Azamat Dugulubgov’s stats in MMA are 8-2, but he hasn’t competed since 2015. The fighter moved to the United States over 10 years ago, trained at several powerhouse gyms, s fought with Jon Jones and eventually became a fairly successful coach and public servant in New Jersey.
At the start of 2023, Azamat, being the mentor of fighter Jalin Turner, could approach the status of a contender for the UFC belt: Turner gave a very close fight to Pole Mateusz Gamrot, but lost by decision of the judges. Now Turner and coach Dugulubgov have found themselves in the same room as Khamzat Chimaev, who has been much talked about in recent weeks. Bad news: Chimaev and the UFC president have unsubscribed (both denials). The Good: Hamzat is set to face Kamaru Usman in Abu Dhabi in October. And, most likely, this fight will actually happen.
On a video broadcast on social networks, Azamat appeared a rare episode for modern times: Khamzat shows himself techniques related to wrestling in MMA.
Why did you come from America to the Emirates?
– We wanted to come to Russia with my fighter and some amateur guys to train here. I wanted to show them the strength of our mountains, let them compete with young people from my republic, but unfortunately, due to the political situation, we decided to postpone this idea for the time being. And with the help of friends in Dubai, we managed to organize a training camp there with Jallin Turner (No. 10 in the lightweight rankings) and another guy.
Is it difficult for an American citizen to obtain a visa for Russia?
— You submit documents to the Russian Embassy without leaving the country, and it’s usually a fairly simple process. As a citizen, I would make an invitation for Jalin, and he would receive the documents.
– Do you set yourself the goal of fighting for the UFC belt as a trainer?
– I want Jalyn to fight for the belt in 2024, let’s go.
– Does it mean that you watch the fights of the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev with him?
– Yes, of course, but we look at all the top 20 fighters. We don’t just focus on the champions or the top 5. We have broadened our horizon and analyze all the top 20 fighters.
– How do you see a potential fight between Sergei Pavlovich and Jon Jones for the heavyweight belt?
– The fact is that we trained with John and it is very difficult for me to imagine that anyone can beat him. I spent a lot of time with him in training and I think he hasn’t shown much yet. I just saw what he showed in the lobby.
– What do you see from Jones’ tactics against an opponent like Pavlovich, who is trying to knock you out with boxing?
Jones has a large arsenal of kicks. He begins to cause great discomfort to guys trying to box. His ability to close the distance and take the fight to the ground also greatly affects him not getting hit with his hands. There’s very little chance anyone can “box” John and win because of it. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but logically speaking his kicking technique, sense of distance and ability to close it will greatly affect a guy who counts on boxing. If a person doesn’t have a good fight and a sense of distance, then the hands won’t help.
Will Jones translate, pick up, or not let him in?
– Knowing how Jones trains and how he talks about fight strategy, I’m sure there would be multiple kicks, especially to the knees, multiple cut corners – and the moment the opponent threw their arm, Jones would quickly close the distance and try to transfer the fight to the ground.
– How did you start training with Khamzat Chimaev?
— We train in a fairly well-known gym in Dubai, a lot of popular guys train there, Khamzat did his training, I did mine. But in any case, it is impossible not to see each other and say hello. The signals converged, the conversation developed easily, we practiced a little together. Also, I really liked Khamzat as a person, I haven’t seen such young educated fighters for a long time. His parents did a great job raising such a man. We talked, it turned out that he had heard of me before, so it was easy to find a common language. And he’s the kind of person who if he sees an option to learn something, he won’t say why I need it, I already have a very good position in the UFC. He will take whatever he can to improve his technique.
– What are you showing him in the moment that happened on the video?
– He was interested to know about my fight, because it is a little different from the others. I shared some details with him. For example, he explained that sometimes it is not necessary to apply maximum force along a line. You can use different directions, tricks and imbalances from your opponent to spend less energy and get results. In general, I showed my chips, which help to transfer rather athletic athletes to the stalls.
– Did you fight with him according to the rules of grappling?
– No, we worked as a trainer and a student. He first practiced with another guy, but he didn’t feel anything, I passed by and we exchanged some things. He learns very quickly, I think I just added a few tools to his arsenal.
– You’re in great shape, when was the last time you wanted to train?
– With young fighters and amateurs, it can happen, but I no longer allow myself to train with professionals. You can fight. The thing is, I remember as soon as the sparring started, I became cool and focused on a task. And I don’t want the students to feel that Ozzy has changed, that he has different eyes. Being a fit young coach is a blessing, but also a big burden. I have a lot of energy, I can teach by showing and training with the guys. But I have to monitor my status, we must not forget that I am a coach. You can’t train with guys so they feel rivalry with me or me with them.
– You came with the fighter Jallin Turner, did they fight with Khamzat?
– Yes, they trained together, they have a very interesting job: one striker, the other has the strongest offensive fight in the UFC, and the sparring is interesting. They took a ride after doing their basic training. Tomorrow we will have more concentrated work, where everyone will have their own tasks, but so far I see it’s a very good exchange of experience between two good fighters.
– I heard that Khamzat can start hacking sparring?
– I also heard that, but I watch Khamzat, how he fights, and even watch the video and I don’t see anything new after my fight. Many even said that we seemed to argue with him. I counted, he threw 52 punches in two minutes and tried to transfer to the ground three times, that’s a very high pace. For the last two minutes of the round, it’s very good. He has great pressure in fights, but I haven’t seen him try to hurt anyone. It was even such that he could bring someone to their knees with one blow, but he stopped, fought and continued the fight. He has a simple attitude: if you pressure him, he will pressure you twice.
He spends a lot of time standing. And if he takes a dominant position in the stalls, he gets the guys back to the rack and working. It is not necessarily intended to knock out and strangle someone. He strives to find as many development options as possible, to try as many techniques and combinations as possible.
– Discuss the fight Khamzat Chimaeva with Kamaru Usman. As a coach, what do you think Usman will bet on in the fight against Chimaev?
– That’s an interesting question. It seems to me that, first, they will try to stretch the fight, drag it into later rounds. Second, they will rely on the jab, to work the front hand. And, obviously, they will devote a lot of time to combat. It’s purely my opinion that Kamaru Usman, who was the champion and was on a winning streak, could give Hamzat a good fight. But now, in his current form, he won’t be able to resist Chimaev.
– What stands out about Khamzat’s skills if you consider him a professional coach?
“He has no masks… of characters. It comes out as it is, as you see it. This helps him relieve the pressure put on his shoulders by fighters. He goes out and works without restraint, no matter who is watching him, who he trains with. At every turn he tries to do his best and improve. And one more detail, he steps out of his comfort zone with every workout. For many, this seems like something simple, obvious. But that’s one of the most important qualities for a fighter is a championship approach to training. His shooting is improving, he planted several guys, hitting their bodies. His wrestling is at a very high level. He will be a big problem for anyone in the cage.
– To what extent is his fight with Kamaru Usman a settled question?
– I can’t comment.
– You saw a person who would be taller than Khamzat and at the same time go down in the category up to 77 kg.
– I think I saw Brazilians in the Renzo Gracie gymnasium studying with me. They were huge and weighed 77 kg. They loved losing weight for fights. I think I saw.
– But Khamzat is a big guy for the 77 kg category?
Yes, he is tall. When you stand next to him, you feel how big he is.
Visually, you are in great shape. When was the last time you considered going back to MMA?
— This thought comes up every time I study with my students and get a taste of wrestling. But I have so many ambitions to do different projects that I like the process of creating champions, instead of playing for myself. When you talk alone, only one person raises their hand – it’s a thrill and pride for yourself, because you earn money and can help others. But I started to really appreciate, because I can create something in my head, discover, understand, digest and give to someone who uses it and who will be successful. I enjoy my coaching and promotion work. Whenever I want to enter the cage, I fight well with my students, calm the beast and continue to work.
Live broadcasts of the Mixed Martial Arts tournaments can be seen on and Match! Fighter”, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
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.
