Blood&Sweat brings to your attention exclusive interview to the winner of the summer Grand Prix of Bellator in heavy weight Vitaly Minakov (12-0) in whom it shared impressions of fight with Ryan Martinez (10-3).
We congratulate on a victory, Vitaly. What feelings?
- I am glad that won, but this victory I treat critically. I am dissatisfied with that didn't turn out to make that is conceived. From first minute all body was poured by weight – couldn't but raise hands, normally move standing.
I heard that the commentator said that I badly breathe, but everything was at all so. I breathed well, but the body was numb. Only to the third round I began to feel well.
To me it is hard to say with what it was connected. Probably, I badly warmed up. Simply this time me it is very bad тейпировали. To me three times redressed hands, probably, qualification of that person wasn't high as he too strongly tightened that, didn't hold out that wasn't last time. As a result I didn't manage to warm up and, probably, didn't disperse adrenaline.
- Perhaps there were mistakes in preparation?
- I am happy with preparation. Before fight I felt percent on 90-95. I want to tell many thanks to Alexander Shlemenko who in many respects opened to me eyes, I taught the new. Also it changed my view of shock equipment.
On arrival home we will surely sort all duel, I will pass inspections to reveal possible problems in an organism. The matter is that to a duel my weight at first was 108 kg, then rose to 113, and then on weighing - in general 107 kg.
- There were problems with appetite?
- With it problems weren't. There were problems with food. The matter is that in the USA for the Russian person who got used to eat the first, the second and the third, is very heavy to find the necessary food. Around one sukhomyatka.
The Japanese small restaurant was the only place where it was possible to eat soup. There it was possible to find мисосуп. Well you know, such small portions, but even it was a holiday. There generally we also went to eat. But besides, food there the unusual. I will repeat, on arrival we will surely sort all reasons for which my condition in a duel worsened.
- And what from conceived it didn't turn out to make?
- Yes all. I wanted to work more as hands, to beat feet, knees, to fight. But the body was wadded, and I was in time nothing, except how to meet fists of the rival a forehead or the top. To someone could seem that it got me in blows, but it at all so. Blows at it strong, but more they are more similar to a push therefore I and flew away. Even now I don't feel that the head though cones were filled hurt.
- How it managed to transfer to orchestra seats a hook?
- My confusion in the first round affected. You understand, I prepared for 5 rounds of a duel. On all trainings I maintained 5 on 5, and here the such. When I felt that the body doesn't work as had to, began to think, fuss, and gave the chance to the opponent to use a situation. But the situation was not so dangerous. On the camera it isn't visible, but I at it disconnected at once one hand.
Nevertheless I am absolutely not happy with myself. I showed ugly fight. Besides, in the second round removed a point. It is good that in the third gathered and I could win.-
Now it is necessary title fight. Already planned preparation?
- Yes, at me even before fight with Martinez everything was planned. I know, where with whom when I will train how many before fight with Alexander Volkov.
Probably, it also played with me an evil joke. Understand, I underestimate nobody, but Martinez didn't constitute serious danger fight, shock equipment.
- You saw Koreshkov's fight with Askren?
- For Koreshkov it there was very serious fight as Askren has a wide experience, and he is a fighter. I think, at Andrey still ahead. It is still young, will draw the correct conclusions, and we will see many spectacular duels with its participation.
- What you will tell about Askren's tricks?
- I consider, it arrived ugly. Certainly, all want to warm up interest before fight, and all fighters understand it, but to do as it, means - to offend not only the fighter, but also his fans.
- The impression was made, what Askren did not usual passes, how all fighters in MMA?
- Askren worked, as the good fighter of freestyle. The matter is that even if the fighter of MMA does good takedowns, it doesn't mean yet that he is the good fighter. But also fighters who showed average results in fight, in a duel can neutralize advantage of pure fighters or drummers.
Askren, probably, works only in one component. It doesn't add in shock equipment, and does only that is able.
In MMA it is very important to combine fight and shock equipment. In this plan I like John Jones. It very well passes from one to another therefore so anybody and can't win against it. I plan to work also in this direction.
By the way, to support me together with my team, to Bath Hasikov and Kamil Gadzhiev, there arrived Andrey Arlovsky. Together with them we went to Greg Jackson's camp, looked there at training. There I got acquainted with Frank Mirom, Travis Brown. They too came to look at my fight, and later we communicated to them. It was very interesting.
- So, probably, for the following fight you will prepare at Greg Jackson?
- We talked to it about it. He even was glad to such offer. It is a good hall, good sparring partners, the good trainer. Personally it would be very interesting to me to be overcome with such eminent fighter, as Frank Mir.