- Let's return to your career in M-1 Global. In early summer you spent defending his belt in a fight against the legendary Joe Riggs . The fight ended the way nobody wanted, severe trauma of the American. Tell what emotions you experienced then? It seems to be winning, but clearly not the same as we would like.
- It is. Of course, the victory I felt some sense of relief, a win is a win. But later came the realization that the duel was somewhat defective. The first round, in my opinion, I won, but like the ending of the match resulted in a large number of conversations.
I even heard that someone said that the battle shell, purchased. But it clearly could say only people who never tore knee ligaments. So I was a bit worried, there was some sense of inferiority victory.
On that fight you went out to a song of Vyacheslav Butusov's Last letter, better known as goodbye, America, what made the audience just explode from surprise. Tell me, whose idea was it to choose this song on the way out?
- To get this song I came up with myself. Goodbye, America is an iconic song of the 90s and 2000s, we all remember the iconic films Brother and Brother 2. Perhaps everyone knows this song, a love her and she is truly iconic.
The only thing I was thinking of going to this song: the main thing is not to screw it up. If I'm out on this song and lost, it would be quite sad (laughs).
- How important is your choice of music to enter the fight? Do you already have any prepared song for the upcoming fight against the Brazilian?
- I would not say that the music is on the way out gives me some additional charge. When you go out to battle, rise up in rage, take the latest excitement inside only emptiness remains. But, of course, when the audience supports you is really nice can you hear the words, feel the energy around you, it's cool.
- On the upcoming fight is a song that I haven't chosen, I would like to find something interesting, but what's the point, you can choose to fight against the Brazilian I got so far. So rather choose something that will simply delight the audience.
Russian fighters are known for the fact that most of them train only in the clubs, occasionally leaving for a training camp in other Russian cities or a maximum of Thailand. You're no exception. Do you think what is the reason?
- I practice not only in the club, quite often go for training in other halls. Last year a couple of times went to the camp in the Highlander club, the camp was held in the Crimea.
Go camp somewhere abroad, it would be interesting, but it's quite expensive. You can go to Thailand, but it also costs money. And so where to go? In the States it is not easy to make the visa, and this trip will cost a lot. In some Holland to go will not be much cheaper than America, with the current exchange rate of the Euro.
I have no bias regarding foreign halls. I would like to travel to different venues to try in different conditions. The only thing that is not always at the training camp turns out to work the way you wanted. Sometimes I come to the club especially if the club is famous, and there are a lot of athletes, you're one among them, hang out, no one individually with you is not engaged, do something, stood with someone in pairs, no individual work. Maybe if you go somewhere in the well-known camp, to pay money, then everything will be different.
- If you had the choice to go to any venue in the world to practice for a month or two, what room would you choose?
- I always wanted to go to practice room AKA. But I don't know, we're from the side only see a picture, know that there are trained Cormier, Rockhold, Habib, Velasquez. Perhaps there really is a good workout, but maybe if I come back, I'll be there as a normal worker-peasant, no one would pay attention to me, and I'll be hanging out there among ordinary boys. So it's hard to say, I'd like to work out at AKA, but if there was I treated as if I was trained – I don't know.
I am very interested in the hall of Jackson Wink MMA, I like their technical and tactical approach to fights. Plus there are a lot of strong athletes, with whom it would be interesting to stand in pairs. Jones Jones is probably too big for me, he'd be even interested, but Holly Holm is another matter (laughs).
- How important to you the game plan? Many fighters come out to fight plan for a fight, look at the situation. Whether you develop the tactics for each opponent?
- I constantly hear talk about the game plan, but I personally don't understand it. So I was watching his opponent, you know, roughly, what he will do, what are his weaknesses. I understand that to win you need to do this and that, but if it works, it will be visible only in combat. And if it doesn't work?
Here you had a game plan, for example, pass to feet, as the seconds recently advised the Alexei Makhno in its bloody confrontation with Michael LeBeau. Alex kept trying to take the Frenchman to the ground, gave it all the strength, and the takedown never happened. Everything will depend on the situation. If I don't have to be a struggle, and I will work with him in the rack, go to rack and will fight. I don't know how I personally can support this particular opponent. Can invent anything, but everything will go according to the situation.
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