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

Hello everyone. You're watching the weekly discussion of the main news in the world of martial arts on the MMA-TV.com portal. My name is Yulia Mirey, and joining me is the director of the MMA Series, Fedor Ryzhov.

Hi there, it is nice to see you.

Well, of course, the main news is— it's the upcoming tournament—on October eleventh, the long-awaited autumn MMA Series ninety two tournament will take place at the International Sambo Center in Luzhniki. Stepping into the cage will be the league's standout competitor, Sergey Bobryshev, and his opponent will be the accomplished bronze belt champion and third-ranked veteran of MMA from Brazil, Arimarsel Santos. The fight will take place in an unusual two-round format. Fedor, what kind of format will this be? Could you please tell us about it?

First of all, I want to mention that the International Sambo Center is, in fact, practically door-to-door with the International Boxing Center, which is the very place where our tournaments have already been held for spectators to see and enjoy. So, it's very close by and easy to find. We are exploring different formats and the bout between Arimarsel Santos and Sergey Bobryshev will be held under the rules of Complex Martial Arts, which is a recognized sport. In that discipline, the first round is striking, and the second round is grappling. Here, for us, the first round will be grappling, and the second round will be stand-up fighting. So, that's the approach we've decided to take—to try it out and see what comes of it. Arimarsel Santos, as usual, is naturally strong on the ground. He is, after all, a highly experienced veteran in this sport. And we certainly understand that Sergey is considered the clear favorite in this particular bout. But we're interested in trying this out specifically with... our two veterans from the MMA Series, Sergey Bobryshev and Arimarsel Santos, to see how this new format works out. We'll see what comes of it. This is a trial run.

And if, in the first round, the one held under grappling rules, for example, if one of them actually manages to execute a submission, will the fight be immediately stopped, or will it continue into the next round as usual?

After two rounds, of course, there are really no issues or problems here. So, a person can definitely win the first round, for example, based on the pre-fight predictions, Arimarsel could theoretically submit his opponent, Again, that's just in theory, because many people underestimate Bobryshev's wrestling and grappling skills. Everyone is used to seeing him as a ruthless striker, but in reality, I think he'll actually be able to showcase his jiu-jitsu and grappling skills in this fight. he's a well-rounded fighter, and I think he might even surprise us. He might not actually win, at least, but I think Sergey will definitely be able to do something truly unexpected. That's exactly what he always relies on. His unpredictability. So, in any case, there will be a second round, after which the overall results will be announced. It could end in a draw, of course. Naturally, a draw is possible. There, let's say... one round goes to Arimarsel by decision, one goes to Bobryshev. That would be a draw.

These are such remarkably different fighters, and it's so interesting and fascinating to test them in their two distinct and unique forms, which are vividly and clearly expressed in this exciting clash of styles.

Yes, that's absolutely right and true. Well, I hope everything will work out without any serious damage. But of course, it will still be a bone-crushing fight, because Arimarsel doesn't know what it means to Giving up, let's put it this way, Bobryshev, as we know for sure, never gives up. So, this is definitely going to be a memorable and remarkable event.

Let's move on to the main fight: Andryushko versus Cardoso. Dmitry Andryushko versus Thiago Cardoso, a heavyweight rematch between two powerful fighters. They fought here two years ago, and back then, the judges couldn't determine a winner. That result didn't satisfy either of them. Andryushko still believes it was a judging mistake, that at the moment when Thiago supposedly, as he sees it, was knocked down, his mouthguard flew out, the referee unfairly stopped the fight and allowed him to put the mouthguard back in. And he wants a rematch. I think both guys have become more technical during this time. How do you think this upcoming fight will be different from the previous one, considering the greater fighting experience they've both gained over time?

"Dmitry Andryushko and Thiago Cardoso. The first fight was certainly very memorable. That's definitely true. In my honest opinion, I would say that Dmitry has actually improved even more since that fight. He started taking his training more seriously and attentively. He stopped accepting offers solely for the money, so to speak, when he was put up against some kickboxing monsters. He started focusing more on his own career. Not on the financial side, but on his career. Something like that. Thiago, on the other hand, has slipped a little. We'll see, maybe getting married will get him back on track. Because, of course, the Thiago who could fight at a truly monstrous pace for a heavyweight, constantly moving forward, always pushing, kicking, wrestling, and throwing elbows—the Thiago we saw before the fight with Kharitonov—that's the Thiago we'd really like to see return to the cage. Especially since, for a heavyweight, he's still at a very good age, physically and competitively. So you can't really call him an old fighter, or say that he's past his prime. He still has everything ahead of him. I think he can definitely continue to compete at a high level for quite a significant period of time. Well, in general, that's actually exactly what we're going to see. And plus, there's the rematch as well. I have to disagree a little bit, maybe, with Dmitry. There were a lot of controversial moments there. That's where Dmitry coined Walter's phrase, which he often uses in the MMA Series: ""Extra round!"" It was actually the very first time that he had ever suggested it. Ruslan Andryushko, in turn, responded by saying, ""This isn't pop-MMA, and we are certainly not going to agree to any so-called 'extra rounds.'"" And that, of course, as well... In the end, everyone got exactly what they were meant to get, as things turned out. As for what will happen in the rematch, we'll find out on October 11th. I hope that we will be able to get a clear and definitive answer. If this fight turns out to be even, with both fighters performing at a similar level, it's important to remember that Thiago already has a trilogy under his belt. Maybe, just maybe, we'll see, and it might actually be possible to lock in a trilogy for him once again. But if, of course, the fight turns out to be one-sided in someone's favor, then probably..."

We won't be coming back to this question anymore. Mikhail Shinkaryov, the chief editor of our portal, has now joined us. Misha, at the moment, we're currently discussing the rematch between Dmitry Andryushko and Thiago Cardoso. What do you think, in your opinion, who will be the favorite in this fight?

Hello everyone, dear friends. Well, for me, Andryushko is a slight favorite. His recent winning streak speaks for itself. That's it. He has a bit more of a chance, but we'll see. Cardoso has always known just how to surprise. You can truly expect almost anything from him. Whether it's some kind of clever submission or an unexpected, powerful strike, he always keeps everyone guessing. So this is a very interesting rematch. And of course, it deserves to be the main event of the upcoming tournament.

Let's talk about another fight. The rising star of the league, representing the Druzhina club, Andrey Vasilenko, will step into the cage to face Kazakhstan's representative, Beksultan Tursynov. For Andrey, this will be his second appearance in the MMA Series octagon. In his first, he pulled off a spectacular chokehold in the first round against Mikhail Bondar. Beksultan has also entered our cage once, but with less success. He lost after three full rounds to the tournament leader, Dmitry Mikhailidi. And for him, this will be a chance to redeem himself and bounce back from his defeat. Fedor, what are you expecting from this fight?

I hope this will be a longer fight, because both I and the viewers didn't get a chance to see Vasilenko's strengths. As for his opponent, he had a tough rival in Dmitry Mikhailidi, who can make things uncomfortable for you throughout the entire fight. He has good endurance, he constantly puts on pressure and wrestles. He tends to make things quite unpleasant for you. That’s exactly why I want to get a really good look at both of the fighters. I sincerely hope we’ll be able to do that, to see how the guys actually perform in the ring. Maybe we’ll see some stand-up fighting. That’s what I’d really like to see. Whether we’ll actually see it or not, we’ll find out during the fight itself. I’ll also add that in another fight, Palchikov will be facing Mikhaillidi. Maybe that bout will eventually lead us to something interesting in December.

So, did I understand you correctly that you mean, based on the results of these two fights, the people who...

I'll still say it the way I said it. Anything is possible based on the results of these two fights.

Okay. Misha, what are your predictions for these two fights? What would you be interested to see, what would you like to watch among these four guys?

I agree with Fedor. I'd like to see Vasilenko over a longer distance, because his victory was extraordinarily swift—almost lightning-fast. Tursynov went all three rounds with Mikhaillidi. We've seen him, we understand his capabilities. He's also a notoriously unpleasant opponent to face. Very tough, incredibly formidable, and extremely challenging. I'll say one thing. There's still no champion in the lightweight division. Accordingly, based on the results of these fights, as Fedor said, we'll be able to draw certain conclusions, and as a result, we might get a title fight in the lightweight division, which is fantastic news, because there are some really interesting guys in the lightweight division, and Vasilenko is a prime example. He knows how to work in front of the camera, In terms of fighting skills, everything is clear—he's definitely a fighter of a good level. At the same time, he never forgets just how important it truly is to keep the audience genuinely interested and engaged in his fights, to really hype up and build anticipation for the matches. And with Vasilenko, at this very moment—we don't know what will happen next—but right now, we've got a truly interesting and very promising fighter, whose ambitions are absolutely sky-high, reaching even higher with every match. We'll see how it all turns out in actual practice. In any case, it's certainly an intriguing and fascinating matchup that will undoubtedly be a highlight of the upcoming tournament. I can't really make any specific predictions at this point. We'll just watch and carefully observe what happens here.

Let's discuss for a moment a bit more about the upcoming tournament. Fedor, Mikhail, which other fights would you like to highlight?

We'll have some guys fighting, for example, an exciting match between the fighters Kuzmin versus Kuzmich, in this case. And the person with the last name Kuzmich is actually a Cameroonian guy who has won a huge number of kickboxing competitions in Cameroon. His opponent has also participated and competed in a large number of various amateur tournaments. We'll also have a guy from Afghanistan—Khotak—competing. He also, in general, impressed us with his fight in Belarus. And there are certain hopes associated with him in the seventy kilogram category. And I’d also like to highlight the fight between Nasrulla Magomedov and Gleb Mikhalev.

In fact, the entire fight card is filled with especially intriguing and interesting matchups. Bobryshev’s participation in the tournament is always a spectacular show. The main event is a heavyweight rematch. I wouldn’t even single anything out in particular here.

"Let’s move on now to the person you already mentioned earlier, as you said before. ""Extra round,"" ""extra round."" Walter Walker himself, on the same day as our tournament, will be fighting at home in the city of Rio de Janeiro and will have his fifth professional fight in the UFC. Interestingly, almost every time he fought there previously, the entire arena was against him. Now, however, the situation is completely the opposite, because this time he’ll be fighting at home, in front of his own fans. And it’s interesting—will that make him let his guard down? His opponent is a rock-solid Nigerian with a wrestling base. But Walter still threatens to twist his heel. It’ll be interesting to see how he manages that against a pure wrestler. What do you think about that? Will Walter actually be able to score yet another impressive win in such an unusual and unexpected way? "

Here we have a showdown between well-known fighters who happen to be the brothers of even more famous fighters. In Usman's case, his brother is Kamaru Usman, the former UFC welterweight champion at seventy seven kilograms, who has defeated a huge number of notable fighters. His brother Muhammad, of course, isn't as well-known. Similarly, Johnny Walker has also fought a considerable number of top-level fighters. Walter isn't that well-known yet either. But in Walter's case, I truly hope that he'll definitely surpass his brother. Both in terms of popularity and, most importantly, in the quality of his fights. He's making progress step by step. And now he's going to fight this guy. As for wrestling, what's the real issue here? Everyone knows about Walter's wrestling. I don't really think that Usman will actually try to wrestle with him himself, to be honest. That's what I think. Because Walter's wrestling level is determined and measured by his opponents. He has notably stood against both Pavlovich, Goncharov, and Shamil Ismailov, who competes in our league. That's very serious. Bogdan Guskov, who may not technically be considered a professional wrestler, but whose impressive wrestling skills are often highly underrated and overlooked by many. And the other guys that Walter faces in the ring also provide quite a significant wrestling challenge for him. Plus, his grappling skills, which are truly remarkable, He demonstrates them at every tournament. Basically, all his victories are probably by heel hook. Will he pull off a fourth heel hook? That would probably be really cool, and a lot of fun to watch. But I think that Walter, as precise and consistent as he is, In his training process, he can still be unpredictable and inconsistent. What makes him dangerous? We'll see what happens this time. Naturally, I'm sure that he's my favorite. I'm really rooting for him, and honestly, I just can't see any other possible outcome except for his victory in this situation. I truly believe he will win. And I hope it's by a finish. What else is there to say? It would certainly be quite strange if, for someone who originally came out of our own league, I were to say that I wished Usman success. No, I don't wish Usman success in this fight. I wish Walter success.

I wish Usman great success in life. Naturally, we'll probably be rooting for Walter. Here's an interesting fact. Of course, Walter will probably want to go for a heel hook. But let's note that Usman managed to finish almost all his fights in the UFC by decision. So it won't be easy at all.

Another graduate of our league, Viktor Kolesnik, fought in the Japanese Rizin league for the championship belt against an athlete from Kyrgyzstan, Rajabali Shaidullaev, on September 27th. Rajabali is an undefeated fighter, and just 33 seconds into the bout, he landed a straight right. and finished Viktor off with ground and pound. At the same time, Kolesnik had a nine-fight winning streak before this. What do you think went wrong at that moment?

"Such quick, early stoppages do indeed happen in high-level fights, especially at the elite level, as we sometimes see. Here... some kind of underestimation, a momentary lapse in focus. And maybe Viktor just didn't get into the fight right away. Basically, that's what led to it. Of course, it's not like there's a huge difference in skill between them. But if you look closely at Kolesnik's fights, he actually has two losses. And both losses were in the first round. The first time, I think it was around three minutes, or maybe two. He got caught then too. Only that time, if I remember correctly—well, as far as I can recall—it was a right uppercut. And here, he took a right cross, over the arm, he got hit, took the shot, and then lost during the follow-up. That's why Viktor has a hard time getting into the fight. Well, not a hard time, but... he doesn't get into the fight right away

I completely agree with Fedor—absolutely no one has ever doubted, is doubting, or will ever doubt his extremely high level of skill and professionalism. However, unfortunately, things like this do sometimes happen in life. We saw what we saw. We wish Kolesnik a speedy recovery and hope he gets back on the winning track. We'll be rooting for him.

Thank you for the discussion. We look forward to seeing you at the MMA Series ninety two tournament, which will take place on October eleventh. And we still have tickets available. And we'll see you, friends, after our tournament to discuss the results. Thank you for the discussion. Goodbye, everyone.

Thank you very much. Take care.

Thank you, friends.