Russian heavyweight Kirill Sidelnikov told under what financial and organizational conditions he would accept a fight with the former Bellator champion Vitali Minakov .
Sidelnikov, 36, has been practicing MMA since 2007 and has fought 21 professional fights during that time, winning 14. Sidelnikov fought his last fight under mixed martial arts rules in the summer of 2022, defeating former UFC fighter Fabio Maldonado by technical knockout.
— Today in Russia there are several good heavyweights without a permanent contract, including you and Vitaly Minakov. What do you think about your potential fight?
— I probably wouldn’t want this fight, because Vitaly and I communicate well, both representatives of sambo. But in our world, nothing is impossible. Maybe an offer will come that we can’t refuse. So it’s possible, but I repeat, I probably wouldn’t want it.
— Is it on an emotional level that you don’t want to fight Vitaly Minakov?
— Yes, emotionally, because after all, we are representatives of the same sambo sports community. We went to the world championships together. We communicate well.
— If suddenly someone offered you attractive financial conditions, would you call Vitaly before signing the contract?
– Yes, I am the kind of person who will always call, talk, clarify that we are not offended at each other and the conditions suit us, then there is nothing wrong with such a fight. Nowadays, there are fewer martial arts sports, but such a fight will give an impetus to development and add interest. Why not?
— What if they offer to fight with Sergei Kharitonov or Alexei Oleinik?
– Again, it all depends on the circumstances, why not? If they had offered me as an opponent someone from my former team (Sidelnikov previously represented the team of Fedor Emelianenko – ed. ), I would have said no, of course. Because for me all the guys there are very close, for me they are more than friends, they are like family. And those athletes you named before… To say that I have some kind of close or friendly relationship with them is not true.
— Is a fee of 10 million rubles considered “attractive conditions”?
“I would be interested in this amount,” Kirill Sidelnikov told .
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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.
