“My passport is still pending.” Undefeated heavyweights couldn’t fight for three years

In 2009, Ali Isayev won the European Freestyle Wrestling Championship as part of the Azerbaijani national team. 10 years later, he wins the PFL Grand Prix in MMA and wins a million dollars. The Grand Prix win was the ninth for the former wrestler in nine bouts under mixed martial arts rules. What happened next was almost unbelievable: a 35-year-old heavyweight with zero losses (!) and a belt in one of the best leagues in the world (!) sat without a fight for three years.

As a result, Isaev signed a contract with Bellator and will fight on February 4 in the same tournament with Fedor Emelianenko. Opponent – Steve Mowry (30, 10-0 in MMA).

Why did you choose Bellator?

– Yes, I didn’t choose, I got a simple big one. I don’t know what the managers failed. There was news, then another. I realized that it is better to subscribe while you have the strength than to waste time. At first they said that the Russians weren’t signed to the UFC, then, I see, they signed one, then another… I thought maybe they didn’t want fighters who fight. But there seem to be those who fight. I don’t know why they didn’t sign, I can’t understand. At one point there was even news with a photo that I was signed. I thought that maybe without me it was somehow decided, it turned out – a fake. It seems that there is a result in wrestling, there is a result in MMA. What other fighter do they need?

– Maybe because you are a fighter of age?

– Maybe that’s why, because I’m already 39. Well, there is little age or what? Oleinik is the same. They might give me 2-3 fights and then not renew the contract with me, say, well, come on. They can do it.

— Disappointed by the UFC?

– Here, for example, fighter Rizvan Kuniev (11-2 in MMA), fought on the Dana White show, won the fight earlier than expected. Heavyweight, young athlete, very promising, champion. And they didn’t sign it. I was then very surprised. For me this organization [UFC] become incomprehensible. Petr Yan was prosecuted, Ankalaev. Apparently they don’t want the belts to come to Russia.

Was Bellator ready to offer a specific fight and date with the contract?

“There was no guaranteed fight. I signed a contract for four fights, they immediately gave me an opponent – No. 6 heavyweight. And for me, it doesn’t matter anymore – UFC or not. I think in a year or two, and I will end my career.

– What was your worst shape like in three years without a fight?

– I did not deform, I was in good shape, I helped the guys. We have a lot of weight here, we train. We practiced twice a week. Always kept in average shape. I practiced and didn’t even understand how time passed. A year or two is all.

I’m offended that my managers let such a thing go unfought for so long, like they forgot about me. We haven’t seen each other yet, we haven’t talked to each other. It’s just a shame that my very years have passed when you’re a champion, when you’re in such good shape. And you sit down, and they tell you the same thing: they think of you, they haven’t forgotten you. It seems to me that if they thought about me for three years, there would be a result.

– Why didn’t you continue in PFL?

– I had planned a fight last year, but they did not open my visa and I stayed in Russia. I didn’t want to wait until next year, time was running out, so I accepted Bellator’s offer. I think if they give me the sixth ranking number, the time is not far when it will be possible to fight for the belt. It would be interesting to win another belt in any case. Two belts in the collection – it’s generally great. But, you have to make an effort.

– Will you be ready to fight with Valentin Moldavsky for the title, if necessary?

– I don’t care: I will fight with Valentin, and with any other. If they fight, I will fight anyone. We are not familiar [с Молдавским]but I saw it. He seemed to be with Denis Goltsov when we fought in the PFL.

– And what is your motivation to perform after winning a million dollars?

– I don’t have such a thing to take a belt or something. As long as I feel like this, I know I’m ready. It feels like he’s only gotten better now than when he started in the PFL. I bear the loads even better, I have friends, there are doctors who help me. Previously, I could be overloaded somewhere, but now I want to prove myself, to show.

— Bellator is impossible to watch legally in Russia. How will your loved ones watch your fight and have you ever watched any of the shows?

“It seems to me that our people will find something anyway. In chats, in links, they will decide one way or another. And he himself watched a few fights: Fedor, Kongo, Minakov…

– Your rival Steve Mowry is at the peak of numbers: 10-0, 30 years old, height 203 cm.

– What can I say, I will do my own thing, impose mine. It makes no difference to me: no matter who he is, whoever the opponent is, I look at everyone the same. It’s clear that they didn’t just make it happen, they also showed the result. But I will treat everyone the same.

– Do you agree that it is more profitable for Bellator that you lose?

– May be. It’s probably better for them if their American wins, not the Russian. Although I represent Azerbaijan, they opened a visa for me in an Azerbaijani passport. I fought for this country, the passport remained. There was no other choice, and I went to fix the problem. And I still have a Russian passport under consideration, a visa is not issued in any way.

– That is, you still have a Russian passport at the consulate and opened it in Azerbaijani?

— Yes, I also applied to Baku. I will play for my second country. There is no time to wait for my visa to be opened.

“When was your last visit to Baku?”

– Just when I opened the visa last year. But in general, I spent my whole life there. He was in the Russian national team in 2005-2006, and since 2007 he moved to Azerbaijan and fought there for the rest of the time.

– The most famous basic wrestlers who switched to MMA are Alexander Romanov and Anatoly Malykhin. Do you watch how they adapt their skills?

– I wouldn’t say they have a high class struggle in battles. I look at Malykhin, he is carried away by shock, he already has no particular struggle. And the organization itself, I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of competition for it. I had not seen that One FC had such heavy weights. Even in the ASA, if he had been beaten so openly, they would have created normal problems for him. But he was in the right place at the right time and doing his own thing.

– Let’s say that we organize the Russian freestyle wrestling championship among MMA fighters. Who would be your main competitor?

– It seems to me that if I walk for a month and a half, then it will not be difficult. They can, of course, resist, but then they will be reprimanded.

– Yusup Shuaev told about the famous chat in the messenger, where there are 40 or 43 heavyweights from Dagestan. Are you part of this group?

– Of course, there are no people under 100 kg, the guys are all charged. We have a club “Agat”, where grappling training takes place. The heavyweights gather there: we fight there and we do sparring.

– Is there a fighter in Bellator whose fight would be as good as yours?

– Yes, I don’t see such people in the UFC either. Only Curtis Blades, but he’s also kind of an insecure fighter. And I don’t know anyone else.

Who did you train with when you were posted to Mowry?

– Shamil Gaziev, Salimgerey Rasulov. There was also Shamil Abdurahimov, they also worked a lot with him. But now he has a fight.

– When will you fly to America?

On the 21st, we fly to Las Vegas. Then I will be there for two weeks. Probably, I will finish my training at the UFC Institute, I will go through acclimatization. And there will be a fight in Los Angeles.

– UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou trains in Las Vegas. Are you interested in sparring with him?

– Last time, when I was preparing a fight in the PFL, we went there. But for some reason he didn’t work with me: no fight, nothing. Avoid for any reason.

– Can you imagine a fight with him… The moment when he needs to get up after your transfer to the ground?

– When there are such overrated rivals, it motivates me. I don’t want to miss, pass, knock down, hang around. That’s why I wanted to go there. [в UFC], to fight there with top fighters, to show that what we see on television are ordinary fights by ordinary athletes. I don’t doubt myself one ounce. In general, if you doubt yourself, it is better to leave. If you don’t consider yourself number one, if you think someone can beat you, it’s better to leave them. Anything is possible, and they can knock me out. But inside there should be a purpose and the feeling that you are the first. I don’t want to doubt myself – I’ll go out and do whatever I can.

And I won’t say they have unrealistic UFC fighters. It’s just public relations. And they don’t even pay fighters like they can pay Bellator or PFL.

Are you happy with Bellator’s finances?

– Yes.

– Can we say it’s more than a hundred thousand dollars for an outing?

– Somewhere around that. There is also a fee to exit and a fee to win.

– Believe that in the main fight of your tournament, Fedor Emelianenko can beat Ryan Bader

– Their first fight also went like this – Bader knocked him out. Now, if the fight goes the full distance, then Bader I think will be cooler. But let Fedor win this fight. Because already years, it is necessary to leave. Belt win and go, that would be nice.