Assu Almabayev, a promising Kazakhstani flyweight fighter, will have his second fight in the octagon March 10 at UFC 299 in Las Vegas. His opponent is American CJ Vergara.
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In an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, Almabayev said:
- how useful it is to train in the U.S. away from home;
- how he knocked out an opponent's tooth in his first training session;
- how beneficial training camps in Ossetia are;
- when Shavkat Rakhmonov will become UFC champion;
- the experience of participating in a reality show;
- who is the best fighter in the history of the flyweight division.
"We're preparing in the States so we don't get distracted by birthdays and weddings"
- How do you feel before the fight?
- Great. We're finally going to fight. We've been preparing for this for a long time, so I feel amazing.
- After the victory in the debut fight in UFC you were given a lavish welcome in Kazakhstan. What were your impressions of this meeting?
- It was fantastic. Kazakhstan always welcomes its athletes this way, not just me. They would welcome amateur fighters, tennis players, football players and other athletes the same way.
- Your colleague Arman Ospanov disapproved of such events and said that they bother the fighters. What do you think about his words?
- It's okay. We accept the attitude of any person who wants to guide us to the right path.
- Can you handle these emotions and train without being distracted by the attention of the public?
- That's why we try to train in the States, away from home, so we aren't distracted by any birthdays and weddings. Even when we are in Almaty, we do not let ourselves go, keeping in mind the date of the fight. We are not 20-25 years old anymore and we have gone through it all, through all the ups and downs.
- Famous promoter Kamil Gadzhiev said that you can become an MMA legend in Kazakhstan. What do you think about his words?
- I'm not trying to be a legend. My goal is to continue being a good man and a good Muslim, to fight well, to win and to raise the flag of Kazakhstan on the international arenas.
"I knocked out my opponent's tooth at the first training session"
- The first sport you came to is kurash wrestling. How is it different from other types of wrestling and is it a good base for MMA for you?
I remember it like it was yesterday. I had a lot of street fights as a kid. I was little in third and fourth grade, and my father's brother, who still lives in our native aul, came up and said that I was fighting all the time, but the Kazakh Kuresi wrestling club opened up. This is our national sport, and he suggested that I go there and train there. When I got there, there was nothing there. Just a floor and I was matched up with a guy to try it out. I thought he wanted to fight me and immediately knocked his tooth out. It turned out you couldn't punch there and you just had to wrestle. That's when my mixed martial arts potential showed up.
- How would you assess the level of Brave league, where you competed before the UFC?
- It still can't be compared to the UFC, but it's a very good organization for the CIS and Europe. Many good fighters who are competing in the UFC came from there. Khamzat Chimaev was there, Amir Albazi from my weight, Muhammad Mokaev was there too, Ilia Topuria fought there. You can tell that this is a very good league by such good fighters. I had four fights there.
- Your next opponent is CJ Vergara, who is known to be a good puncher. How would you rate him and how well does his style suit you?
- He's a very good fighter who is always pushing forward and won't miss any little chance. He is also good functionally and he doesn't get tired. We will find the keys to any opponent and make sure my hand is raised in the end. That's the reason why we train and grind so much.
- What did training in the USA teach you?
- To miss home (laughs). We miss our home country, but the training process is very well organized here. As I said earlier, there are no distractions, there are no unnecessary activities. Of course, you can find entertainment anywhere if you want, be it in Almaty or Miami. It depends on the person and their goals. We had good training and a nice friendly camp.
"Every time I train, my skills improve"
- How can you relax in America without interfering with your training regimen?
- We relax in a Russian bathhouse on Saturdays here. It is located on the ocean shore, and we go there regularly. We can go out to eat and have some sweets before the weight cut, but we don't let ourselves go.
- In one of the videos from the Kill Cliff gym you demonstrated your boxing skills. Have you improved your striking there much?
- We'll see it in the fight. I think with every day and every training session my skills improve. There is always something to learn in wrestling, stand-up and sparring. So we are growing.
- You came to Ossetia to practice wrestling. It is not as popular as Dagestan, but the school there is also top-ranked. What skills did you learn there?
- I have been there twice, and working under the guidance of our coach Eduard Bazrov was truly effective. He helps us with freestyle wrestling, medication and physical training. All of these areas are controlled by one person. He suggested us to try to go to Ossetia and now before every training camp we will try to train there, because in Ossetia there are mountains, clean air and high-class wrestlers. I didn't even wrestle the best athletes there, but I even average wrestlers were good enough for me.
Bet on MMA with 1xBet"By the end of the year Rakhmonov will make us happy by getting the belt"
- When will Kazakhstan get its first UFC champion? Will it be Shavkat Rakhmonov?
- Very soon. Shavkat has been ready for the UFC belt for a while. I think later this year, Shavkat will make us happy by getting the belt, it will be a historic moment. He is making history and paving the way for Kazakhstani MMA. The world is watching Shavkat and he will show that Kazakhstan has fighters of a good level, who can make spectacular fights and reach the belt.
- There were talks about a UFC tournament in Kazakhstan even before the pandemic, but then the promotion reduced the number of away tournaments. How popular could this event be in your country?
- Our fans are waiting for it. Kazakhstan has a very powerful fan base, and this tournament will be viewed not only in our country. We watch all UFC tournaments, despite the time difference, but if they make Shavkat fight for the belt in Kazakhstan, it will be two or three times more awesome.
- You participated in the reality show Dala Battle. What was it like and what other reality shows would you like to take part in?
- If there is time, I might do it. Dala Battle is a national sports competition, they even have children there now. There they practice archery, horseback riding and other national games that have already been forgotten. I did very well there. I am ready to take part in shows that aim to teach something good and related to sport. I can participate in such events if I have time.
- Can this show be called a competition for real men?
- Yes.
"Mokaev's victory will go down in history, and it doesn't matter what kind of fight he showed"
- Is there less competition and a shorter path to the title in the flyweight division than in other UFC divisions?
- I don't know, time will tell. We will be set to reach the top, take the belt, make myself and my family and country happy. Everything I do is for my family, my kids and the country, which expects even more from us than we want from ourselves, so we'll be totally focused on it. An athlete does not have a long career, and in three or four years, if my health allows, we will do everything to achieve this goal. Like my coach says, it's worth working hard for. No one else will go into the octagon and fight for myself, just me.
- What was your opinion about Muhammad Mokaev's latest fight?
- Only the name of the winner stays in history, and it doesn't matter what kind of fight they showed. In a week it will all be forgotten, and what he won will forever stay in the records and history. He got his hand raised, and after watching his fight, he will decide for himself what were his weaknesses and strengths, and he will show even better results with the help of his management and the team.
- Who is the greatest fighter in the history of the division to you, Demetrious Johnson or Henry Cejudo?
- I think Demetrious Johnson, who has defended his title 11 times. He's more versatile. But you can't just leave Henry out either because he's an Olympic champion. This is a title that Demetrious doesn't have. They're both good fighters who have made history at flyweight.
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