Russian fighter Roman Kopylov lost his first two UFC fights, won the third, and if he lost this weekend at UFC Vegas 67, he could be fired from the promotion with a record of 1-3. At the same time, Kopylov has entered the status of a super-talented scrum with an 8-0 record in MMA and the Fight Nights championship belt. In a duel with Punaele Soriano, Kopylov gave the opponent a pack of penetrating blows and added kicks to the body. Soriano fell and was taken out midway through the second five-minute period.
It’s Kopylov’s second knockout win in six months, and he attributes his career reset to a move to the Universal Fighters gymnasium in Makhachkala. Coach Rasul Magomedaliev has been leading Vladimir Mineev for a long time, and now he is supporting Kopylov, who takes the bonus for the performance of the evening (50 thousand dollars) and almost certainly re-signs the contract.
– How were the first hours after the battle?
– Yes, there are all these moments until now: we stayed there a bit, there was a talk, we arrived at the hotel and only now we are resting.
They ate the rolls. You can eat, but in Russia it’s better. In general, while the weight race continues, for some reason I want all kinds of nasty things: cola, burger, fries. And if you weigh yourself, drink water, it won’t be as strong.
Did you rewatch the fight?
– Not yet.
– What do you remember most vividly?
– I remember that the opponent is strong … He hit him well: mainly blows, but a very strong head, and his body, apparently, is not so strong, since he managed to break through . In general, it was hard to knock out.
“You kicked him in the body with a kick. Does this beat still go?
– I still have confidence in my left leg. If it achieves the goal, it always pleases.
– Broken front arm?
– There are small bruises on the knuckles, but the arm is in working order.
– They say about fighters who have a good hand before they can go down with a jab. Have you had?
– It is better to ask your opponents. In fact, Dana White said the jab was awesome. He invited after the fight, we talked a bit. He said it was a good fight, I thanked him for the opportunity to compete.
I told her it was all in the hair, everyone loves it here.
– Is it difficult to fight with a lefty?
– A left-hander with a left-hander is always a little uncomfortable, but in the process of preparation, we constantly worked on this. The guys even stood in a left-handed position, and for a month and a half I fought only with those who work in such a position.
– What did coach Rasul Magomedaliev tell you during the break?
– Rasul said everything is clear, you need to use the jab more, hit the body and listen to the prompts. And constantly go behind his front hand, because he hits hard with the far hand.
Who were your main sparring partners?
– Armen Petrosyan, Muslim Magomedov, ACA champion in the category up to 93 kg. And many other guys: Abdul, Ali, Tagir. There are a lot of guys there that not many people know about, but they don’t give descent anymore.
– Tough fight, when are you coming to Dagestan as a UFC fighter?
– To be honest, no. In our Universal Fighters club, all the guys are professionals, they fight in good places. And the coach basically manages that process: who fought with whom. Especially when preparing.
When I arrived, at first it was hard, I was not used to such a level, especially in wrestling. But then you realize that you gain a level, that you fall less, you get up better, you breathe well, it gives you twice as much strength.
– How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Makhachkala for training?
– I filmed right next to the hall, I paid a thousand and a half rubles a day.
– You said after the fight that you would like to renew your contract with the UFC, because the old one is over. Did you really go into the fight feeling like this might be the last fight in the UFC?
– I didn’t have such a feeling, I just understood that there was a little more responsibility than if I went to the first or the second fight, when there were still fights left. And so, of course, I want to continue the cooperation. I think everything was fine, the fight was good. It seems that I made both the fans and the organizers happy.
The manager said that in the near future we will negotiate and everything should be fine.
– Umar Nurmagomedov fought in the same tournament. Did you cross his path?
– We saw Umar for a week, we saw each other at the UFC Performance Institute. I congratulated him on his victory, a magnificent victory. However, luck is important in our profession, we have seen how it was: a knee and immediately, op, a blow. And everything is to blame. I think there is still luck.
Sometimes you cut yourself for three rounds, come out all wet, and such wins are valuable wins, because you’re alive and well, there’s no damage, and a knockout.
– Do you think he threw that shot for good luck?
– Maybe he was preparing this chip, but judging by the fight, it seemed that he managed to throw it on the machine after the knee.
– Would you like to fight someone from the top 15?
– Yeah, I’m not even, most names I don’t know. I say to the coach, let’s go to the belt and watch.
– We watched at least the title fight in your weight: Adesanya against Pereira.
– I looked like cuts. Whole – no.
– You received a $50,000 bonus – is there anything specific you would like to spend it on?
– Yes, all in the family. We come from such a small village in the Kemerovo region. The village of Bachatsky, there is a large coal mine, 15,000 people, miners, miners.
– Did you go to the clinch so that you could walk along Bachatsky with such a hairstyle?
– And I walked just like that in childhood, I was always buckled.
No, we have good people living there, everyone is very good, a very clean village, the roads are ideal. When I fought in Fight Nights, guys from Moscow came to shoot a video, they were surprised that it was so clean there.
Have you ever worked in a mine?
– No, I’m more athletic.
Do you have any hobbies other than working out?
– Fishing! I like to fish for carp by spinning on the lakes, we develop there slowly. Taking this opportunity, I invite everyone to Bachatsky. The lakes are great.
Who is the first person you contact after a fight?
I call my parents, there was a missed call from the coach. I had to call him back.
– Do your mother and your father watch the fights?
– So my mother especially likes to watch, she traveled with me to competitions all my childhood. She took me to the hand-to-hand combat section. Everywhere then went with me: Barnaul, Novosibirsk.
– What did your mother say when you fought with Albert Duraev?
– Yes, nothing special, she said: “Son, how are you, alive and well? Is it okay?” No, maybe she was worried down in her soul, but she told me. And I said, “It’s okay, Mom, it’s little things scratches, nothing is broken.”
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
