On September 27, Magomed Ismailov staged two fights in one day. During the day, he fought with former UFC fighter Mike Perry. In the evening – with his future rival Alexander Ilic (Ilic became a star in Russia when he knocked out Alexander Shlemenko in 20 seconds in August). It’s funny that in any case, everything happened because of a single word. In the afternoon, Perry said “mousefucker”, and Ismailov got the idea that his mother had been insulted. In the evening, Ilic said the same, Magomed was translated as “with … chki” (it was about Ilic’s rivals), but the result is the same. Magomed grabbed his opponent by the neck, Ilic responded by spraying the attacker with water, Ismailov took off his jacket and threw it at his opponent, the Serb resisted.
They will box on October 7.
– This fight became fundamental after the fight at the weigh-in?
– All fights are fundamental, I just educate my opponents. I show you what you can say and what you can’t say. If you call me s…chka, keep in mind that I will answer, and maybe not with a word.
– That is, there will be demand during the fight?
I will try to do everything to make him regret every word. Although he didn’t say much, just to regret that he appeared in our confrontation.
– How did you catch him during the duel of looks?
“There’s no intention to hurt him or anything like that. It was an explanatory moment, we still have to get in the ring on October 7. I would be wrong to hurt him. is purely how I once hit Mineev in Turkey. I don’t like hurting people. If I want to fight, I’ll say, “Come on, put your hands up. We have to solve the problem.”
– Why do you think Ilic wore glasses during the whole press conference?
– I do not know why. He said he didn’t like the lights. My eyes are always open, the lights are not lights, nothing bothers me. In confrontation with me, you can’t blink. It might be a good warm-up for him right now to stare at the lights, because in the ring he’ll fall as soon as he blinks.
– And who is stronger as a kickboxer – Mineev or Ilich?
It’s so hard to judge. Mineev is still right-handed and Ilich is left-handed, he is a bit taller. Mineev is a good kickboxer, but Ilich, as I understand it, too. Mineev’s struggle is more interesting. But if you’re a batsman who hasn’t figured out combat yet, your batting skills aren’t lost yet.
– After the fights with Vladimir Mineev, you were more emotional, and now you have two fights a day and are calm. Have you become wiser?
“Yeah, that’s right, ha ha. I said I was drawing conclusions based on my life: a rake happened once, I was like, “So go around next time, don’t do it like that.” Life teaches. There is nothing for me to be emotional about now: neither with Mineev, nor with anyone else. Yes, there are things I won’t quit, but the moment I get addicted and it ends, my emotionality stops too. What’s the point of being emotional right now? They doused me with water, well, OK, cool. It’s interesting for the media, people will want to watch it. He considered there was a reason to pull him, to shake him up psychologically. To scare him a little.
They are used to my smiles, but here we will not show it. You mostly see me smiling, but in the last staring duel, notice I’m not smiling, I’m pretty serious, it shakes them up a bit. If a person smiles at you all the time, they won’t have to yell at you for you to understand something. It would be enough for him just… not to smile. And it will seem to you that something is happening, that you have done something wrong. Ilitch had to be shaken up, and I think he’s shaken up now.
– You have repeatedly asked journalists not to insert bookmaker advertisements in videos with your interviews. But today you are sitting at a press conference and behind your back are several dozen logos with a bookmaker sponsor…
” I can not do anything about it. My job is to deter people. Here the person has come and wants to deliver. I tell him, “Don’t bet, I’m against betting.”
And the fact that he appears here – it was in all the confrontations where I fought. In ACA, in Fight Nights, it was all over the place, but I kept saying don’t do it. All I can do is keep people away. There’s nothing else I can do about it… yet. Is to stop appearing in martial arts. End of career. Tie up. And once I’m done, you’ll never see bookmaker ads behind my back again.
– Kamil Gadzhiev and other people in the industry said that the 30 million rubles you will receive for this fight is an exaggeration to attract attention.
“It’s to my advantage that people think so. Why don’t athletes want their dues announced? Because there are always people behind you who want a share of those fees. And a room for 50 people is no longer 30 million. The main thing is that I am satisfied, happy. And now everyone can wonder whether this is so or not. For me, the main thing is that the figure which is in the contract is a reality.
– Doesn’t it seem that if people bet less, fighters will have less work?
– So we’re going to earn less? I don’t think so, but even if it is, I don’t mind.
– You mentioned Conor McGregor, and I recalled a quote from Kamil Gadzhiev, who said that you are for Russian MMA, as Conor McGregor is for the world industry.
We can look at Conor from different angles. When it first appeared, I loved it. Then I didn’t like some of his statements, then he ran into a reporter for some statements. I still liked it. And he said something again – I didn’t like it. Man, like all of us, is not perfect. But when Conor McGregor appeared, it was felt even here. In Russia we started to earn more. He’s done a lot of stuff specifically for MMA, so I separate his personality as a person. Although, as a person, I can consider him a family man with good qualities. And as an athlete, I look at it positively. And anyway, there are no perfect people. Everyone can change.
– They want to make you a fight with Vyacheslav Datsik after his victory over Emelianenko.
“If they can offer me the correct check, then…”
I don’t like getting ahead of myself. I have Shlemenko and I don’t want to discuss what fights I can do after him. You have to survive Shlemenko, survive Ilitch and then talk. So far the wrong charges have been discussed with me although they said they would charge any amount. We will not fight for five kopeks. Magomed Ismailov goes to fight for money. I have no problem with confrontations, now they offer me no less than Khetag (Ismailov will receive 30 million rubles from the head of the Pravda league, Khetag Tsopanov, for the fight with Ilic. – ).
– Do you have to earn more for the fight with Datsik than for the fight with Ilic?
– Well, from 30. It will be a cannon showdown. If they give 50 times, then I’ll say “from 50”. So I can’t give that much.
But in sport there are also certain goals, there are unfinished issues that I want to close. Maybe they’re even closed for someone, but not closed for me. And here the questions are not about money. But I won’t let myself be cheap.
– Vladimir Mineev received a summons from the military registration and enlistment office. Can you comment on this one way or another?
‘I haven’t heard of it. What did he do?
– He said he would go to the military registration and enlistment office.
– Then it’s up to him. Let’s see what he will do. I haven’t received an invitation yet. Let’s go with the fact. What is there to comment? You have to see what he will do with it, then ask him a question.
– At one point, news went viral on the internet that a completely bald Floyd Mayweather was getting a haircut for $10,000. How much do you spend on hair?
– But I’m not going anywhere, my hair is shaved exclusively by the hand of the master. Myself! I guess, shark shark, one and a half to two minutes, problem solved. Then, if I shake my head, the hats fly off. I can’t leave that to anyone. Estimate, my hair has grown, and I have to go somewhere. I prefer to decide for myself. When the hair comes out even a little, I don’t like it – it looks like the pigtails can be braided. I shave twice a day. Sometimes I don’t even know how I’m doing. I feel like I’m still sleeping, but my hand is already reaching out. Do you want me to fix it?
– I would like to wait 10-15 years…
– I can only go to the hairdresser if something needs to be done for the beard. Because sometimes I do it myself, but it turns out to be uneven. I start leveling, and somehow it gets smaller and smaller. That’s why I don’t touch my beard.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
