Moldovan UFC heavyweight Alexander Romanov will have his next fight on June 2 at UFC 302 in Newark. His opponent is Brazilian Jailton Almeida.
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In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net Romanov told:
- how he plans to fight Jailton Almeida;
- what he thinks about the code of the streets and whether he respects it;
- which fighters he would never face;
- what are Dustin Poirier's chances in a fight with Islam Makhachev;
- what to expect from Alexander Volkov's fight with Sergei Pavlovich;
- and which Russian fighters he admires.
“I'll pick Almeida apart first in the stand-up, and then on the ground”
- Are you satisfied with your performance in your last fight with Blagoy Ivanov?
- I was very satisfied from the stylistic point of view, because I followed the instructions of my coaches 100%. The only thing that dampened it all was the injury I got during the fight. My fist shattered, and it led to a big downtime in my career. But overall I am very satisfied with the fight and the result.
- Jailton Almeida is a famous grappler. You are a wrestler, he is a jiu-jitsu fighter, do you plan to deal with him in the stand-up or on the ground?
Everywhere. I plan to pick him apart first in the stand-up and then do the same with him on the ground.
- What is your impression of him as a fighter?
- He's an interesting person, he's friendly. He likes to put some pressure, but I like that too. Let's see what happens.
- Many people consider you the kindest among Russian-speaking UFC heavyweights. Don't you think that sometimes you don't have enough rage?
- There is enough rage in the octagon, I just treat it like a job and I think it's silly to get personal and say that you're going to do this and that with your opponent. Our families watch our interviews, fights and press conferences. I would hate to be embarrassed for my words in front of my parents or my children.
“The code of the streets was a thing long ago, now the law of God is all that matters”
- Are you a conflict-free person at all or have you had conflicts on the streets before?
In the 90s and early noughties everyone had some conflicts on the streets. This is quite natural, especially for the CIS countries, it was the norm. Everyone was fighting among themselves - someone wouldn't want to share a neighborhood, someone wouldn't share a school.
- Alexander Shlemenko (former Bellator middleweight champion) often refers to the code of the streets when talking to his opponents. Did you follow this culture?
- Once upon a time, when I was green and young, I did, but now the main code for me is the law of God. For me it is the most important thing in life.
- Is there a fighter in the heavyweight division that you would never fight?
The only fighter I would never want to cross paths with is Fedor Emelianenko. He's my idol, the man whose fights we all watched as kids. As for the others - why not?
- Fedor has already retired, so it is unlikely that you will have the option to meet him in the cage.
- He has already announced the end of his career several times, but still came back after that.
“The first UFC fighters seemed like weirdos from another planet”
- What is the town of Comrat like, where you grew up?
- It is a small provincial town with a small population. According to the census, it has 35 thousand people, but in fact, there are barely 25 thousand. It is a quiet, calm town, without any incidents.
- When did you first become acquainted with the UFC and learned what the octagon was?
It was back in 1998 or 1999, when my father brought tapes of the first UFC tournaments from abroad. For me they seemed like weirdos from another planet. Of course, then the rules were a bit harsh, or more like, there were no rules at all, but that was how I got acquainted with mixed martial arts and the UFC in general.
- Could you imagine being in the octagon yourself?
- No. Even if 10 years ago someone came up to me and said that I would fight in the cage, I would have laughed in that person's face.
- Who is the toughest fighter in the heavyweight division right now, Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall?
- I think Jones is tougher and more skillful. Aspinall is a good fighter too, but I think Jones is the top at the moment.
"Poirier has a chance if he imposes his boxing skills in the stand-up"
– You speak many foreign languages. Which one was the most challenging to learn?
The most challenging for me was to learn Gagauz, despite being born and raised in Gagauzia. It wasn't until I entered the sports boarding school in fifth grade, where many kids were Gagauz, that I managed to learn it. It is much easier for me to learn a language when I am surrounded by native speakers.
– Does Gagauz belong to the Turkic group and is it similar to Turkish?
– It is about 70% similar to Turkish, but it is most similar to Azerbaijani.
– When you know one language, do others come easier?
Yes, especially if they are from the same language group, it is much easier. I speak Moldovan and Gagauz, but they are two different directions. When I performed in Germany, I quickly learned German. After that, English became a very easy language for me to learn.
– In the main fight of your tournament, Islam Makhachev will fight Dustin Poirier. No one believes in the victory of the American, but do you think he has any edge to defeat the Russian champion?
Poirier's only advantage is his boxing. If he can impose his style in the stand-up, he has a chance of landing heavy hits and causing trouble for Islam. But I believe Islam's professionalism will not allow him to do that. He will have seasoned veterans of the sport in his corner.
– Will the support of Khabib Nurmagomedov be an extra factor?
– Yes, he is here on site and has already joined the training.
– What do you think about the fight between two Russian heavyweights, Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich?
– An unexpected announcement, but let the strongest win. The main thing is to avoid serious injuries.
– You fought with Volkov. Is he capable of beating Pavlovich?
– He is.
Bet on MMA with 1xBet“I think it's a dirty business to mix politics with sport”
– Will you be following the Olympic wrestling tournament in Paris and rooting for any of the wrestlers?
– Of course, I will be following the Olympic tournament in Paris. Three girls and two classic wrestlers from Moldova will be competing there. Unfortunately, the freestylers did not qualify for the Olympics. Many of my acquaintances will also be competing there. I am familiar with almost everyone in the heavyweight division, where I used to compete. It will be a very interesting event for me.
In the heavyweight class where I competed myself, I personally know almost everyone. This will be a very interesting event for me.
– How big of a loss will it be for the tournament if one of the best modern wrestlers, Abdulrashid Sadulaev, is not allowed to participate?
This would be a big loss not only for the tournament, but for the community worldwide. I believe that mixing politics with sports is a dirty business, especially when it comes to the Olympics. Throughout history, the Olympics served as a way to reconcile all conflicts, but now it is being used as a means of manipulation. I think it is dirty.
- Which Russian wrestler do you admire in terms of wrestling technique?
- Zaurbek Sidakov. He's a great person. Of course, I watched his final match at the world championship with Kyle Dake. I know Zaur personally. I have been to their training camp in Vladikavkaz several times. He is a very friendly and chill guy. People like him inspire respect and admiration.
Despite all the greatness he has achieved on the mat, he is a calm and cheerful person off the mat. It is always nice to see such people.
