“In kickboxing, Mineev will make money, like a fight with Maga.” Kamil – about Vasily Utkin, Ilic against Mineev and competitors

After Vladimir Mineev defeated Magomed Ismailov on October 16, 2021, Faridun Odilov, Alexander Shlemenko, Timur Nikulin, Alexander Emelianenko, Shara Bullet and Vagab Vagabov were named as possible opponents. As a result, Bosnian kickboxer Erko Jun became Mineev’s rival.

The main thing you need to know about this fight is that in round three, Mineev knocked Jun out with a jumping knee during the Fight Nights tournament in Elista. We will ask Kamil Gadzhiev for the rest.

– Vladimir had been gone for exactly 11 months. Was there a week where you were afraid for him, for his return?

No, I understood everything that was happening to him. After the fight with Maga, he came to his senses, an injury, then a personal drama, we discussed with him and decided that he would fight from the fall. Now the fight, and in November it will be with Fernando Rodriguez at the tournament of the Russian Kickboxing Federation. Then a duel with Shara (Sharabutdin Magomedov – for the AMC Fight Nights belt. – “”), and maybe a few more big fights next year.

– Was the fight between Mineev against Ilic (the Serbian fighter who defeated Shlemenko) according to kickboxing rules discussed?

– Yes, Mineev will kill him. It would be interesting in MMA, but in kickboxing it’s people of different levels.

– For MMA, Ilich doesn’t have wrestling, and Mineev can wrestle, but both seem to be able to do something by punching – why do you say it’s murder?

– Shaking arms and legs is not kickboxing. Now, one in two MMA fighters thinks he’s a kickboxer. In boxing, he jumps to fight. But when these guys start fighting by their own rules, the skill is shown. It’s like an MMA fighter learned to do leg passes, and he’s like a freestyler, but in a fight with a freestyler, there’s going to be a kill. Not a single Russian MMA fighter, if not a basic kickboxer, will be able to fight a kick with Mineev. Like Mineev, he will not be able to fight in freestyle wrestling with a wrestler.

– We learned from the RCC how Alexander Ilyich was found for Shlemenko. Tell us how you found Jun?

– Soslanbek Israilov found Nam Jun, he is a great kick specialist. When Vova started looking for a 93kg man, he said he had an MMA guy who was constantly training with Rico Verhoeven (a world class elite kickboxer. – ) and training in their gymnasium. We were told that he is of a lower class than Vova, but as he is always physically strong in training, he can create problems. He’s got a million followers there, he’s such a tattooed guy. It’s not interesting for us to bring a no-name, but with a good level. Pilot shot – do not want. It’s hard for Vova to pick opponents by kicking because he’s killed a lot of people.

– Can you provide a corridor for the June fee?

– About 50 thousand dollars will receive. It is clear that money was an important motivation for him – he went to Russia with a little trepidation: and if they do not give a visa there, but he is preparing. This worried him more.

Did you see what you expected in battle?

– Yes, I understood that Vova is a rather sensible person, so as not to rush. Fighting with Jun is stupid. What is the point if he weighs less than 100 kg and is physically strong with an MMA background? It also means he can definitely hit the side. Vova did everything according to the classics: he watched, conducted reconnaissance, and already on the second round he began to open up.

– They said about Vladimir that the fee for Ismailov was about 15 million rubles. It’s hard to believe he received the same amount for the kickboxing fight in Elista.

– At this tournament, Vladimir did not even ask about money. He will receive a good sum, a large sum, but the tournament is organized by his native kickboxing federation. Batu hosts this tournament in his home country as well as a patriotic event. For him, it is important. Vova for the fight with Rodriguez will receive the same amount as for the fight with Ismailov.

– How did you manage to make the fight with Bullet (Mineev and Bullet should fight in March. – “”), what did it take for that?

– It took Shara to win against Martynov, and from “a person who beats someone there”, although brilliantly – I don’t take Misha Allahverdyan now and I don’t want to hurt other guys – became a a person who confidently won against a powerful opponent. After that, we could not refuse Shara in the desire to fight with Mineev.

There was also an option with Vagab (AMC Fight Nights champion in the up to 93 kg category), but Vagab said he would not be less than 90 kg, and we decided to leave it for when Vova would weigh no less than 90 kg. Vova believes that such a period will come in a year.

– In the Kamil Time program, they said that Shara asked for a large sum, for which this fight would not be organized.

– I heard an amount from Shara’s representatives and said, “No, he shouldn’t receive so much. And that’s how ready we are.” The auction went. When we taped the show, bargaining was still going on, but now we seem to have bargained. That’s probably the biggest stamp of the Shara’s life, but he deserved it.

Who do you see as your favorite?

– It somehow began to reach me that everyone thinks that Mineev will win 100%. First of all, it will be easier for the Balloon to carry 84 kg. So functionally it will look better in battle.

Arms? At the moment, in terms of boxing, Volodya is better prepared. The skills in the legs are probably the same. Clinch skills, I think Shara has a bit better, but the hands still decide a bit more in MMA, and both of them were never wrestlers. I think 55-45 in favor of Mineev, but nothing more.

– Mineev will only fight in MMA in March, before Bullet?

– No, I do not think so. Kickboxing in November and MMA kicked off.

– RCC Executive Director Nikolai Klimenko said that Mineev somehow behaved improperly in the negotiations, hung up. What can it be connected with?

– It’s just that Vova Kolya does not see clearly. Vova is a capricious person. Maybe he didn’t like the way Kolya was talking to him. It seems to me that RCC has good promotion, good fights, but maybe he included something important in his conversation with Vova. Kolya is still young – Vladimir does not hang up with everyone, the others talk to him normally. I did not hear this conversation, it is difficult for me to give an assessment now, but Mineev is such a guy – someone does not like him for that, but I, on the contrary, like him for that – he got into the same boat with people, he swims in it. And these people are us. It seems to me that he does not want to negotiate or haggle with anyone. I think it was just a misunderstanding. Both are adequate. Just why Kolya talks about it is the question. Maybe that’s a reason to think about the fact that not everything in life is measured by money.

– Do you understand who will cover the costs of Mineev and Bullet?

– I think, a) the sponsors, the market as a whole, b) the spectators, the people who are going to come and buy tickets. For a thousand rubles it is a sin not to buy a ticket for such a fight in Moscow.

– You recently spoke with Vasily Utkin and signed this photo: “Meeting with real giants.” Compared to the giant in Fyodor’s room, is Vasily still impressive?

– Yes, it’s just tall, but Sharip, Dmitry Tarasov always stood there, they are all 190 cm tall, Utkin himself is huge … Of course, I would not compare with Ponomarev (a fighter nicknamed the Giant of Fedor’s hall. – “”) , because Ponomarev has that (showing a V-shaped figure with his hands), and Vasya, rather, like this (shows an L-shaped figure with his hands).

Was there anything to say?

– No, no, yes, we communicate with him about football, he knows a little about MMA, but everyone knows a lot about football. I asked if he was commenting now or not – he said no. He asked her what her expectations were of the media league. In principle, everyone exchanged a few words, but I think with the start of the season we will develop a conversation with him.

– For a long time I wanted to ask who from MMA plays football the best, according to your feelings?

– In general, MMA … I am.

– Now let’s choose among the fighters. Played football: Marif Piraev, Magomed Molodoy, Maxim Grishin, Shara Bullet, Vagab Vagabov, Gadzhi Avtomat, Mayrbek Taysumov, Alexei Makhno…

– I think Piraev. He still plays all the time. I did not see Sharu and Vagab in action. The youngster is playing well, but he’s less plastic than Marif, although Marif has been a bit ugly lately. I would also mention Makhno, he plays football very well. It’s not as noticeable because he’s on the defensive. It is even possible that Makhno. Marif is a striker, we talk about it even more, and Lekha is more solid, he is better prepared technically. It’s just that he has a position that is rarely talked about and rarely praised.

You didn’t ask me who the worst footballer is. Minev. In fact, he can’t even hit the ball. Paradox.

– Do you still not believe in the fight Ismailov against Shlemenko?

– Yes. Already the second year. I don’t know, I kind of have a flair for that kind of stuff. A year ago I said that this fight would not happen, and for now I continue to stay with this feeling.

– Did you have a conversation with Shlemenko after Ilic’s defeat?

— Yes, we spoke with Sanya. I told him that if he didn’t agree on a rematch with anyone then I could arrange this fight at my house, Sanya says Ilich asked for crazy, insufficient money. There you go, no questions.

– When and what was the latest news about Ziyavudin Magomedov and when was the last time you communicated with him (Billionaire Magomedov was arrested in the spring of 2018 and is still under investigation. – )?

– The court is coming. I wanted to come to the meeting, but they still won’t let me in. I was a witness on one of the issues at the very beginning, four years ago, but it turns out that if you have witness status in a case, then the court is closed for you. They didn’t let me in even though I came once. And they say they still can’t. And I would like to see it. And if recently there should have been a meeting, it was postponed.

When was the last time you had a conversation?

– Six months ago we signed, and since then there has been no more.

– Your lightweight champion Nariman Abbasov lost in the Dana White Contender series. What do you think about it?

– Yesterday I spoke with Shakhriyar (brother – “”). They are sad that it is here. We see that even Nariman’s social networks nothing happens, the guy is sad. And I think there is no need to be sad. There’s a reason, but you need to get out there and start communicating with the public – that’s part of the job, too. For Nariman to come out and say why he fought like that, why he looked so bad, you can’t always win: there are only a few fighters like Khabib and Yarik Amosov.