Fedor Emelianenko spoke with The No Holds Barred Show regarding a wide array of subjects. See what the world’s top heavyweight MMA fighter has to say about his last fight; his meeting with Randy Couture; and what M-1 Global can do for him.
Note: Special thanks go to Antonina Dzhomardova, who served as Emelianenko’s interpreter. Additionally, we would like to thank William Lamb from SFX for arranging the interview.
Jaime Martinez: Are there any plans to fight in the U.S.? If so, with whom are you talking and when would that be scheduled?
Fedor Emelianenko: We are planning on having two or three fights this year. The first is scheduled for April 11th, and I’m not sure who I’ll fight yet. It will either be Jeff Monson or Pedro Rizzo.
JM: There is a lot of controversy surrounding your last opponent, Hong Man Choi. Is that disappointing to you?
FE: My opponent was very big and strong for his weight and I am fully satisfied with how I did, and I am also glad my fans like it too.
JM: Do you feel as if M-1 can market you successfully in the U.S. despite knowing how well Zuffa has done with other fighters?
FE: Yes I’m confident in M-1 Global and I’m sure they will do this job; my management team is also confident. We trust them, and they are starting the process right now.
JM: If you do take other fights this year, do you feel as if this will maintain your level of readiness against Couture?
FE: I’m ready to fight Randy right now without either of the two planned fights coming up. I think Randy is experiencing some problems with his organization.
JM: What do you feel are Randy's greatest strengths?
FE: Randy is a good fighter. He feels the fights. He’s also very good at wrestling and punching while standing.
JM: What is typical fight preparation for you? Do you study opponents on film?
FE: I need only to see two to three minutes of my opponent’s fight footage in order to prepare a strategy for myself.
JM: How important is it to promote MMA in Russia?
FE: It’s very important for me. I want MMA to be as popular as it is here (the United States) and in Japan and in other countries.
JM: How long do you plan on fighting?
FE: I would like to stay as long as I can. It all depends on how I feel health-wise. I would like to stay longer.
JM: How difficult is it to be a fighter and having a young child? Do you worry about how she will perceive what you do?
FE: My family supports me all the way through. The only thing is that I travel too much and I have to go to different places. I miss them and cannot be with them as much as I want.
JM: You met with Randy Couture this week in Los Angeles. How did that go, and what - if anything - was discussed with him?
FE: This trip was mainly for commercial purposes. That is the purpose of our visit here. I did meet with Randy. We discussed a bit of everything. We mainly talked about our families, and I invited him to Russia. We talked about how he went to Russia once. He invited me to his house.
JM: Monte Cox has been helping with M-1 Global. How has your experience been like working with Monte?
FE: I don’t’ have any experience working with him. He’s in the M-1 Global team and my manager, but he works with him.
JM: Fedor, do you have any messages for your fans?
FE: Thank you for your supporting me. I will try to do my best so you will be happy with what I do in my career with my fights. I will try to win more often. I’ll be back in April and will see you all very soon.
source: thenhbshow.com
