In the main event of RCC 17 you defeated Aleksandar Ilic. How would you rate your performance?
"Excellent. Of course, I wanted to finish faster than him in the first fight, but he runs... Heavily. I'm glad I never got hit. I'm clean. Now we have to go to Moscow. If my face had been smashed, I wouldn't have gone.
You looked great at the start of the fight. It's been a long time since we've shown anything like this...
"I switched to a new form of eating, I didn't eat sugar, but I was still nervous. I felt light, I thought maybe the impression was deceptive – and now I'm going to die... I think this is my most powerful first round. I worked very well, I had the strength.
There is a feeling that today in the cage you showed one of the most evil and powerful versions of Alexander Shlemenko in recent times...
"We've weighed some people off the team. And now you see me as completely different. To be honest, I was devastated. He looked normal, but physically and mentally it wasn't like that. You can say what you want, but I didn't have that much energy in me the previous year. I was extinguished inside. Right now, there's nothing holding me back. At the moment, we are one with my teammates — Andrey Koreshkov, Andrey Pulyaev, Alexander Ponomarev and other representatives of Storm Shlemenko Fight Team.
The main thing is how you feel from a moral point of view. It's too bad if your loved ones want you to lose. It is easiest for your family members to rob you. They have access, they know where your money is. It's the same with the team. If someone is working for you to drain, you feel terrible.
"Your pupil Pulyaev reminds me of Ilich in anthropometry. Do you think he could repeat your success and get the better of Alexander?
"I think it's too early for Andrei. Still, Ilić is more experienced, his paths crossed with serious opponents. For example, with me, Michal Materla, strong fighters from Europe. Pulyaev is still growing and growing, he is just beginning. Perhaps this duel will take place in the future.
"Sometimes it seemed as if you deliberately wanted to hurt Ilich more...
"Yes, that's right. I didn't even strangle him, even though I could have done so. But why do I need it? I was in a hurry with the shot, I was going to execute it beautifully, but it turned out so-so. Honestly, I wanted him to have his crown with a knee kick, but he was ready for it. He swung once, but only slightly hit him on the head.
I don't know if you've noticed, but this time I changed my stance. In the first match I worked as a left-hander, and this time as a left-hander. He was ready for the first option, but the second one shocked him. As a result, Ilic did not hit a single low kick, nor could he do anything with his left foot.
After a minute of the duel, Ilić looked confused. Did you feel it?
"Of course. But look, Ilic fell and lay down. Personally, I wanted to knock him out in the standing position... But I finished him off well – I nailed his head. However, he held on.
- In Ilic's opinion, the suspension of the fight was premature. How would you comment?
"I didn't ask for it. Personally, I wanted to finish Ilić hard. Yes, he got pretty good as it is. But (if it had continued), he wouldn't have left on his own... I think the referee saved him. What would have changed there? I'd just grab more. It's already closed. Let's compare. When he finished me off, my head didn't even twitch, and, according to him, there were allegedly ten blows. There were three or four here, but look at his face.
- After all this, would you call Ilić a "chuszpan"?
"Why?" Such a person wouldn't even come up here. It's just that Ilić turned out to be from another, Serbian court, and ours was stronger. Chushpan, on the other hand, if he started fighting, he immediately became a boy.
– After the fight, Ilic showed a desire to have a third fight with you. Are you interested?
"What's the point?" In the previous battle, the referee was affiliated. At the first opportunity, he stopped the fight without once warning me. Although you could all see that I didn't drop my head, I held it. And his finishing off was about nothing. Compare with mine. Look at the blanche under his eye. In this fight, he didn't even hit me.
Okay, let's make a third fight, at least for now. I'll take my fee again and leave. Do I mind? The question is who will pay him for this. I have Maga (Magomed Ismailov – RT) next in line, although he is unlikely to agree.
Why do you think that Ismailov will not dare to have a rematch with you?
"Are you suggesting that I run after him?" If Ismailov agrees, we can arrange everything tomorrow. I think RCC will be interested. If not, I will continue to fight with other opponents. In fact, I am waiting for a call from Kamil Hajiyev. He promised to give me a call after this fight. If everything comes together, the next fight will take place at the AMC Fight Nights tournament.
"Who's the opponent?"
"I'm not going to reveal all the cards. We haven't agreed on anything yet.
Ismailov will surely like your performance at RCC 17 and will be interested in meeting you.
"I think if he likes it, he won't be interested. Magomed is a very cunning man. Ready to fight when you are 100% sure of winning. Think back to our first battle. Two months before, I had a broken nose, but I still got into the cage. And he did not do it after two months of rehabilitation, he extended the pause. Ismailov is more cunning, but I'm used to taking risks. If he sees a good and strong fighter, he'll wait until he thinks I'm weaker. But that's not going to happen. Only forward!
Do you think you impressed Ismailov?
"Why should I think about it?" He's preparing, he's boxing, so let him continue. Now he is waiting for a fight with Vladimir Mineev. A serious confrontation. I have someone to fight with.
After the fight with Ilić, you shouted for the first time: "Russians forward." Why?
"A Russian tribune has appeared. Unfortunately, the guys didn't come here – they are based in Moscow. Let me say it again: "Russians forward." In fact, everyone was waiting for their appearance at tournaments.
— What are your plans for 2024?
"To shake everybody. I've done this before, but as I said earlier, at one point a parasite appeared that drank all the blood. It's my own fault, I don't argue, I personally fed him. It was necessary to clean it to make it easier to breathe.