On the night of May 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the UFC Vegas 92 tournament (UFC Fight Night 241) will take place, featuring Abusupiyan Magomedov, a Russian fighter living in Germany. Magomedov's opponent is the experienced Brazilian, Warlley Alves, who defeated Colby Covington in 2015.
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In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, Magomedov talked about:
- the dangers of his opponent, Warlley Alves;
- under what circumstances he would prepare for a fight in Dagestan, Russia;
- sparring with a professional heavyweight boxer;
- what would he bring from Germany to Russia;
- who he considers the best fighter in the middleweight division;
- how he would have fought the UFC champion;
- his opinion on Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev and Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier fights.
"Warlley is dangerous because he has nothing to lose"
- Abusupiyan, where did you prepare for the upcoming fight against Warlley Alves?
- The entire training camp took place in Miami at the American Top Team gym. We arrived in Vegas a week before the fight, as it will be held here.
- Earlier you mentioned that you would like to train at AKA gym in the near future, where Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov's team train. Why didn't you train there, and when do you plan to eventually work there?
- Right now, the guys are hardly ever there, and even the coach Javier Mendez isn't there because Islam has a fight in two or three weeks. I know a guy who trains there, he is a grappler. He said it's a bit empty there now and advised against going there now.
- What can you tell us about your future opponent, Warlley Alves? What makes him dangerous?
- He is dangerous because he has nothing to lose. I think he doesn't feel any pressure about losing. Besides, he is experienced, has been in the UFC for around 10 years, and has seen a lot.
- Do you feel pressure now after two tough fights with Strickland and Borralho?
- I want to prove to myself that it shouldn't have gone that way. Now we'll prove the opposite. I just got this chance in a short time: if I had beaten Strickland, I would have reached my goal faster. Now it will just have to take a little longer. But the goal remains the same.
"If I were given a fight in Saudi Arabia, I would have spent the whole camp in Dagestan"
- You once mentioned that you have a very good relationship with matchmaker Mick Maynard. That was after your debut when you quickly knocked out Dustin Stoltzfus. Has your relationship with him changed now?
- Nothing has changed. We were never close buddies. Although I can write to him or call him directly if I have any questions or want to find anything out.
But I'm not the kind of person who will call for every little thing. I don't like to be a bother. I know how many fighters he has, and everyone wants to know something from him, including managers. That’s why I try not to bother him too much.
- Who texted first last time - you or him?
- We spoke in the lobby right after the fight with Borralho in Sao Paulo. He promised me a fight after Ramadan. He said to let him know when I want to fight, and he will organize it. I told him that I would prefer June or July after Ramadan, but it turned out the fight fell on May.
- Are these dates optimal, or is it too short a time?
- Of course, June would have been better, as I wanted at least two months for recovery after Ramadan. You still lose weight and energy during Ramadan, no matter what.
- How much time did you spend in Dagestan?
- Three weeks. I went through the first stage of preparation at Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's school. Then I came to Germany; spent a couple of days with my family and then went straight to America. I've been here for seven week now.
- If you were given a fight in June or July, would you have spent more time in Dagestan, or would you still have done the main camp in America?
- Since my fight was scheduled in America, I would have done the main camp there. Besides, acclimatization matters. And if I were given a fight in Saudi Arabia, I would have spent the entire camp in Dagestan.
"Before flying to America, I had the final sparring session, after which half of my face went numb"
- You mentioned that your striking coach trains the well-known boxer Agit Kabayel. Have you sparred with him, despite him being a heavyweight and you a middleweight?
- Yes, we sparred a lot with him. But recently, not so much because we usually have two to three good rounds, and then things get tough. Plus, he is a heavyweight, and I'm not a boxer, so if I run out of stamina, I can knee him. That happened a couple of times, and then the coach said, "Never again."
When I competed in the PFL, I didn't have proper sparring partners in Germany - there were just conditioning training sessions to stay in shape. So I sparred with him mostly. Before flying to America for the PFL playoffs, I had a sparring session with him. He hit me here (points to the part between the cheekbone and the nose under his eye), and half of my face went numb - my teeth, my tongue, my body.
Apparently, he hit a nerve. I went through all the examinations, and they said it would pass in two to three months. But I walked around with a numb face for four to five months until it all went away. After that, we didn't spar anymore because he has a heavy punch.
- Were you surprised by his victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov?
- For me, that fight was 50-50. I saw Arslanbek slightly ahead because he has a knockout punch. I spoke to Arslanbek after the fight, and I think he broke his hand in the second round. It was noticeable at the end of the second round that he wasn't hitting like he usually does. Something went wrong.
It was a fight I didn't want to watch because I've been training with one of them for seven or eight years, and the other is my fellow countryman, my brother. But it's a sport. They are both professionals and they handled it with dignity. I think if everything goes well, and they keep winning, they will meet again.
- Is there anything you would bring from Germany to Russia after 20 years of your experience living there?
- Well, except for taxes, I would bring everything. I like the way the law works here. If something is prohibited by law, even if your brother is in power, he will never do it to you because it's not allowed by law.
Bet on MMA with 1xBet"I don't consider Du Plessis the best fighter in the division"
- I wanted to ask you about the middleweight division in the UFC. Who do you think is the best fighter in the middleweight division? I remember you mentioned that you were not impressed by Dricus Du Plessis and didn't consider him a fighter.
- Well, I can't not consider him a fighter; he is a champion. We were supposed to meet in 2019 or 2020 in London back during the KSW times. We had beef, but we didn't get to fight. I don't know what to say; let him be the champion for now.
- So do you now consider Du Plessis the best fighter in the division, not Adesanya?
- No, I don't consider him the best fighter in the division. There are many fighters who are much better than du Plessis. But, it so happened that he is the champion now. I think he won't hold the title for long.
I have said many times before that I like Robert Whittaker: his style, how he fights, his wrestling, stance, hands - he’s got it all. He’s a complete fighter. But I think he is past his peak.
- Whittaker will soon fight Khamzat Chimaev. Who do you favor in this fight?
- I'm curious to see this fight. Without a doubt, it's a test for Khamzat. I think the longer the fight goes on, the better it will be for Whittaker. For example, we saw how Du Plessis outclassed him early in the fight through wrestling and physique. He clearly underestimated him, maybe Whittaker watched my interview, I don't know (laughs).
- Does Dustin Poirier have chances against Islam Makhachev? What are his advantages?
- Of course, these are top fighters, one punch can solve everything. Dustin is a fighter who has proven time and time again that he can come back from any situation and win. Even during fights when he was losing the first and second rounds, he could rebound in the third and turn the tables.
I see Islam as a favorite 70 to 30, since Poirier is satiated and lacks the hunger that Islam has. Moreover, he is now saying that this fight could be his last depending on the outcome.
