“I spared Conor.” McGregor criticized Fiziev – we recorded Rafael’s response

UFC President Dana White discovered Rafael Fiziev (11-1 in MMA) before signing a contract with him. In 2017, during a Thai boxing tournament, Fiziev dodged a kick in such a way that he created one of the most popular fight videos at the time. In response to the haikik, Rafael arched his back almost parallel to the ground and let his leg go over him. The video went viral and the fighter himself proved it to be a working technique, repeating the same in the UFC after arriving in 2019.

Now Conor McGregor has suddenly drawn attention to Fiziev’s famous bias. The former two-weight champion wrote that he could respond to such bias with an “akskik,” a kick when the leg passes like an ax up and down. According to McGregor, the opponent in this case “would have eaten the whole heel”. Fiziev wrote to Conor that he could train with him and teach him how to kick.

The spice of this dialogue is added by the fact that McGregor was a superstar while Rafael was just starting his career. Now Conor hasn’t fought in exactly a year and is falling two positions to Fiziev in the UFC’s top lightweight rankings. Rafael himself is preparing to fight his namesake dos Anjos (31-13) in the main event of the upcoming tournament in Vegas. The fight is unofficially titled as the best Rafael title fight in the UFC.

Not about Conor

– Did you invite someone to train specifically for the fight against dos Anjos?

– Not. Nobody was specially called, I fought with those who were in the room.

Who did you train with?

– With lefties… with lefties and wrestlers. Assisted by Robbie Lawler, Michael Johnson.

– You expect dos Anjos to fight you?

– I think so. What else can he do.

– Your fight could have taken place on February 19, then on March 5, is it difficult to start the third training when you did it twice in vain?

– No, I prepared normally, I felt good.

– There was no discussion that this time someone would definitely come in as a replacement if the fight was cancelled?

No, they didn’t talk about it.

– You haven’t started your MMA career yet, when dos Anjos was in the UFC, fought Khabib, won the championship belt. Do you remember him from that time?

– Yes, I watched his fights, I drowned for him – his name is also Rafael. I remember how he fought for the title with Pettis, you could say he was his little fan.

– If he decides to fight you standing in the first round…

– Well, that will be cool, what can I say…

– Dos Anjos has 13 losses, but those are defeats by judges’ decisions to elite fighters in two categories: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Colby Covington, Tony Ferguson, Kamar Usman. In your opinion, does it give you more experience or tie you down a bit and you stop believing in yourself?

“I think he doesn’t care about defeats. He’s so into this sport he’s lost and won, he doesn’t care. Won – rejoice, lost – don’t care.

– Do you consider him as a fighter who aims for the title, or at 37 years old for him, does it just become an income?

– I think he’s going to the title, he wants to take it.

– You received two bonuses during your performances in the UFC. Is there anything tangible today that you spent them on?

— My family, I invested everything in my family. I bought a car for me.

– What are the prices of a car in Thailand (Fiziyev has been living and working in Phuket for a long time)?

– By the way, in Thailand you can buy a new car, and it will cost less than ours, which has a mileage of 15 years. I have exactly one bonus left for the purchase ($50,000. – “”)

– You appear in many photos before or after the fights with an astrakhan hat. Where did you find it?

– From Azerbaijan, my good brother gave it to me, with whom I communicate closely. In the Caucasus, a hat has always meant a lot. There is such a thing that if a person wanted to ask for forgiveness, but couldn’t do it, he was ashamed there or for some other reason, he could just come and throw his headdress at another person’s feet. It meant he was asking for forgiveness. And vice versa, if someone tore off another’s headdress, that’s all, war. In general, a hat means a lot to a Caucasian.

– In Azerbaijan, they wear hats like Khabib, not Astrakhan?

“There are also. There are white ones and black ones, there are different ones.

– Last weekend, the next defense was held by the UFC champion in the category up to 65.8 kg Alex Volkanovski. It is said that it can rise to your weight, at 70.3 kg. You trained at Tiger – how real does his transition feel to you?

– He is physically very strong, we wrestled with him, did grappling and sparring. Physically, he is certainly not inferior to anyone at lightweight. Yes, he’s not very tall for that weight, but physically he won’t lose to anyone. I think he can move up to lightweight. In his division, he is head and shoulders above everyone else, no matter what. With Holloway, he proved it. How Holloway Passed Everyone and How Volkanovski Passed Him Now! This suggests that it is best in class.

About Conor

– You had a very popular conversation with Conor McGregor on Twitter – after that the number of followers increased?

“I didn’t even look, I didn’t check.

– Surprised that he decided to pay attention to your sliding style?

“It started a long time ago. In 2020 he wrote about me when I fought with Moikano.

– Can you explain why it is impossible to respond to such a bias with an akskik, which Conor speaks of?

– Well, imagine – with this move (he talks about his bias. – “”) you defend yourself with a blow to the head from the side, if they hit me with an akskik, in principle I won’t make him dodge like that.

And if you throw a classic kick to the head, it turns out that Conor offers to turn it into an akskik halfway. Well, it’s usually, or something like that, tupanul?! I see how the leg is going from the start, you can see it right away.

– Can’t you show that you hit a high kick and then turn it into an akskik?

– No, it’s completely different. Right from the start, it will be clear from the movement, your knee will move in a completely different way.

– Isn’t it surprising that Conor would advise this, provided that, in general, he seems to have a serious background in martial arts?

– I was surprised, yes, that it was so watered. He’s a good fighter, but the statement is stupid.

– You even seem to have agreed to communicate on respect and, if necessary, to spar. Imagine your fight?

– I think I’m shoveling it.

– And if he called him to practice, to help him with his preparation – would that be acceptable?

– The price of the issue … In general – why not. I’m fine with him.

You said you would teach him how to block and hit lowkicks. Are there any faults?

– As for me, he doesn’t really know how to hit, his technique isn’t very good.

– Can you explain why he broke his leg during a fight with Poirier?

– Well, it seems we knew he broke it before the battle and broke it during the battle.

– I heard that with a low kick, you (your leg) hurt you anyway. Does it come from bad technique or can it not be avoided at all?

– Look what’s funny. Let’s say you hit a calfkick (kick in the area below the opponent’s knee. – “”). There may be a situation that will hurt you too. You tap your leg a little. That’s even though we don’t assume you hit the bone when your opponent has had time to react and check your calfkick. But if I hit his leg bone correctly and even partially, he’ll take even more damage than me. At least I can walk and fight until the battle is over. And he can’t. And what will someone have after the fight – if you think about it, then you have to go play football.

– I heard that in general everyone hits lowkicks, but for 20-30-50 fighters, there is one where they are particularly tough. It’s true?

— Yes, there are guys whose lowkicks hit you like a rail.

– Among those with whom you fought, who has particularly hard lowkicks?

– Denis Lavrentiev. I think it’s not so much a technique, just someone has such natural strength.

What shape do you think Conor is in today?

– I consider him a dangerous opponent, a dangerous fighter. He still has punching power, and whoever has it will be dangerous anyway.

Conor McGregor is currently No. 12 in the UFC lightweight rankings. In 4.5 years, he won one fight and lost three. Do you think he rightly follows you and Arman Tsarukyan and overtakes Damir Ismagulov?

He certainly hasn’t won in a long time. I think he’s undeserved in the top 15 and they just keep him there because he still has a big name and a lot of fans.