Abdulrashid Sadulaev has won two Olympics, has personal encounters with his main rival Kyle Snyder from the United States, and Khabib Nurmagomedov calls him his favorite wrestler. The main drawback is that Sadulaev rarely says anything for the cameras and now he doesn’t speak as often as he would like. The fight with Belarusian Alexander Gushtyn was one of the first tests for Sadulaev after a break that lasted almost a year.
– During the warm-up, you let your sparring partner throw you. Do you remember the last time someone did it properly in a competition?
– There have been such cases, more than once. In warm ups I just fight in a relaxed way, let my opponent do it to feel it.
In competition… I almost got killed on the carcass in 2019 at the European Championships. It happened, and they threw it, the same Sasha Gushtyn at the last World Championships in 2021 threw me in the air. I wanted to make a move, but he countered and left me for 4 points.
What score did you give yourself today?
– Satisfied. Considering I haven’t fought in almost a year, and I know a long downtime is in the air. The way I competed today is normal for me.
– 50 years ago there was a super hockey series of the USSR – Canada. Would it be realistic now to do a Sadulaev vs Snyder super series?
– There are negotiations on this fight, and maybe before the end of the year it will take place. Such a… business fight. The main thing is that everything goes as planned. I think you will see such a fight.
– You called Kyle Snyder after the World Cup “Champion of Belgrade”. What did he answer?
– He wrote jokingly, answered. He sent me a personal message: “Tell me when.” So our managers are working, I think this fight will happen.
What format would you choose? Three meetings in the USA, three in Russia?
– If we fight often, the public will not be so interested. It is better to make one, but in neutral territory.
– If you watched the World Cup, do you think Snyder is progressing?
– Well, it was clear that he was practically on one leg, he passed this championship in one breath. He wrote to me that he himself was not interested in fighting without me. He is like that, I know him, he lives in the fight, he only sees the fight. He is a professional in his field.
– And you don’t live only from struggle?
“I live in wrestling, but in addition to wrestling, I live in something else.
– You were at UFC Abu Dhabi last year. Are you going this year?
– I intend to fly there, but I don’t know what will happen yet. If the plans don’t change, then I will have such intentions.
– What would you wish for Islam Makhachev?
– I would like to wish him good luck in this difficult battle for him. So he can win that belt and bring it to Russia. While we already have a second… second or third belt. I wish him good sporting luck and that he finishes this fight without injury.
– Was there a case where you could become someone’s second in MMA?
– When it’s time, I will encourage our guys, but they all have their own coaches, they have prepared them for the fights and know better what to suggest. So I’ll be more useful when I’m sick than if I help them.
– One of the most talked about MMA fighters now is Khamzat Chimaev. How do you like his fight?
– A very interesting fighter. I will point out that he comes from freestyle wrestling and that wrestlers dominate in MMA. He is doing very well, I like his fights. I want him to win the belt.
How is your percussion technique?
– Good. We have wrestling on the second floor, boxing on the first floor. I go down from time to time, I have a personal trainer, he hits me.
– You have won almost everything possible in combat – what do you consider to be a challenge for yourself?
– The challenge for me – if we are allowed to participate in international tournaments – this is the third Olympic Games. I think for me it’s a test that the Almighty has given, to see if I can stand it or not. I hope all this will end and we will participate in international competitions.
– Do you allow performances in the Olympics only if Russia is allowed to participate in the Games?
– Yes.
– How did you puff up such a neck?
– I haven’t done some exercises for the neck, it’s the result of my almost 20 years of work. I didn’t download it on purpose, but now it’s become like this.
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.
