mineev will fight kickboxing with Shtyrkov, and then there will be a boxing match with Ismailov. The year, of course, must end with such stories. It would be epic, "the functionary outlined the approximate dates.

"Being in the NWO zone, you don't have to think about sports"

As already mentioned, earlier the athletes had two fights according to the rules of MMA. The first, held in 2018, ended in a draw. At the same time, both were dissatisfied with the refereeing. In this situation, revenge was only a matter of time. As a result, it took place in the fall of 2021. The opponent in the third round had serious problems with functional readiness and he lost consciousness from lack of oxygen.

At first glance, holding a fight according to the rules of boxing is only in the hands of Vladimir. He is a basic puncher and started his career in kickboxing. Moreover, in this form, he achieved serious success: he became the champion of Russia, Europe and the world. He also won silver at the national championship in Muay Thai. The statistics in MMA are also indicative, where he got only three victories out of 16 with techniques.

The bald predator, on the other hand, has always been considered a strong freeman. Unlike his opponent, he came out of wrestling, where he even received the title of master of sports. Percussion technique has long been considered his weak point.

However, in the last year and a half, Magomed has focused on boxing and has made serious progress. For his debut fight with ex-world title contender Olanrewaju Durodola in February 2022, he was inclined by a knee injury and a ban on fully wrestling in the classroom. The Russian won an unexpected victory by decision of the referee.

Next, Ismailov achieved success in confrontations with other MMA fighters - Alexander Ilic, who had recently knocked out Alexander Shlemenko, and Ivan Shtyrkov. Even if there were no knockouts, the Bald Predator turned out to be head and shoulders stronger than both.

I was also pleasantly pleased with the endurance of the athlete, previously considered his Achilles' heel. In both fights, he stayed in the ring for 18 minutes and until the final gong he had the initiative and went forward. But it was the problems with functional readiness that let him down in the second fight with Mineev.

But the state of the vis-à-vis raises questions. He had his last fight in November 2022, when, according to the rules of kickboxing, he knocked out Fernando Rodriguez.

At the moment, Vladimir, under contract, serves in the NWO zone and does not have the opportunity to fully train. In May, Volzhanin returned home due to the birth of his daughter, but will soon go back. According to the athlete, he does not manage to maintain his shape normally during his service.

"After all, this is a war zone. But it's good that we managed to find like-minded guys. There are also masters of sports among us, especially in army hand-to-hand combat. I study with them. We wake up early, go for a run. We also welded ourselves a sledgehammer and put a tire, we hit it. Sports experience allows us to be resourceful and train with what we have at hand, "he said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, the fighter spoke about his feelings in the NWO zone.

"My vacation ends on June 15. That's why lately I haven't been thinking about who I'm going to fight against. Being there, you don't have to think about sports. I think only of my beloved wife, and now I will think of my child. Only thanks to the media that are interested in my person, I do not forget that in fact I am an athlete," Mineev said.

"Ismailov is a guy who doesn't miss"

According to RT experts, if AMC Fight Nights manages to organize a third fight between eminent fighters, it will in any case turn out to be interesting. So, the owner of M-1 Global, Vadim Finkelstein, believes that it will be difficult to determine the strongest.

"Of course, we can see a very bright confrontation. On the one hand, Vladimir seems to be a clear favorite, because everyone knows that he is a basic striker and started in kickboxing. The main thing is that the forced downtime due to service in the NWO does not adversely affect him, but I do not think that this will affect, "the functionary suggested.

At the same time, he suggested not to discount the Bald Predator, who has recently established himself as a quality boxer.

"At first, everyone considered him solely as a wrestler and did not even think that he was capable of proving himself in boxing. But Magomed won victories over such strong opponents as Durodola and Shtyrkov. In short, Ismailov is not a miss, and therefore we are guaranteed to see an exciting fight," Finkelstein added.

In turn, ex-world boxing champion Grigory Drozd believes that Magomed has a better chance of success.

"I dare to assume we will get an unpredictable fight. Much will depend on how many rounds the opponents spend in the ring. In the last fight between them according to the rules of MMA, Maga had serious difficulties with endurance, but now he has made progress in this regard and even fought all 18 minutes with Ilic. And in terms of technical skills, he has improved. Ismailov is non-standard and does not allow himself to be beaten. Therefore, it will turn out to be an equal fight, not like in MMA, "Drozd predicted.

He also believes that Mineev's employment in the NWO zone should not become an obstacle to the fight.

"If they agree, he will come up fully prepared. Still, Vladimir is a professional and will not work at half strength. It is clear that if Mineev trains three times a week, this will simply not be enough. Of course, it is necessary to organize a full-fledged camp. So far, we can only fantasize, "Drozd summed up.