Walker's UFC record, MMA Series-92 & Kolesnik vs Shaydulloev

Friends, hello everyone! You are watching a weekly discussion of the main news in the world of martial arts on the MMA-TV.COM portal. My name is Julia Mirei, and I am speaking with the director of the MMA Series, Fedor Ryzhov. Hello, Fedor.

Hello, Julia. Hello there.

Well then, let's now discuss the successes of our friend, the great Valter Walker. He managed to take the 14th spot in the UFC rankings after his triumphant 3rd appearance, where he impressively won with a well-executed heel hook submission. What's particularly interesting, in my opinion, is that he had promised his opponent beforehand that he would finish the fight exactly this way, and even arrived wearing a necklace made of human legs. But for some reason, his opponent still couldn't avoid this fate. What do you think, how did he manage to pull it off? Especially considering that in our series, he hadn't won with that move or even by submission at all. He hadn't won in our series, even though he did grapple. Before that, he only had one submission win in his entire career. How did he even manage to pull off that move?

Walter has been training him for quite a while now. And after making his UFC debut, when he was probably feeling a bit nervous and found himself in a pretty even and competitive fight, he ultimately ended up losing by the judges' decision. Following that, he started focusing much more on winning in style and making a strong impression. And what could be more unexpected and beautiful than that? More unexpected and, to be precise, even more interesting, is when an enormous heavyweight, in particular, wins with a heel hook. He won like that... Two fights in a row. And really, for the third fight, as you rightly said, he came in already wearing that necklace. Before the fight, he showed a short video demonstration where he was doing heel hooks. And at the weigh-in, everyone kept looking at his heel. He was even making some special videos. He was always focusing on that leg, everywhere, all the time, basically. And once again, he managed to win the match. I think it was a combination of uncertainty and hesitation from his opponent, not fully understanding what he was going to do next, and whether he would really go for that move. Moreover, since Walter was forced out of a very convenient position, a very convenient position for control and domination, it turns out that he lost his position, by and large. But, nevertheless, he managed to twist the heel of his opponent. Well, what's cool about heavyweight history is... unique. And, in fact, as an additional incentive, a bonus of a total sum of $50,000. This confirms it. And it's also absolutely a win for everyone who truly believed in Valter, that he would win by submission, and confidently placed their bets on him. That certainly confirms it too. Everyone, in a good mood, then went off to the local betting establishments... Well, not to the betting shops, since those don't exist anymore. They went to check their virtual wallets, which had recently been topped up with some extra money, each in their own way, according to their personal preferences and habits.

But Valter woke up unexpectedly famous this morning, suddenly in the spotlight, not because he pulled off a heel hook for the third time, but because he walked out to the track 'Mother Earth.' At the same time, after his previous win, he quoted Shaman, saying 'I'm Russian, I go all the way,' and according to him, he gained several thousand new Russian-speaking followers on social media after that. Now he took it a step further. I don't know if his wife Natalia suggested this move to him again, or if he came up with it himself. All the TV channels, all the media were just buzzing about the Russian Brazilian, and that's how he woke up famous. What do you think—is this really such a love for Russia, or is it both love and something else, because he really has been learning Russian for a long time and truly loves this country? And, after all, it's also about attracting the attention of the Russian-speaking audience. What's your opinion?

No, well, it's a combination of factors. It's true, Valter is originally from Brazil, but he came here and became a fighter right here. So the fact that in many... In most things, you know, he's authentically genuine, that's for sure. He's a pretty sincere guy by nature. He knows how to show gratitude, he knows the word 'thank you,' and he understands where he became who he is now. He's genuinely moving forward right here, in part thanks to the sparring partners he has. He's making his way confidently toward the top of the UFC heavyweight division. I think he's very sincere. And the song we get hyped to is really super exciting, incredibly energetic and fun. And everyone who knows, who hears and understands the lyrics of this song, well, it's basically... It lifts your spirits, because no matter what your nationality is, it's normal when a person is a resident of Russia and comes out to a track that's just... Russian in spirit. You can't really say we have a lot of friends right now. Mostly, everyone is just trying to take a jab, poke, or bite as hard as they can. And it's nice that someone who came from far away is doing more for the country than many people who actually represent Russia. In reality, they show no real interest in it at all. And by their whole overall attitude and general demeanor, they show that they're more interested in people in some other regions, rather than in their own country.

By the way, Valter will additionally be getting a Russian passport in the near future, so he really can be called, with all the full rights, a Russian Brazilian.

He's done much more for this, I repeat, than many who are, in fact, truly Russians de facto, indeed.

I agree.

De jure, actually, de jure.

And still, in the context of all this international hate, that's quite a statement. It's really quite encouraging, you know, it's always good, honestly, when people don't like you.

A lot of people actually concentrate more effectively on fights, because when you're disliked, you really get an extra drive to prove yourself, I guess. I, for example, totally get that. For me, too, it's always been more pleasant... ...to act in any direction when you don't have that much support, because when a lot of people support you, you feel a bigger sense of responsibility, and it weighs on you. But when people are against you, on the contrary, you actually, in fact, really get a kick out of it, you find yourself truly enjoying it... ...those people, those few who support you—you know they're there for you, but right now you can't hear or see them. Those are the people you want to make happy, the ones you can't hear or see, but you know they're out there. I think that's really what it's about.

So, joining us now is the distinguished chief editor of the MMA-TV.COM portal, Mikhail Shinkarev. Misha, hi.

Hello! We are glad to warmly welcome you to our portal today.

Hi, Mikhail!

Hi there, everyone.

Let's talk about Bogdan Guskov, who's ranked 10th in the UFC light heavyweight division. Bogdan has had 5 fights in the UFC and hasn't faced any problems, except that Volkan Oezdemir didn't let him have a spectacular debut. And recently, the leader in the light heavyweight division changed—Magomed Ankalaev took over, and now even Chimaev, who literally just won the belt, is saying that after a few more fights, he plans to move up to this division as well. What do you think, friends? Does Bogdan have a chance to reach the podium in this highly competitive lineup of skilled fighters, where every match is expected to be intense? I really hope he can do it and show his best performance.

Bogdan has all the qualities needed for that. He trains very well. He always approaches his opponents with precision and discipline. And he takes the training process seriously. Many people thought, for example, before his last fight with Nikita Krylov, that Krylov would try to outwrestle him. And that it was Krylov's mistake to try to trade blows with him. Because with Bogdan, that's very difficult, unwise, and not the right approach. He strikes with great precision. His punches are accurate and sharp. But I should point out that Bogdan has such strong wrestling sparring partners at Guskov's gym that, let's just say, it's going to be very hard to surprise him in that aspect as well. So... We'll see how it goes, of course. Ankalaev is, without a doubt, a high-level person, a high-level fighter. But first of all, you still have to get to Ankalaev. And secondly, we'll see, in due course, how things play out by the time Bogdan reaches a certain, specific level in his career. And we'll see exactly who his opponents will be in his upcoming, future fights. And how he'll be able to show and prove himself now in fights against those particular opponents who will try to exploit what seem to be his weaknesses or perceived shortcomings. This will be a true test of his abilities as he faces these challenges head-on.

Misha, if you don’t mind me asking, what do you think, perhaps about this?

I'd just like to take a moment to point out that Bogdan Guskov has already achieved something truly unique in his field. Specifically, there has never been a fighter from Uzbekistan in the top 10 of the light heavyweight division before. So... Bogdan has everything he needs to continue his professional career successfully. He has a strong team, the necessary skills, and plenty of self-confidence. The main thing is for him to keep all of that with him. He can achieve the highest possible results.

I agree. Bogdan really and truly feels the strong support and encouragement from both the Uzbek and Russian fans. I hope that... His future path will be lined with defeated athletes. He's a kind and fair person, but in the ring, he doesn't give anyone a break. If someone hesitates for even a second with him, if someone gets distracted for just a moment, I don't know, or makes some kind of mistake, he will immediately take advantage of that mistake and can punish his opponent very harshly, especially considering his strengths—those precise and powerful punches. Well, actually, it's more about the precision here. Here, it's more about timing, because you can't really say he has some kind of knockout punch, you know, like Ngannou, for example, who can just swing in the general direction of something, right, hit someone in the shoulder, and break a person's leg. No, Bogdan is more about careful precision, about landing clean, precise shots to the jaw, to certain spots in particular that prevent his opponent from gathering themselves, that don't let them continue the fight properly.

By the way, friends, while we're at it, let me mention that on our social media, Fedor Ryzhov gives predictions for various fights. And he did a great breakdown of the fight with Bogdan Guskov. So make sure to follow our social media and keep up with the predictions. Let's go!

Bogdan and Valter are our fighters who came out of the MMA Series. It's not just twice as nice, it's a hundred times more enjoyable for us to talk about the success of these guys, because Bogdan literally stepped straight out of the MMA Series, and Valter almost directly came from the MMA Series as well. We see it and show it to people, and I think people see it too, obviously, because everyone has eyes. Ears too, but if someone doesn't have them, well, as they say, that's their problem. Everyone understands that fighters of this really high level have actually competed and are still competing in my series, and you can see that right now. When you just turn on the TV and watch the league that is currently the number one league, as you can clearly see, you see how these same guys, who used to dominate somewhere else... Somewhere here, yeah, with someone, they also take down top fighters who are considered world-class fighters.

But when a new athlete steps into the octagon, can you, with your considerable experience, already predict what their future will be like , both in their career and in the sport overall? When you talk to them, see how they train, and how they move from one opponent to the next. Could you have predicted that these two guys would rise up?

No, No, of course not, because in this case, I had just seen Valter and Bogdan in training, and there you could talk about something. But talking about something when you see some fighters now is quite challenging, because it really depends on a huge number of factors that actually determine a fighter's future success. It ranges from the coaching staff to what's going on in a person's head. There are probably a lot of fighters who are even more talented, so to speak, than Valter. Walker, yes, but because they ultimately build their careers the wrong way, do something wrong in their lives, listen to the wrong people, such as bad influences, or go down the wrong path. What happens is what happens, and they don't reach where they could have gotten.

"Yes, that's absolutely right. These days, it's not enough to just have skills

Alright, well, let's move on to another league then, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and the victory of our friend, our esteemed graduate, Oleg Popov. A hard-fought and well-deserved victory in the PFL heavyweight Grand Prix final, which took place and was secured on August twenty second. And when I personally watched their intense and dramatic face-offs, both times they happened, I was really, genuinely worried for Oleg and his chances. Did you also get the strong feeling that Romanov is a very tough, unpredictable, and dangerous opponent, even though, in my opinion, he doesn't really look all that athletic or physically imposing compared to Oleg? Still, it was kind of uncomfortable and even a bit nerve-wracking to watch their face-offs unfold. Did you expect the outcome that actually happened, or were you surprised by how things turned out in the end?

I think it was hard to expect that kind of outcome. Honestly, it was just really hard to figure out what would happen here. Oleg and I had a discussion before the fight. I shared some helpful ideas that I thought were good, about where it would be useful for him to train before fighting Roman. In the end, I can't really say where he actually trained, because I... I didn't bother him with questions before the fight, you know, I understood that it was important for him to focus and concentrate on the most important thing at that moment—the fight, which was supposed to bring him what he didn't get last year. So, it's hard to say in this case. As for the fight itself, honestly, it left me with mixed feelings, because of course, I congratulate Oleg on his victory—that's awesome—and we support Oleg, we root for him, and we always wish him the best. I really hope he gets paid properly and can do normal things, not just scrape by for his family. But naturally, the fight raised some questions, because when you face someone like Romanov, who doesn't let himself get taken down and instead pulls you into a Greco-Roman wrestling style that suits him, let's put it that way, then Oleg doesn't have that many trump cards left in his hand. And the fact that he managed only one takedown, and even then Romanov got back up quickly, shows that Oleg really needs to diversify his overall game plan and also his approach to the fight itself, making it much more varied and unpredictable, and he should try to threaten his opponent in a variety of other ways, not just relying solely on takedowns. Because, you know, it's good that the judges decided the outcome in this way, and honestly, it was fair and reasonable. But in this sport, anything can happen at any moment. In the fight, for example, Romanov was sure he was going to win. And likewise, the judges could have unexpectedly seen things differently. When it comes to a split decision, it means everything is very slippery and particularly delicate. That's why, in my opinion, Oleg really needs to expand his training base and improve his skills. Especially since there are places where he can do that.

I absolutely and completely agree. Just imagine for a moment if Oleg Popov, who is already known throughout Russia for having the strongest and most impressive wrestling abilities, not only possessed this remarkable skill, but also added powerful striking to that. I mean, when he really—I'll agree with Fedor here—believes in his punch, in his striking ability, he’s got the strength, the raw physical power, he just needs to focus on it, work on it, and then he’ll be an absolute machine. It's honestly scary to imagine what he could do in the cage if you add that striking power, that devastating knockout punch, to his already impressive skill set. As for the final itself, yeah, it... A split decision from the judges speaks for itself. Let’s not forget that Oleg himself has pointed out that PFL doesn’t really like him because he doesn’t put on exciting enough fights. And he made it to the Grand Prix for the second time. So, basically, he stepped in as a replacement twice. Originally, a different fighter was supposed to compete. In this sense, luck was on his side. He came in as a replacement, made it to the final, and won. But again, there are various nuances that have already been pointed out. Maybe, perhaps if he works on his striking abilities, the fights will be more exciting, and PFL will like him more, so to speak.

In the last interview I did with Oleg before the fight, as you may recall, he mentioned that he would like to participate in the MMA Series again someday, or perhaps even more than once in the future. Fedor, what do you think—are there currently any opponents in our league right now who could actually give Oleg some real, genuine competition? And who are they? We have Kharitonov, Vezhenko, Dyakonov—who seems to have retired, but at the same time, maybe not. What do you think, What kind of fight would it be?

Oleg would gladly face all of these fighters, no problem. And to some extent, he’d probably be considered the favorite in each of those matchups. It would be a really interesting and compelling fight— I’d definitely be up for it myself. If Francimar came back to the league, I’d certainly want to set up a fight right here. Because they’re both similar fighters. And that would be a really tough match. I think in all the other fights, he’s definitely the favorite. On the other hand, would he be able to take Vezhenko down, or... I don’t know, Levizhenko probably wouldn’t let that happen. That’s a question too. So right now, Oleg needs to pay close attention, at this moment, not on... Obviously, MMA Series can’t offer him the same opportunities that PFL is giving him now. I think Oleg needs to focus on his personal and professional growth in this organization right now, at this particular point in time. But, God willing, everything will work out for the best. We’ll get back to talking about MMA Series when the time comes.

Alright then. And you haven’t really called him since then, right, after he... Let me get this straight.

Right after the fight, we called, I congratulated him on the win, and that was it. He asked me to comment on the fight, but I replied that there’s really nothing to discuss yet at this point, let him rest for now, and we’ll talk about it later when he’s ready. I haven’t shared my opinion about the fight yet, so that’s how it is for now.

So maybe next week we’ll get in touch, and perhaps you can tell us how he’s feeling. Well then, I have one big final question left. Everyone’s waiting, everyone’s holding their breath. When is the next upcoming MMA Series tournament scheduled to take place? Are there any comments regarding that event yet—maybe some possible fights, dates, locations, or even Fedor?

Let me put it this way: there will be a lot of great and exciting matchups. We’re just waiting for the final date. And all the fights that are coming up—they’re all going to be a treat. Because almost all of them will be very competitive. There are some really interesting fighters who have wanted to face each other. And now they’ll finally get the chance. So we’re just waiting for the specific dates. But we’ll find out about that literally in a couple of days.

At the very least, we can say it’ll most likely be happening somewhere around September or October.

Most likely, it’ll be at the very end of September. The exact time is being finalized right now.

We’re looking forward to it, because right now only the December tournament has been announced. People are asking, they’re interested. If we actually get a tournament in the fall, that would really be great, honestly.

Everything will be fine, we’ll get everything we want.

We’re waiting for the fall tournament. Alright, friends, thank you so much.

Same here, we’re waiting too. Thank you, Yulya and Misha. Let’s stay in touch, see you soon. We’ll have something to discuss soon.

Bye, take care.