AMC Fight Nights champion Vladimir Mineev visited the fight zone in February of this year. His fight with Rafael Carvalho was his first performance after the athlete joined the Russian armed forces.
Even Kamil Gadzhiev, who watched the fight from the front row, paid Carvalho compliments. It turned out to be a little funny: exactly 14 seconds before the knockout, Kamil seriously said to someone sitting in the next chair: “He doesn’t let himself be beaten.” Very quickly, Carvalho ate a left hook from Mineev and got up with so much difficulty that the referee signaled “enough”. For Mineev, this is the third consecutive early victory in kickboxing fights since September last year.
—Were you unhappy that the fight was stopped so early?
– Yes, it seems that our paths have just parted, I just felt the ring, I thought we would still work. It seemed to me that Carvalho could still continue. I didn’t even point it out – I just threw my hand away, as if there was nothing supernatural in this blow.
— It seemed that he also found himself at that moment?
“Before that, he threw some kind of clumsy two, something slipped through, and from me there was a hit on the side step. It was as if I had touched a cat with my paw. But, in my opinion, he didn’t understand. I’ll have to watch it again, I haven’t had the chance yet.
The left side is one of my signature dies. Besides the step, it is in fact a boxing school… kickboxing. When working with a taller opponent, this is a passing shot. At first he came closer suddenly, I couldn’t find the distance, then I managed to pull him towards me and hit him.
— You have three convincing victories in a row. Don’t you want a harder fight, so that you also receive damage, so that you have to endure pain?
– It seems to me that everything depends on the character, the person. There are fighters who like such difficult, bone-to-bone stories. There are times when this cannot be avoided. But we have been taught that it is better to strike one blow and not miss a single one, than to strike five and miss four. It’s philosophy.
—What will your next two months look like?
– They will look like those of a soldier. Like a soldier. I have a special military operation.
— A fight with Chtyrkov is planned…
– It’s planned, I heard about it. But until they come and tell me that everything is ready, that this comrade agrees, that the contracts have been signed and that we are joining the game… I am living according to my plan. Not yet.
Preparation [к Штыркову] it will depend on where the information reaches me that it is ready. Maybe part of the training will take place in Donetsk, maybe it will be possible to beg for more leave. Although I still don’t understand how this can be. I’m not making a wish yet, I just know there are difficulties with it.
— Do you think any of the sparring partners would agree to come help in Donetsk?
“I can say right now that we’ve done it before.” Omar Aliyev was preparing with me when I was preparing Fernando Rodriguez. And he is a fighter from the Veles club. Lekha Makhno, also a fighter from the Veles club. What’s the problem with coming to Donetsk? 5 to 6 people and a trainer are enough.
— You’ve been preparing for this fight for about a month, but is that enough time to prepare for the fight with Shtyrkov?
– Perhaps less is needed there. From what I saw in the last fight, Vanya didn’t show anything at all. Compared to him, Carvalho is a dangerous guy. Objectively, based on the functional status of these two guys.
— When should you return there?
– Tomorrow. I’m going to finish now and leave.
— Did you not see your wife and daughter during this visit?
– And or? My daughter is only two months old. No I have not seen it.
— Vyacheslav Datsik has arrived in the area of the North-West Military District and could sign a contract. If he becomes a volunteer, what advice can you give him?
— I don’t want to advise anyone, everyone has their heads on their shoulders. I don’t think we ever communicated. He came to support the guys. I saw this news and at first thought maybe he had decided to take advantage of the fact that now everything SVO related was widely covered. But in any case, well done. If he signs a contract, I can only welcome him.
“He looks fearless in some places, but also crazy in others.” Is it dangerous or not to give him a weapon?
– It seems to me that it is just an image. In my opinion, he created it for himself and that’s it. My feeling is that he’s a pretty sensible person who profits from his image. Yes, maybe he made mistakes in his youth, but with age you think about a lot of things, a kind of awareness comes.
—Would you agree to stay in the same position with him?
– But I don’t know this person, how can I talk? Personally, I never spoke to him. And to say whether or not I would have done reconnaissance with him would have been simply fallacious on my part.
Live broadcasts of 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.
