“Their friendship was in the interest, and Khabib and I have another.” Makhachev before the fight

– What are the emotions before the first title fight in the UFC?

“I’m excited because I’ve been waiting for this all my life. Now I’m very close and I’m ready. I think Oliveira is still the champion (Charles Oliveira missed the weigh-in before the last fight and got has the belt taken away, despite the victory. – “”), he shows a good show in all the fights. I hope that now he will not have weight problems.

– You met his team at the hotel, could something be happening at the same time?

“No, because his whole team has the same white hair and I just don’t know which one Charles is.

– He has very good painful and suffocating techniques. Did you practice defensive grappling in any way for this fight?

“My goal is to finish it on the court. And I’ll show you my level of wrestling. All my opponents were good – Drew Dober, Dan Hooker… But when they were in front of me, when I shortened the distance, translated, they had some problems. I don’t know what the level of wrestling is in Brazil. As for jiu-jitsu, I fought a lot with opponents who had the same skills as Oliveira.

– The replacement fighter for your fight will be Alex Volkanovski. Did you discuss combat tactics with the coach with him?

– I met Volkanovski downstairs, he’s not very tall. I asked him if he lifted weights. I think if I beat Volkanovski instead of Charles, people will say something. Although they always say something. I don’t care who it will be, because I trained very well. I just need someone in the cage for this tournament on Saturday night.

When did you first notice Oliveira and think you could fight him?

— When he took the belt. Because before that he had a lot of losses, and I didn’t think this guy would become a champion. But I have been for a few years.

– You’ll have Khabib around as head coach with coach Javier Mendez. Don’t you think Khabib in the corner can also create some pressure?

“He’s been in my corner for most of my career, and that gives me good energy. He has a lot of experience in this sport, as does coach Javier. For me, it’s a great choice. The third person in my corner will be my coach on strike, my friend from Russia. His name is Muslim.

I always hear Khabib in the cage because he gives good advice, as does Javier. I think that’s the best possible angle.

Which is the most emotional?

I think it’s Khabib.

– You said that after the fight you wanted to climb the cage for the first time as a sign of victory. Why?

– I wanted to do it with a belt, so I didn’t do it before.

– Which Oliveira position or technique is the most dangerous for you?

– He is good at making guillotines, choking. I worked on it.

– When you fought Davy Ramos, you were ready not to fight him in the first two rounds. Why do you think differently now?

Ramos was another stylistic rival. But I’m never afraid of grappling because I know my level. Davy Ramos was smaller, and I could keep him safely at a distance, and that was it.

– Why don’t you think that Oliveira will create problems for you in the fight?

“Because I’ve wrestled my whole life and never had a problem with a jitser or a grappler. I fought a lot with titled grapplers, who are much better than Olivia, and I never felt any discomfort.

Do you think you are physically stronger? Do you base your tactics on that?

“No, because until you catch it, until you feel it, you can’t understand it.

– Oliveira has just known the taste of life, he began to be respected in Brazil, he bought himself a mansion. Isn’t it a shame to beat a person in such a situation?

– I respect him for that – he came from such a difficult life, when at first he literally survived, and his family helped him as much as they could. And now he can change the life of his whole family.

– What annoys you the most during fight week besides the shot put race?

– It’s not my first main fight of the evening, I’m used to it. Even, for example, this morning I was preparing for a hard day, I realized that training was on the left and that was it. And at first it was hard. I even told the managers if it was possible to cut something, to remove something, because there are a lot of things.

– Do you think the acclimatization will somehow affect Oliveira, because it is very difficult to breathe here?

— It seems to me that Brazil has the same humid climate as here. But it looks like they arrived in a few weeks, so they had to get used to it.

– How much do you have to drive before you reach the limit?

– There are about 5 kg left. But I still have four training sessions ahead of me, I think I’ll delete it.

There have been many UFC stories of close friends becoming tough rivals: Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt, Francis Ngannou and Cyril Gun. Why do you think that won’t happen with Khabib?

– It seems to me, because their friendship was built on certain interests, and we are linked in general by something else. They have a kind of advantage in everything, and therefore enmity in the end. And if you, as a Muslim, treat your brother and love him like a brother, then there will be warm relations until the end. And if you seek advantage in a friend, it will end in enmity. And if you have a sincere relationship, such a connection does not crumble.

– Khabib will be sincerely happy if you beat him in the number of title defenses?

— 100%, I think.

What must happen in your fight for the UFC to decide to take revenge on you? For example, in Brazil.

Dana White said Volkanovski would be next, fighting for the belt. We should probably have some kind of close combat to be able to fight Charles again.

– What advice do you think Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov would give you if he were here.

– We even talked with the boys and came to the conclusion that training with Khabib is an apple from an apple tree. The way he chases us, what he says, it’s clear where it’s coming from. Khabib is good at replacing his father, although with him, of course, it would be much easier.