Detail – we chat with the manager of AMC Fight Nights near the cage, which Diego Brandão jumped on 30 minutes ago to thank Camil himself. Brandao once came to Dublin to fight Conor McGregor, and now he’s coming to Perm to fight Oleg Lichkovakha and break a six-game losing streak.
Do you understand why you were grateful?
“Brandao and I are old friends. He thinks I once rescued him from oblivion. There was a time when nobody needed Diego, but I was told he could become a rival for Rasul Mirzaev. I contacted him through Misha (Lubimov, general manager of the JacksonWink gym in Albuquerque. – “”), Misha knew him well, Diego didn’t train much at the time, but we spoke with Mikhail, talked with Diego and signed such a really juicy contract with him. Rasul was injured at that time, instead Murad Machaev, then Vener Galiev, then Akhmed Aliyev played. These are Diego’s three high-profile fights, which he grew up a lot in the media for. And he is grateful. He says, “You made me a superstar.” I think he made himself a superstar and I just put a little effort into it.
Is the fight between Mirzaev and Brandao interesting now? They suddenly had a duel of views
It will be interesting, but not as it might have been five years ago. Then Rasul was different, and Diego at that time … fought with Conor, won the Ultimate Fighter, won in Russia against Murad Machaev. And now there will be a battle between two veterans.
– Then Rasul would be the favorite, but now there is no such confidence. And you?
– Well yes. Although today we saw a fat Diego, out of shape. If he is engaged in pharmaceutical preparation, normally devotes himself to future combat, then Rasul will be very tough. He strikes with his right to make people fly off their hooves, and today it will be very difficult for Rasul with the way he is holding up. Today the good Diego will beat Rasul. And then it would be a more or less even fight.
– There is no feeling that Kirill Sidelnikov, who fought today with Fabio Maldonado, is one of the most closed heavyweights in Russia?
“I always thought so. He believed that Cyril was a person who didn’t open up. He punches, kicks, fights, he can do anything. But there is such a career when a person seems to be able to do everything, but something is not working. As it happens and vice versa, people with little training become stars. But he is a heavyweight, he has time.
– And with whom in Russia would you see him fighting?
– I would have watched his fight even with Yusup Shuaev (Kamila AMC Fight Nights league champion. – “”). It is clear that Yusup will now have a rematch with Grisha Ponomarev. But in principle … It seems to me that Kirill is a threat to any heavyweight. The only question is how fit Cyril is, how motivated he is.
– How do you find today’s fight of such Sidelnikov against such Maldonado (Fabio Maldonado lost in 42 seconds without inflicting a single blow)?
– In general, I try to talk about my colleagues well or not at all. I think, great friends, who made this tournament, it’s still the beginning of the organization. But the main fight doesn’t stand up to criticism, and everyone understands that. You can’t bet Fabio Maldonado on the main fights in professional MMA in its current form. If they go out to fight 10 more times and fight, 10 times, there will be the same result.
– You flew to Perm with Alexander Shlemenko, did you discuss his potential fight at Fight Nights?
– There were no details, Sanya, as I understand it, has things to do: he is going to RCC reality, maybe one day his fight with Maga will take place, which I really do not believe really. We talked about Andrey Koreshkov, he has a situation like he is in Bellator, but he hasn’t competed there yet for various reasons. They said in general that it is possible to make fights in Russia. Everyone knows I would love to see the Mineev-Shlemenko fight, but running in front of the Shlemenko engine against Ismailov is not very correct.
– Why don’t you believe that Shlemenko’s fight with Ismailov will take place? At least not 100% sure?
– It’s just a feeling. Just because big fights are hard to do, sometimes they tell you about some kind of fight, but you have some kind of hunch that it’s not going to happen. I talked about it from the start. I look at them and I just don’t see that they’re going to fight. Well, one way or another, it’s all good. They don’t look like future rivals.
– Is there an opponent search for Vladimir Mineev now?
– I am waiting for the results of the fight Barkhudaryan vs Vagabov (July 15 in Krasnodar, fight for the championship belt in the weight category up to 93 kg. – “”). Perhaps we will unite the fight for two belts in one fight: Vova will roll a little less, and the 93 kg champion, on the contrary, will lose weight a little more, getting closer to Vova. It seems to me that Mineev against Vagabov and Mineev against Barkhudaryan would be a big event. Provided that one or the other wins the belt.
– That is to say that they will fight in catchweight for two belts?
– As an option. Of course, now we can dream that Barkhudaryan or Vagabov are 84 kg, but objectively it is difficult. On the contrary, Vova will accept an intermediary.
Khabib was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, did you watch his 24 minute speech?
– Honestly, I haven’t watched everything, but part of the speech is yes. Cool event for sure. The first person from Russia. Although if Oleg Taktarov is given a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame, that will also be absolutely deserved.
Has Khabib ever been about to fight on Fight Nights?
– He came to America long before we started contacting him. He came from Pro FC, they started earlier than us.
– In Dagestan, there are many sports fathers who train their children. Why did Abdulmanap succeed?
It’s his karma. Gift from God. It’s just that Abdulmanap endured so much, doing a business in which no one believed that the Almighty had given him such a son. Gave such contact with his son.
Do you see anything special in their relationship?
“It seems to me that this relationship is similar to the relationship of other parents with their children. And they, like everyone else, aren’t perfect either. But it was precisely the father-son relationship, as we all have.
– In the summer you said you wouldn’t like to see Abdulrashid Sadulaev in MMA and are you interested in seeing another Khabib fight?
– So I would like to see Sadulayev fight, maybe as a fan. I just see that Abdulrashid, doing freestyle wrestling, stays where he is. And MMA will be a little weird for him. He won’t immediately fight Cormier or a man who has already done a lot. Retrieve [простых] rivals for such a block … well, somehow not very good either. He has to focus on freestyle. But seeing Khabib in MMA, if Dana White somehow convinces him, that would be cool.
– Former Fight Nights fighter Jiri Prochazka recently became the UFC champion – you remember him somehow.
– Yes, nothing. I supported him after Fight Nights. With us he had a very boring fight with Misha Mokhnatkin, so boring that I grabbed a microphone there and started yelling at him to start a fight. But he is a very strong fighter, and Mokhnatkin is a very strong fighter. And so they were careful.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
