Russian middleweight Sharaf Davlatmurodov in an interview with , he told how he agreed to a fight with Anatoly Tokov in the ACA league and clarified that he would earn less for this fight than his fee in the Bellator promotion.
Middleweights Davlatmurodov and Tokov competed in the Bellator American League, where they fought in the American promotion’s first tournament in Russia in October 2021. After Tokov’s victory by judges’ decision, the ASA Russian League organized a rematch for fighters, which will take place on April 19 in St. Petersburg as part of the ASA 174 tournament.
— You had your first fight in Bellator, and now you will fight in the ACA, where the founder of the league not long ago stopped the fight of two friends who were fighting too softly. Would you say that this also sets a precedent for all fighters, and you will keep that in mind?
– No, we definitely don’t have that with Tolya. We are professionals, we have our own agreement. And the first fight, from which everyone expected something similar, showed that we were far from playing children’s games.
— You laughed a lot throughout the press conference, but are you prepared that in combat you can hit Anatoly and finish him off on the ground if that happens?
– Well, of course I wouldn’t want a TKO (Technical KO – ), but it’s a fight. I would like to get a colorful bonus for three strong and dense hash rounds. But neither he nor I will certainly feel sorry for him.
– You said that you literally wrote to Anatoly so that he would agree to fight with you…
— No, Anatoly and I met at a tournament in Moscow. And I said: “Tolya, help me like I helped you (referring to the first fight of the Bellator tournament. – ), we need this fight.” Because I definitely wouldn’t have a fight similar to this in Russia right now. And I can no longer sit and wait for a visa to the United States.
— Considering that in Russia other taxes and money are paid even in cash in rubles, can we say that this fight will bring you more than a fight in Bellator?
– No… also money, but no more.
— Considering the bonus, could it be more than in Bellator?
“If you are talking about the one with the biggest bonus ($50,000 for the fight of the evening. – ), then yes,” Davlatmurodov told .
ASA 174 will take place on Friday, April 19 in St. Petersburg. The tournament will be broadcast live on the channels (from 9:15 p.m. Moscow time) and Match! Fighter” (from 7:30 p.m. 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.
