Bas Rutten in GTA IV game

Bas Rutten has made an appearance in the GTA IV (Grand Theft Auto 4) game as a typical stupid and agressive fighter.

Actually everything began from Bas's self-defence video, which became an Internet phenomenon.
Game developers from Rockstar (the developer of GTA serie), decided to put Bas into the game. They wrote 90% of the text and Bas said he wasn't proud of it (or at least that's what I read between the lines). I would agree with his opinion - watching it was a waste of time and wasn't funny. I guess Bas Rutten isn't into games and didn't know that GTA IV has very good chances of becoming the most popular and best selling game in the entire history of the game industry...

Mirko CroCop Filipovic faces Jerome LeBanner in DREAM.4

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović will face Jerome LeBanner in his next fight in DREAM.4 on 15th June, 2008.

Jerome LeBanner is best known as a French professional kickboxer and K-1 superstar (73-14-1), famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power, but he also has experience in MMA (3-1-1) and Professional Boxing (4-0). Here is older video of Le Banner training in Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil.

Info on RussianMMA.com silence

Hello my friends! This site hasn't been updated for two weeks now and there was a very good reason for that, which I want to explain.

The thing is that I got into the fight against two guys. They wanted to steal a hamburger from one older woman (they wanted it so badly, that they inflicted bloody wounds to the woman!), but I didn't let them, after which they decided to fight me. Everything went quite well, I won and handed them over to police (it was even reported in a local newspaper and on radio), but they managed to hit me once to my nose. The nose bended and I had to go to the operation to correct it (it was so bad that doctors even had to put me to sleep). I won't describe how much pain this whole process caused nor will talk about any other details. I just want to apologize for the silence and say that I am back as the author of RussianMMA.com

Yamma Pit Fighting 1 results with videos

The results of the first Yamma Pit Fighting 1 event.

Sherdog has a pretty good reports about the event, so read them if you want some details.

• Yamma CEO Bob Meyrowitz discusses Yamma's first effort
• The overview of Yamma Pit Fighting event
• Minute by Minute: Yamma Pit Fighting

Alexey Oleinik won Sherman Pendergarst by the Submission (Ezekiel Choke) at the last minute of the first/last round. In the next round of the tournament, he lost to Chris Tuscherer in an Unanimous Decision. Ricco Rodriguez won his first fight against George Bush and lost the next one, to Travis Wiuff, who won the whole tournament.

The super (veteran) fights were interesting. Russian Oleg Taktarov won Mark Kerr by a Submission (Kneebar) in the first round at 1:55 mark.

Patrick Smith won Eric "Butterbean" Esch by winning the standing battle and then forcing Butterbean to the ground, from where he wasn't able to stand up.


I have mixed feelings about the first Yamma event. I really liked the new "fighting field" - I think it worked very well, doing exactly what it supposed to to. Yamma had also a few good fights, like the Taktarov's. The camera angles were also well done.

I know that some of you disagree, but I think that on the other hand, everything else was just plain bad! The vast majority of the fights were boring - almost all of them were won by using the LayAndPray style, familiar from fighters with the wrestling background. Because of the limit on total fight time put by the NJ comission, Yamma had to make the first two rounds of the tournament to consist of only one five-minute round. That's a very small amount of time and it made the majority of fights look like this: "One fighter takes another down and keeps him there, throwing some punches, but doing no real damage. Because of the L'n'P tactics, the fighter below can't really do anything. If the referee stands the fighters, the strategy continues one or two times until the end of the round. The L'n'P guy wins because of the activity". Boooooring!.. There also were too many glitches and unprofessional looking things - beginning from the awkward time delays and continuing to the people working on Yamma (I wanted to hurt commentators and to kill the announcer).

If you look at the entertainment value, the M-1 Challenge 2 Russia event was hundreds times better - almost all fights were very interesting to watch, unlike the Yamma Pit Fighting 1. I actually had to force myself to watch it and did it only because of the new surface. I hope Yamma 2 will be better than the first one. I truly hope so, because the Yamma surface is really something new and exciting!

dojotube.com has some interesting post-fight interview with the tournament champion, Bob Meyrowitz, Ricco Rodriguez, Referee Dan Miragliotta, Mark Coleman and others. Check it out!

Sports Illustrated: Fedor - The 8th Toughest Athlete

Sports Illustrated made a list of The 25 Toughest Athletes. Fedor Emelianenko was placed 8th, before the best boxer - Floyd Mayweather. This is

What makes him tough: Well, he's the toughest heavyweight in the world, and maybe the greatest heavyweight in mixed martial arts. Emelianenko, 31, is 27-1-1 in MMA and is a 10-time Sambo tournament champion, including four World Combat Sambo Championships. Ruthless Russian strongman Vladimir Putin shows up on occasion to watch him.


Defining moment: After a left hook tore a gash above his eye, the bloody Darth Fedor still needed only one round to beat Matt Lindland, the 2000 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling silver medalist, in the much-hyped "Clash of the Nations" last year in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Old school match: Joe Frazier, who also scared the bejesus out of opponents with his appetite for destruction.

Interestingly, Fedor wasn't the best MMA fighter in that list - it was Anderson Silva, who was placed third. According to the journal, the toughest athlete is golf player Tiger Woods.

Fedor Emelianenko carrying the Olympic torch, St. Petersburg

Just like previously reported, Fedor Emelianenko was one of the very few who were chosen to carry the Olympic torch when it came to the city of Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

Vadim Finkelstein interview Korean MFight News

Another great interview from Korean MFIGHT NEWS has been translated for us by the fellow RussianMMA.com reader , DH Han! Thank you for that (and for the previous translation as well)!

Question: Korean fans want to know what Fedor is up to. Is he currently a free agent? Has he completely severed business ties with Sibling Entertainment and other members of the American party?
Vadim Finkelstein: Fedor is with M-1 Russia and at the same time a free agent. We have completely parted ways with Sibling Entertainment. But Fedor hasn't parted ways with M-1 Russia. Fedor is officially under contract with M-1.

Question: What was the reason behind the split with the American side?
Vadim Finkelstein: We both had different things in our minds. Our visions were different, and the ways we conducted business were much too different.

Question: Can you elaborate on Fedor's current contractual status with M-1?
Vadim Finkelstein: I'm the current President of M-1 and have been Fedor's manager for five years since 2002. Fedor has signed a contract with M-1. Sibling Entertainment and other members of the American party were partners we invited to work with. We worked together on a joint project, but separated due to differences in opinion. But M-1 is still here. As of now we're just looking for different partners. M-1 has always been, and will always be here to stay. Fedor IS M-1. Fedor is an ambassador and representative of M-1.

Question: Will Fedor and M-1 continue to look to expand to the US?
Vadim Finkelstein: Fedor has been with M-1 from the beginning and has been a member for 8 years. The M-1 Global project, on which we hoped to collaborate with Sibling Entertainment, has been put on hold. But we plan to work on it again with another partner(s) from the US or Japan.

Question: From what we understand, you are in negotiations with several organizations. Can you tell us who you've talked to and how the talks are developing?
Vadim Finkelstein: Fedor will fight in the US(*depending on how you interpret this, this could either mean "Fedor will be fighting in the US", or "Fedor will fight in the US at least once, sooner or later") Our goal is to have Fedor fight the best fighter in the world. Whether that fighter is with the UFC or DREAM or wherever, we hope Fedor will fight the best, regardless of organization. We want to make cross-promotional matchups the way various organizations like the WBC, WBA, IBF do in pro boxing. M-1 hopes to be an organization that brings all fighters together. In order to do that, we will cooperate with organizations that are willing to work with us. We are an open promotion, not a closed one. Fedor is under contract with M-1, but is a free agent. Fedor doesn't fight exclusively for us. We can cooperate with other organizations and can make great matchups possible.

Question: What organizations have you been negotiating with?
Vadim Finkelstein: A lot of offers are being made by different organizations. Fedor will fight in the US or Japan.

Question: [Mirko] Crocop recently said that he anticipates a rematch with Fedor on New Year's Eve. Is a rematch a possibility?
Vadim Finkelstein: I think Mirko needs to regain his former powerful aura to be able to have a fight Fedor. Right now is not a very good time for a rematch between the two. I think Crocop needs to recover and up his game after two losses in the UFC. If he can go back to his former self, he'll be able to fight Fedor. But I don't think that is the case right now. But if the fans want it, we'll be willing to make it happen any time.
There are a lot of fighters challenging Fedor now. But I honestly don't know if fighting them would have much meaning. For example, Semmy Schilt, who's the best kickboxer in the world, lost to Fedor in 2002, and has hardly fought under MMA rules recently. I don't think challenging Fedor while having MMA rust means much. If the fight does happen, I think it'd end quickly.

Question: There've been numerous talks about the possibility of a bout against Randy Couture. Will the two fight as soon as Couture is released from his UFC contract?
Vadim Finkelstein: Randy Couture is the best opponent for Fedor. He has a similar style and has a good skill-set. The two can't fight right now because Couture is under contract with the UFC, but once the contract is up, it'd be possible. Fedor is also looking forward to fighting Couture.

Question: EliteXC has offered Fedor a contract. Was it satisfactory? How do things look?
Vadim Finkelstein: We're getting offers from several organizations. With the right contract, we could sign with any organization. There hasn't been a concrete offer yet. We've had experience with American organizations, but ended up parting ways due to having different visions. We are going to do our best not to make such mistakes. So far, there hasn't been a concrete offer aside from broadcasting-related matters. If they give us a concrete offer, we'll take a good look at it.

Question: Dana White doesn't think Fedor is the best. What are your thoughts on this?
Vadim Finkelstein: Dana White is the representative of America's largest organization. He claims to have the best fighters in his organization. I could see myself saying the same thing if I were in his situation.



Question: Some Korean fans are voicing their opinion that Fedor can't be regarded as the best because he hasn't fought much and hasn't faced good opponents recently. What do you think about this?
Vadim Finkelstein: The fighters Fedor has faced so far were all top ten fighters. He beat UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira twice, and also beat Heath Herring. If fans post an opponent on the Internet they'd like to see Fedor fight, we'll be willing to make it happen whoever it may be. Fedor wants to fight the best in the world any time. Hong-Man Choi has the strength to throw Fedor with one hand, but Fedor accepted. He fought three-time K-1 champion Semmy Schilt and won. Schilt is challenging Fedor again, but I don't think the fight would mean much. You'll understand if you see his record.

Question: Who would you say are Fedor's rivals?
Vadim Finkelstein: Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski are tough fighters. I heard Chuck Liddell called out Fedor. But there's too much of a weight difference. I believe Chuck challenged Fedor to hype himself to his fans.

Question: A lot of people in Korea are confused about M-1 and M-1 Global. Can you briefly tell us about M-1 Russia?
Vadim Finkelstein: M-1 and M-1 Global are part of one organization, but cover different things. M-1 Global is a project aiming to organize big events with other promotions. Fedor and other top fighters like Aleksander [Emelianenko] and Roman [Zentsov] will be participating in the M-1 Global project. M-1 Challenge is a new project being promoted by M-1. It had its first event on March 2 in the Netherlands, and will hold its second tournament on April 3 in St. Petersburg. You can watch it live on "mixfight.ru" for free. We are streaming free a live Internet broadcast to promote Mixfight. Korean fans will be able to watch it as well.
We need to find new talent. Not only young prospects, but also experienced veterans. There are 10 teams, and each team fights one another 4 times. The finals will be held at the end of the year, with one team winning it all. We plan on holding events on international venues including France, Russia, Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Canada, and the US. There will also be superfights with well-known fighters to increase the excitement of the events. M-1 is a very big organization and is working on various projects. Russia has M-1 Mixfight. It is a small tournament involving local Russian fighters.

Question: There's a legal battle involving a Korean TV commercial featuring Fedor. "Association D" and "company N" claimed that the commercial aired with the permission of you and Fedor. We would like to know your side of the story.
Vadim Finkelstein: We never gave permission to anybody. We only asked the president of "association D" to find sponsors who are willing to work with us. We only gave him the role of looking for sponsors. But we eventually found out that the man wasn't a trustworthy person. He didn't keep the faith so that's why we filed a lawsuit. The only thing we worked on together was holding an M-1 event once. We haven't done anything together besides that. I was doing an interview while they were filming the honey commercial and someone claiming to be a sponsor of the event took Fedor somewhere, handed him a bottle of honey, and filmed the commercial. Occasionally we allow photo taking and filming when sponsors intend to use them for personal purposes, but we never give them broadcasting rights. We never signed any contract. That's why we're going to court. If we did, we wouldn't be in this legal battle. This is being dealt with by VQ Holdings, which represent us in Korea. We have severed ties with "association D."

Question: The European market is continuing to grow. I'd imagine that M-1 is actively involved in targeting the European market. What do you think about the prospects of Europe in the future regarding MMA?
Vadim Finkelstein: The European market is very important to us. We are looking to hold an M-1 Challenge event in Poland, and after that, we hope to do a show in France at the largest venue with 15,000 seats in autumn. We are currently working on a contract that would allow Jerome LeBanner to participate in the event. It would be nice to have him in a superfight. This will surprise the French fans. MMA has been legalized in France two months ago.

Question: The UFC is looking to expand to Europe, starting with the UK and Germany. Competition with M-1 seems inevitable. What type of strategic edge do you think M-1 can have over the UFC?
Vadim Finkelstein: The UFC has done a lot for the development the sport of MMA. It is the first organization recognized for MMA. The most important thing is the reputation of an organization. We are doing our best for our reputation. Besides reputation, people want to se good, spectacular, and exciting fights. M-1 will give them such fights, and people will watch our events. Like boxing, there are various organizations in MMA and people have different tastes. That's why I don't think the UFC won't be able to monopolize the MMA market. The UFC and M-1 are in the same business. So we are going to have to cooperate at times. We both have champions in our organizations, and we want to organize fights to determine who the best fighters are. It means nothing to only claim who has the best fighters. This is our philosophy.

Question: It seems that there's a power shift from Japan to the US in the MMA scene. The popularity of the sport is ever increasing in other countries. What are your thoughts on the current trends in the global MMA scene? What do you see in 5 years?
Vadim Finkelstein: I don't believe the power is shifting from Japan to the US. But the US is bigger money-wise. That's because of the cultural differences between the US and Japan. American people buy PPVs (pay-per-view). So American organizations are better off financially. But they can't make spectacular "shows" the way Japan and Korea does. Asian people are more interested in MMA. They love it more and enjoy it more. I think MMA's popularity will continue to be higher in Korea and Japan than the US. But I do realize that the money is in the American market right now.
Fighters' games will improve in 5 years. MMA will increase in popularity in Europe and Russia, and events will be held in countries like India and China. I believe MMA will become a very popular sport in the future. People will embrace the sport, and the sport will produce stars big enough for people to pay to come see as we put on events like M-1 Challenge and other shows. The sport will continue to grow, especially in the next 5 years, during which I think it would grow several times bigger. MMA has not peaked yet. This is only the beginning.

Question: The UFC attaches great importance to exclusive contracts. But it looks like you have a different view regarding fighter management. What do you think is the ideal way to approach fighter management?
Vadim Finkelstein: There's nothing unusual about different organizations having different strategies and approaches to fighter management. But what I don't understand is why the UFC doesn't allow cross-promotional fights when we also have great fighters in our organization. We want to be able to exchange fighters and hold joint events. I think we could give the fans more excitement if we can match up champions from different organizations.

Question: What is the main goal of M-1? What kind of organization do you wish it can be?
Vadim Finkelstein: I hope M-1 gains international fame like in Russia. M-1 has a very good reputation and is respected in Russia. We once invited the President to one of our events. President Vladimir Putin visited and enjoyed the show. This says something about the image of our shows. It is the first time the President of a nation visited an MMA event. This had been unprecedented. The UFC, which is famous in the US, and Japan's DREAM haven't had the President or Prime Minister visit their shows.
Besides President Putin and Jean Claude Van Damme, very famous K-1 stars also came to our shows. The fact that these people came to our shows says a lot about our name recognition. My goal is to build M-1's international name recognition and reputation. We will always try our best to put together good fights. We are planning on holding an M-1 Challenge event in Korea as well sometime around winter.

Question: M-1's Korean operations are being supervised by In-Taek Jang of VQ Holdings. What kinds of business ventures do you plan on in Korea?
Vadim Finkelstein: We are doing a lot of things together with Mr. Jang. We hope the Korean fans will enjoy our M-1 Challenge shows when we come to Korea. We will work hard to make this event run smoothly. Mr. Jang will help us with it.

Question: You've been to Korea a couple times. What was your impression?
Vadim Finkelstein: I've been to Korea a few times. I really like Korea. The people are very comfortable to be with. They like drinking like us Russians. Fedor and I really like Kimchi. Russian people don't usually like hot foods but we like it very much. We own the most famous restaurant in town near the Neva River, and we had a Korean food week a month ago and it turned out to be a success. We invited a Korean cook who prepared Korean dishes and the guests enjoyed it so much we decided to include several Korean dishes on our menu. You can now order Korean dishes in our restaurant.

Question: Last question: Exactly when and who will Fedor fight?
Vadim Finkelstein: We're talking to a lot of organizations. I can't say for sure, but he'll fight in the US this spring or summer. As always, it's likely that he'll fight in Japan on New Year's Eve. It's not decided yet, but it will be against a top ten fighter for sure. There's not much information so I can't say much on this matter. We'll let MFight know once it's decided.

BodogFIGHT dying?

BodogFIGHT is dying? mmapayout.com reports

After losing a reputed $38 million last year, Bodog appears to be on its last legs according to a report in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Most of the company's employees have been let go, there are no events planned (although they are sponsoring some smaller events), there is no new TV deal, and a recently proposed small budget (with the idea of slowly rebuilding) by Jeff Osborne was turned down.

fiveouncesofpain.com has a golden comment

As a side note, if true this would be the second promotion in as many months to fold after having something to do with King Anti-Midas, Fedor Emelianenko and his elite management team. Whoever signs him next better sign Tsuyoshi Kosaka, so far the only known antibody for Emelianenkitis.

Interview with Aleksander Emelianenko

Interview with Aleksander Emelianenko. Interesting quotes:

What are your impressions from the event in Saint-Petersburg?
- I did not see all the fights, because when I fight, I try not to get distracted. I try to get focused and do some prelim exercises. I liked my fight. I came out and did what I had to do, and won. We will rewatch the fight with my coach, go through mistakes.

Is it plausible to compare the show with the likes of shows in Europe and America?
- Mixed martial arts is a young sport in Russia. Not one sport has gained such a popularity in such a short time. We already are filling the stadiums. On the other hand, we cannot organize everything as good yet. But we're trying. I think it will start working soon.

Your opponent was lower in class, it was noticeable. When will we be able to see you in a fight with someone who's considered to be one of the best in the world?
- I only found out who will be my opponent a week prior to the fight. Everyone refused to fight with me, he was the one who'd agreed. He is not weak, he's a good fighter, he had a lot of fights. It's just that I'm strong and train a lot. Today I am ready to fight with any top fighter, to prove that I'm the best!

Is it hard to recover after a loss?
- No. You just need to understand why you lost. And draw conclusions. It's not scary to come out for the next fight. I know that I'm the best. Let my opponents fear me. That's what they do anyway.

What are you upcoming plans?
- Today I will talk with a promoter, to try to negotiate a fight in Canada on May 10. I don't know an opponent yet. To win and to become the best in the world - those are my upcoming plans.

Where do you live and train now?
- In Saint-Petersburg. I don't know why they still announce that I'm from Stary Oskol, for my second fight already. I left that place a long time ago. Maybe because I don't have a permanent registration here. But I do have a temporary one. I rent an appartment in the center of the city. Valentina Matvienko (Saint Petersburg's governor) promised me to help with a place to live.

How did you come to the fighting sport?
- I started with Judo. At 16 years old I got a
Master of Sports in Judo title. In 1999 I won the Europian championship in sports sambo. Three times, in 2003, 2005 and 2006 I won the world championship in combat sambo. But I don't participate in those every year. It's more of a hobby for me. I fought so that I could get the titles of Master of the Sport. Sometimes I come to world championships to fight and my opponents quit. One of the championships I won without ever fighting. Didn't come out on the mat even once.

(...)

It's been a while since strongest fighters faced each other. Maybe, it's time to organize some unified tournament, where all the fighters in the world would compete, no matter which organization they're from?
- I would gladly participate in such a tournament. UFC (american mixed martial arts), for example, won't take me, because if they let me in there, I would beat everybody and take the belt to Russia. They don't want that. They want their own American champions. We alreayd beat everyone in Japan, even though no one bet on us.

Read the whole interview.

I don't know if I would agree with the latter opinion about the UFC... Aleksander is a very good fighter, but very few seems to want him in the USA. The rumor has it that it is because he is not allowed to fight in the USA - all because his time in prison. It's a rumor and nobody knows for sure. But interestingly enough, the next fight Aleks is talking about, will happen once again in Canada and not in the United States...

Fedor Emelianenko interviewed by Korean MFight News

Korean MFIGHT NEWS has posted an interview with Fedor Emelianenko. The reader of RussianMMA.com , DH Han, kindly translated it for us all. Thank you for that!

Q: You will be one of the carriers of the Olympic torch for the Beijing Olympics in St. Petersburg on April 5. How does it feel to represent Russia?
A: (Fedor Emelianenko):I feel very good. I was chosen as one of 5 carriers of the torch. I'm very happy and proud.
(Vadim Finkelstein): Many other famous Russian athletes will be carrying the torch including world champion boxer Nikolai Valuev.

Q: Do you know which course you'll be running and how long?
A: I don't know yet. There will be a meeting on this on April 3. I'll find out how long I'll be running then.

Q: It's said that you have to be quite famous in Russia to represent the country as the carrier of the Olympic torch. I know it'd be a little awkward for you to answer, but how popular are you in Russia? Do a lot of people recognize you?
A: A lot of people recognize me. People recognize me on the streets but some people just pass by thinking it's just someone who looks like me (laughs.) I sign a lot of autographs. I don't know any statistic regarding my popularity so it'd be hard to tell you exactly how popular I am.

Q: You once said that you respect Aleksander Karelin. How popular or influencial are you compared to him? People in Korea are curious about your popularity in Russia.
A: I respect Alexander Karelin but I don't think I can compare myself to him. We are in different fields. Aleksander Karelin is Aleksander Karelin, and I am myself. I just want to work hard on what's put in front of me.

Q: You held a seminar in early March in the Netherlands. How did it go?
A: We had a seminar in the Netherlands and a lot of famous fighters were there. There were a lot of people who became interested in the sport while working out at the gym. The seminar was held in a very warm and laid back atmosphere. I really enjoyed it.

Q: Remy Bonjasky, Ernesto Hoost, and Peter Aerts were there as guests. There's a photo circulating around of you putting on a submission on them. What did you guys talk about?
A: We always say hi and talk to each other when we meet. We asked each other how they were doing and talked about training together. They asked me to show them some submissions so I demonstrated some on them.

Q: A lot of fighters seem to be challenging you these days. Kimbo Slice, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Randy Couture are a few.
A: I fought Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira twice and beat him both times. I heard he became the UFC Champion. I'm not under contract with the UFC so I won't be able to fight him. Randy Couture is a very popular fighter who's very tough. I respect him very much and like him as a person. I think I'll have the opportunity to meet him again in the future.

Q: Who do you think would be the best opponent for you right now?
A: I don't think about such things. I am an athlete and I just fight. I just fight whoever is put in front of me. I don't think about who I want to fight in particular. I proved everything I had to to myself.

Q: You terminated your collaboration with Sibling Entertainment and Monte Cox. Is there still a possibility of a match against you and Randy Couture? If so, where will it likely be?
A: (Fedor):I trust my manager Vadim 100%. I agree with whatever he thinks and decides. If he thought severing the relationship between the American side was necessary, there was probably a valid reason for it. We've met with Randy's manager a few times. I think there's definitely a chance that we'd fight each other.
(Finkelstein): I think Randy Couture is the best opponent for Fedor. He has a good style and a good skillset. The fight won't be able to take place now because he's currently under contract with the UFC, but I think I could happen once his contract is up. Fedor also wants the fight to happen.

© MFight News Fedor Emelianenko and his Sambo coach, Vladimir Voronov

Q: UFC President Dana White recently said that you weren't the best in the world. What are your thoughts on this comment?
A: I think Dana White is just a very weird person. So I don't particularly care about what he says.

Q: What do you think about the UFC's policy of signing exclusive contracts? Will you be willing to fight under an exclusive contract if they offer you the right money?
A: The offers the UFC has given me so far weren't satisfactory. Like I said before, my manager knows more about these matters. But as far as I know the UFC hasn't given me a good offer.

Q: What are your thoughts on EliteXC?
A: As far as I know my manager Vadim is currently in negotiations with the UFC and EliteXC.

Q: Your most recent fight against Hong-Man Choi has been a major topic of interest in Korea. What do you think about Choi?
A: He's a very huge and interesting fighter. But I was able to beat him.

Q: The move Choi used to take you down was a ssireum (Korean traditional Martial Art) technique. How effective was it, in your opinion?
A: I don't think the effectiveness of a takedown is that important. In my opinion, the most important thing is the result of the fight. Choi took me down but didn't do that much damage. He only got the top position. The fact that I beat him using technique, is what is important.

Q: M-1 Challenge, which is using a "nation vs nation" format, will be held on April 3 in St. Petersburg. What opinions do you have on this event?
A: An event like this was necessary. Events that can scout promising young prospects are important. Events like this are also good for fighters like myself.

Q: Several Korean fighters will be participating in the event. Do you have any thoughts on them?
A: I'm afraid I don't as I haven't seen them fight.

Q: Team Russia will be facing Team Japan in M-1 Challenge. It's been said that you've been training with members of the Russian team. What kind of training did you do?
A: Some great trainers including Voronov Vladimir, Michkov Alexander, who built me up trained them. I just played the role of pointing out and correcting common mistakes the fighters tended to make. I trained with them a lot too. I'll probably play a role as trainer more and more from now. But as of now I'm training with them as a trainee. I believe Team Russia will win the battle against Team Japan.

Q: There is a lot of changes going on in MMA worldwide. The power is shifting from Japan to the US. How do you see the worldwide MMA scene in 5 years?
A: I think MMA will gain more recognition around the world. I think more people will tune in to the sport. MMA is a new sport and will only get bigger.

Q: Your second daughter was born last year. How do you spend time with your family when you are not training?
A: I take a lot of walks in forests and outdoors and talk to my daughter a lot. She smiles a lot. I spend time with my family whenever I have free time.

Q: Do you still draw pictures in your free time?
A: I do sometimes when I have the time. I draw a lot of pictures for my daughter.

Q: There have been rumors of you making a silver screen debut. Have you been working on your acting for it?
A: No, I'm not doing any acting practice (laughs.)

Q: Mirko Crocop has starred in a movie. Have you seen it by any chance? Although it flopped...
A: Sorry, I haven't seen Crocop's movie.

Q: Russians like to drink. You've probably tried soju in Korea. How much can you drink, in bottles of soju? (soju is a Korean alcoholic beverage with about 20% alcohol)
A: I did try Korean soju. But I don't drink to find out how much I can drink. I drink occasionally when I meet friends or have an important meeting. I don't drink to get drunk so I don't know how much I can take.

Q: You're known to enjoy theme parks around the world. Where have you been to, and what is your favorite?
A: My favorite place (in terms of theme parks) is Japan. This one rollercoaster in Japan was the most impressive one I've tried. It was great. There was a good ride in Korea too. I like going to theme parks.

Q: Do you have a goal for this year?
A: My goal is to train hard, get many fights, and not lose a single fight. Raising my daughter well is also an important goal. My goals are basically the same as always.