Russian strongman and amateur boxer Denis Vildanov told that at the time of signing a contract with the American slap league, he was training in the boxing gym of Vladimir Roshchenko, known for working with the former WBO, WBA and IBF champion. Sergei Kovalev .
Vildanov, 35, became the first Russian heavyweight to sign a contract with the league after UFC President Dana White’s Power Slap. Earlier in an interview with , Vildanov clarified that his base contract is half the size of a standard UFC rookie contract: $10,000 for an appearance and the same for a win. The 190-kilo athlete, who has tried his hand at rugby, boxing and slapping, is currently training at the Dynamo boxing gym in Chelyabinsk.
— Right now, I’m training in light mode. I go to boxing four times a week at the Dynamo gym in Chelyabinsk. The Chelyabinsk region boxing team trains there, I train with Vladimir Viktorovich Roshchenko (one of Sergei Kovalev’s first coaches – editor’s note from ), Eduard Abzalimov, Anton Kudinov train there. As for slap tournaments, we will have to think separately. For the moment, there are some developments in my head. It will definitely be necessary to work on improving the vestibular apparatus, work on ligaments, speed and strength indicators.
— We have the feeling that your Russian citizenship will even be a plus for the show. Are you going to emphasize that you represent Russia?
– Yes, I will give priority to the fact that I come from Russia, that I represent Russia, that I am its son and that I must show that the Russian warrior is the strongest. This is precisely the confrontation between the West and the East,” Vildanov told .
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.
