russian fighter Ivan Shtyrkov in a conversation with , he said that his performance under different martial arts rules had a positive effect on the popularization of sports, and there was no need to draw comparisons with the pop direction.
Shtyrkov, 34, has 22 wins, two losses and a draw in MMA. The last fight listed in Sherdog was in December 2022. In 2023, Shtyrkov lost to Magomed Ismailov in March under boxing rules, and in May he defeated Pyotr Romankevich in a duel under kickboxing rules.
– Don’t you think you’re going the pop way, speaking by different rules – kickboxing, boxing, MMA?
– Now the RCC system includes all types of professional martial arts. It makes sense that new career development opportunities open up for every athlete in this system. At the same time, none of them will ever go beyond the values conveyed by one or other of our organizations. Not only am I playing by different rules, but our boys are also trying different options: Khamzin, Smirnov, Ismailov, Asylzhan, Usubyan.
On the one hand, it adds interest to the clashes for the audience, on the other hand, the sports intrigue is preserved and the fights turn out to be really tough. My fights against Ismailov and Romankevich were sold. MMA audiences are starting to follow boxing and kickboxing more closely. And for the sport that RCC develops, that’s just a plus. That’s not what the pop industry does, don’t mix it all up.
Do you still have sporting ambitions in MMA, or do you already consider martial arts as a job and earn money?
– Now big names, interesting matchups are interesting. This motivates a lot more money. There are a lot of fights in development: Mineev, Grishin, Vagabov. Can we talk about sporting ambitions?
– Is there an agreement on when the next fight will be?
“Now everything is in development. The RCC was planning a big MMA tournament in September in Chelyabinsk, where I was to participate. We decided that on those dates there would be boxing, and there would be a lot of local guys on the card. Our tournament will be brought closer to October – we are waiting for the announcement and we will break in, – Shtyrkov told .
All UFC tournaments are broadcast live on and Match! Fighter”. The next league show will take place on the night of July 9 in Moscow. In the main event of UFC 290, UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski will face interim champion Yair Rodriguez. The start of the broadcast on “Match! Fighter” – 00:55 (Moscow time) and on “” – 05:00 (Moscow time).
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.
