On July 27, the UFC 304 tournament will take place in Manchester, where Muhammad Mokaev will have his seventh fight in the organization. His opponent is Manel Kape, ranked eighth in the flyweight division.
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In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, Mokaev discussed:
- his training camp with freestyle wrestlers in the mountains of Dagestan;
- his thoughts on the boycott of the Olympic Games by the Russian Wrestling Federation;
- his upcoming fight with Kape;
- Akhmed Tazhudinov's chances of becoming an Olympic champion in Paris;
- potential transition of Zaurbek Sidakov to MMA
"Why wasn't Kadiev sent to the Olympics?"
– You trained in the mountains of Dagestan. Can you tell us who you trained with?
– I had one sparring partner. For the most part, the others were freestyle wrestlers, including Akhmed Tazhudinov, Ibragim Kadiev and Ilyas Bekbulatov. There are many athletes preparing for the Olympics.
– What did you think about Ibragim Kadiev's performance at the Russian Championship?
– He’s a young guy, he's working hard, and he is humble. I think he has a bright future. But you see, he’s not being given the opportunity. I’m talking about the Russian Wrestling Federation. He was among the contenders who could have gone to the Olympics, wasn't he? Why didn't they send him?
"I don't think it's right to boycott the Olympics"
– Unfortunately, none of the Russian wrestlers will be going to the Olympics.
I don't think it’s right to boycott the Olympics. If a team refuses, then all sports should refuse. To single out wrestling and say they won't go, it’s ruining the careers of athletes. For them, the Olympics is like a fight for the UFC title for a fighter. This opportunity comes once in four years. The only one who could go was Shamil Mamedov, but he wasn't allowed to
– Do you believe he got injured?
– I do.
"If I win impressively against Cape, they will offer me a title fight"
– How is it going with your contract with the UFC?
– I have one fight left. After that, we will re-sign under more favorable terms. I want to fight for the title; I think it's about time. Hunter Campbell told me, «If you win impressively against Kape, we will offer you a title fight. If not, you'll have to fight again.» He was probably referring to a knockout by a spinning kick or something, but I think it will be a submission.
– How do you assess Akhmed Tazhudinov's chances of winning the Olympics?
– I think he has good chances. Abdulrashid Sadulaev won't be competing at this event. But there are other competitors: Iranian Amir Ali Azarpira and American Kyle Snyder, who performs better in the Olympics than at the World Championships.
– How did you react to the news that Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedauwas allowed to participate in the Olympics?
– I'm happy for him. This is his last chance in this sport. Of course, he still has chances in MMA. I hope he performs well at the Olympics.
– What advice would you give to Zaurbek Sidakov, who is planning to debut in MMA?
– He should start with grappling. He needs to compete in no-gi jiu-jitsu and also focus on boxing. Transitioning from freestyle wrestling to MMA isn't easy. Murad Nukhkadiev has wanted to switch for a long time. He went to training camps in Thailand and realized that taking down and controlling an opponent isn’t that easy. Sidakov's advantage is that he has a good sense of his body. He knows how to control himself, which is crucial in MMA. He still has 3-4 years to make a name for himself.
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