FEDOR
Do you want to collect all the belts in all major promotions?
-No. Unfortunately I learned that it's not possible to agree with every promoter. Pride now demands exclusive contract and wouldn't allow a fighter to perform anywhere else.
Is it true that you trained with Hoost?
-He was injured and only watched and gave me tips as I trained with his coach Vos for 3 weeks prior to Crocop. Vos also developed the game plan.
Did you see Liddell-Jackson?
-Not yet, I will soon, but now I'm in a training camp, we don't even have no cell phone reception here. I'm training a lot now.
How many push-ups can you do?
-I do very fast about 20, break and again another 20 etc. Pull-ups and chin-ups same thing, 30 or so, I mix it with jump-rope.
What motivates you to train?
-I train harder than anyone. that's all I think of and do really. I get in the ring and see what my opponent is all about and make adjustments from there.
You were in attendance with Sergei kharitonov at a mix fight event recently, did you talk?
-I met him in a lobby, I had no desire to talk to him, we said hello and went about our business.
Did you sign any contract yet?
-No. We are in talks with k1 and Pride. UFC is now the biggest promotion, but they are dictating their conditions to us, this is not acceptable to us, their contract is only about what THEY want and not what the fighters need.
Can you do a split?
-(laughs) No, I don't do splits. (laughs)
What happend to Semenov?
-He got star desease, doesn't want to train hard. I told Vadim: "Listen, nothing will come of this guy" I got no desire to work with someone who lets people down like this.
What do you do when you REALLY don't feel like training?
-(laughs) it happens very VERY rarely, but then i just do minimum. I'd suck it up and try and eventually get into the mood.
Training schedule?
-2x a day, grappling and stand-up, I also add GnP in the evening as 3rd training session. before fights I make traning shorter and faster, more speed. After fights I do light cross, no hard training so i can recover good.
What machines you use in gym?
-None. I also eat regular vitamins, Centrum, Vitrum, calcium stuff like that.
What you do in your free time? Any business?
-no business. I coach in Stari Oskol. I read, draw and spent time with family. My daughter is here now, I spent time with her too.
Michkov (Fedor's and Red Devil's boxing coach)
Why does fedor practice straight-line punches but does mostly big loops in actual fights?
-Fedor is very smart and skilled. He thinks when he strikes and actually those hooks are MORE powerful than straighs.
Is fedor a good student?
-He is. He never makes the same mistake 2x.
________
Voronov (Head Coach)
How would fedor fight Couture?
-No secret here. If they fight we'll be focusing on 3 things. Coutre's age, his grappling and his stand-up.
How about Gonzaga?
-We'd focus and try to beat Gonzaga on speed and hands in the stand-up, as well as tighten up Fedor's ground game. We would plan to beat all opponents very quickly and with minimum effort. No need to demonstrate some great skills or anything.
Do you use herbs? Natural remedies?
-Yes, We always use traditional medicine and herbs. We got old natural stuff at every meal in Kislovodsk.
___
Roman Zentsov:
Who is #2 Russian fighter?
-I don't know, but I do know who is #1
How is cage different from ring? Which do you prefer?
-Cage favors the wrestler, and mentally it's a bit harder because of that closed spave feel. I trained in bioth and fought in both, no big deal for me.
What is your goal?
-To make my country proud and to do my best.
Are you a challenger to fedor maybe?
-No. When I met fedor he was on another level, and he has grown since, he is always looking and improving. We are also friends. he is #1. I want to reach his level thou.
Tell us about your tatoos
-it's about coming back to our roots. It has nothing to do with racism. It's about pointing out how some are trying to enslave us and to devide us.
Did Fedor learn anything from you?
-When 2 people communicate always there will be exchange of knowledge I guess.
What music do you like?
-I listen to very broad range of music. now I like Classical actually.
Are there offers from UFC now?
-I think there were some to Vadim (manager) but UFC is too narrow and exclusive, so we didn't take those very seriously. I got a few Bodog fights, it's over now, so now we're in talks with Pride.
What you think of Yvel-Aleks?
-Aleks is really good. I don't know how Yvel is now, I hope he'll be in good form too, he was really good at one point. I pick Aleks to win.
Would you like to rematch AA?
-I don't think of it that way. I don't care who I fight. I do not have a desire to fight this guy or that guy, I just fight. If Andrei and I fight again in the future, so be it, I'll bring it.
Do you use machines in gym? fedor said we should ask YOU about it.
(laughs) -FEDOR! (laughs) Fedor said that?! well, in say... America they got all electronic stuff and computers, but here it's all a bit more simple. A bar for pull-ups and dips and that's about all we need .
Suloev
What happend with Denis Kang?
-I think my biggest mistake there was that I over-trained.
What are you goals? Will you fight all top fighters soon? Will you be a champ?
-Yes. I hope so. I'm training really hard, I'd love to fight all the top guys soon.
To younger members of Red Devil
What influence and role does fedor play on the team?
-fedor is someone we look up to. We are friends and also admirers of his talent and work ethic. We look up to him, he is the example of hos to train and fight.
Note: All of the above was originally posted on Sherdog forums by "BayAreaGuy".
with K-1s backing, Fedor will more than likely be heading there...
ttt!
thanks for the interview
Hopefully UFC will offer Fedor a fair contract. It would be a giant loss to MMA if Fedor is destined to fight cans for the remainder of his career.
i dont see fedor signing with ufc anytime soon unless he drops the non-exclusivity demand. we all know blaf will never budge on that.
"UFC is now the biggest promotion, but they are dictating their conditions to us, this is not acceptable to us, their contract is only about what THEY want and not what the fighters need."
"UFC is too narrow and exclusive, so we didn't take those very seriously. I got a few Bodog fights, it's over now, so now we're in talks with Pride."
doesn't talking to the UFC and talking to Pride mean talking to the same people nowadays...?
The UFC needs to make Fedor a great offer. He is the best and an exciting fighter. If you want to get the best, you have to pay top $.
Dana should just tell him "fine. go fight in K-1 youll never step foot in front of anyone worth your time ever again".
"I'd like to see the UFC's Contract offers VS. the demands of the unsigned guys."
obviously its not about money here. dana wants an exclusive contract, fedor doesnt.
and why is that?
yes, but thats only ufcs point of view. im assuming you are a regular fan and not someone who has something at stake on ufcs financial success. so i find it a bit odd that you would automatically look at it from that perspective.
i know why dana white wants exclusive contracts, you dont need to tell me that. i was asking why mma contracts should be exclusive from fans and fighters perspective, who make up 99,999999999999% of people involved with mma, not from the perspective of half a dozen guys trying to protect their financial interests.
but why are you looking at if from owners point of view when you are not the owner? it doesnt make any sense. i was assuming you were speaking for yourself(a fan) and not for dana when you said mma contracts should be exclusive. everyone understands why dana white wants exclusive contracts. theres no need to work as his mouthpiece.
this is also somewhat puzzling:
"You are supposed to protect the interests of the company you work for"
i dont know about you, but if i was a fighter i'd be looking to protect my own interests and not danas. based on the interview fedor seems to agree with me.
Fedor atleast wants to be able to compete in Russia to try and help the sport in his home country.
If UFC offered him a great contract I'm sure he wouldn't even want to compete somewhere else. We don't know exactly how much was offered to Fedor.
Bring Fedor into the UFC... They're already paying their top fighters over a couple hundred G's right... Lidell, Couture, Tito, etc.?
Start an Official: "Fedor into the UFC Petition"
As a fan i want to see Fedor fight the best. He most likely will not do that in K1 or Bodog
Sure if it was a non exclusive contract he could still do it and fight elsewhere. But what if he takes a fight inbetween a title shot and gets injured and it gets postponed