"I Wouldn't Want To Fight With Compatriots." Interview With Roman Kopylov Ahead Of UFC 302

On June 1 at UFC 302 Roman Kopylov will fight his eighth fight in Dana White's promotion. His opponent is the undefeated Brazilian Cesar Almeida.

In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, Kopylov talked about:

• training in Dagestan at the Universal Fighters club;
• training with Artem Vakhitov;
• a potential fight between Vakhitov and Alex Pereira in UFC;
• fights with Russians;
• physical strength of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

- How was the preparation for the fight against Cesar Almeida?

- Everything was good, as usual, it was in Makhachkala under the guidance of coach Rasul Magomedaliev.

- You accepted the last fight a month ago and flew to the USA a week before the bout. Do you think that was a mistake?

- Everything was okay, I felt good. But things happened, and I'm not sure what was the reason that.

- You looked good at the start of the fight, but then...

- My strength left me.

- Was there a greater focus on wrestling in this camp?

- We are always working, and wrestling is a priority five days a week.

- How do you see the fight going?

- It will be a match between two strikers. We may wrestle as well.

- How long did you prepare for this fight? Was it longer than the last preparation?

- Yes, this time I accepted the fight 1.5 months in advance. It’s okay for mel. A one-month preparation could be considered short notice, but 1.5-2 months is good.

- Many athletes improve their endurance by training in the mountains, and then go down to the plain. Is this strategy effective?

It's a great method for a training camp. Our veterans went into the mountains and then descended. This time we didn't have that opportunity, but we did train in the mountains for some fights. This method significantly enhances your endurance.

Roman Kopylov

- You trained with Artem Vakhitov. What advice did he give you?

- Yes, Artem helped me. He's a nice guy, an outstanding fighter, and it's tough to spar with him. He needs to work on his wrestling a bit due to some deficiencies, but it can be fixed. He liked the gym and the atmosphere. He will improve his wrestling specifically in Dagestan, because he will not get such help anywhere else. You can wrestle anywhere, but not every place has coaches who oversee your progress. He shared some striking tips with me.

- Did he talk about his ambitions?

His goal is to get into the UFC. He fought with the league champion Alex Pereira. Vakhitov said: “If I beat Pereira in kickboxing, what's stopping me from beating him in MMA?” Of course, he has to move up the ladder; no one will give him a fight with Alex. Artem needs to adjust his fighting style slightly, add wrestling. If he can do so well with bigger gloves, he will give everyone trouble with the smaller ones.

Roman Kopylov

- Will the UFC try to build up the story between Pereira and Vakhitov?

- That's an interesting story. Maybe Alex himself will want to seek a rematch, and he will turn to Dana White.

- UFC has many Russian and Russian-speaking athletes in the middleweight division. Is it difficult to compete against your compatriots?

- Of course, I wouldn't want to fight against my compatriots. It's such a large organization, with fighters from all over the world, can't they find someone else? But if the organization knows better, then that's how it should be. Russian fans will find it more interesting to watch fights where Russians are up against foreigners. But that's our job: you have to accept the fight, then shake hands and bring honor to your country.

- How did you react to the news that Sergei Pavlovich will face off against Alexander Volkov?

I don't think UFC is scheming or trying to put someone on the sidelines. Both athletes are at the top, each one wants to fight for the belt. It's just a stage in their careers.

Roman Kopylov

- How would you assess Khabib Nurmagomedov's prospects of becoming a UFC middleweight champion?

- I haven't fought Khabib. Everyone says he is much stronger than an average lightweight. He possesses some kind of strength that is not typical of lightweights. In any case, wrestling increases your chances of becoming a UFC champion. I think Nurmagomedov, with his style and strength, could be competitive in the middleweight division.