Dyakonov vs Andryushko 2 and Top Bouts at MMA Series-93

Hello, everyone! You're watching the weekly discussion of the top news in the world of martial arts on MMA-TV.com. My name is Yulia Mirey. Joining me are the portal's chief editor, Mikhail Shinkarev, and MMA Series heavyweight champion Sergey Dyakonov. Hello, guys!

Hello, everyone!

On December thirteenth, our MMA Series-93 tournament will take place at the International Boxing Center in Luzhniki. And we're going to thoroughly discuss the most exciting and hottest matchups of this highly anticipated event. The main event of the evening will, of course, be the much-anticipated rematch between Sergey Dyakonov and Dimitry Andryushko. The 1st fight between these guys took place a year ago at tournament number 87 and ended with a technical knockout in the 3rd round. Sergey tore Dimitry's bicep. After that fight, Sergey retired from his career. Sergey, how did Fedor Ryzhov, the director of the MMA Series, manage to convince you to come back? What did he say to you?

He didn't really try to actually convince me.

Sergey, maybe you were the one convincing him, perhaps after all?

No, I did not actually try to convince him either, not at all. We just sort of, you know, mutually agreed that coming back here was definitely possible.

Alright. Why is it really important for you to have a rematch? Wasn't everything clear in the last fight, perhaps?

Honestly, it's not that important to me to have this rematch. This rematch is more important for Dimitry, as I understand it. For me, it was just about having a fight. And once again, he... I mean, once again, he seemed like the obvious candidate for this bout. For the championship.

If you have been following our social media accounts recently, you probably already saw that the PFL heavyweight Grand Prix winner, as well as the former MMA Series fighter, Oleg Popov, actually commented on your upcoming fight and had this to say about it. The champion only has a chance to win if he wrestles. What can you say in response to that prediction?

I really hope that his prediction doesn't actually come true, because that would be unfortunate. Once again. Last time, he also predicted that Dimitry would win. And now, for some reason that I honestly can't quite figure out. I really don't know, maybe Oleg has some kind of personal grudge or issue against me. I just don't know, to be completely honest. But I think I'll have to disappoint him again, if he does get disappointed.

Yes, I'd like to point out that as an argument, he mentioned the fact that, first of all, you had a year-long break, which has an impact, and Dimitry Andryushko is a bit faster. And that's why he said that if you wrestle, then you'll really have a better chance. Tell me, please, about that year off. We're not even counting the fight with Topor. For you, that was more like a warm-up, so to speak. You outboxed him technically, did some feints, scared him a bit. Yeah. How much did that year off affect you, in your opinion? Honestly, I just got some rest during that time.

Yeah, I just took some time to rest during this period. For me, I think it was a good thing. I got some rest, my body recovered, relaxed. And I feel better now than I did before our last fight.

Misha, from the league's perspective, why is this rematch interesting for the audience?

First of all, it's a big deal that our first heavyweight champion is coming back to official fights. That alone is already a significant event. Second. Dimitry Andryushko is ranked number two in our ratings. So, the two strongest heavyweights in the entire league are now truly competing against each other. What could possibly be better than that? What more of a headline do you need, dear friends? This is just a fantastic matchup. You have the best in their weight class going head-to-head. And how did the first fight end? We've already mentioned it. And that always leaves something unresolved. Especially for the one who lost because of an injury. So Andryushko's motivation is clear. He wants to prove that it was just an unfortunate set of circumstances. Plus, he’s already had a fight, put on a show with Tiago Cardoso. Yes, it ended in a draw again, but still, we saw that he was determined. The first fight was interesting. It developed in a really intriguing way. Anyone who watched it remembers it well. We’re looking forward to a rematch. Or rather, not a repeat of before. We hope this time the fight won’t end due to injury or some twist of fate, but that the stronger fighter wins.

Well, the injury, of course, that’s a real part of the sport, but it’s not like he was just walking somewhere and slipped. It was during the fight that Sergey inflicted such damage on him that it led to the injury, and that’s why the fight ended. So, you know, it’s not like it was some big deal or anything like that... accident. It was deliberate damage. That’s exactly what was expected from the champion in this situation, after all. So it’s a bit strange for me to hear it described otherwise. At the same time, in the previous fight you mentioned, with Tiago Cardoso, they ended in a draw again. I mean, Thiago isn’t ranked number one, but Sergey is. So why, after a fight that ended in a draw, does Andryushko get another shot at the champion?

"Simply because he’s ranked second. He was, and he still is. Let me remind you, Tiago Cardoso is in third place. Well, it was a draw. Andryushko and Cardoso have had two draws now. It happens. There are certain patterns in sports. Maybe this is one of those cases. But again, Andryushko has proven that he... He's the number one contender

Alright, then I have a question for Sergey. When preparing for your first fight, you trained at Gor MMA, and you did the same this time as well. Why did you decide to go there again? What new and interesting things did they teach you while you were there this time? What did you improve?

Well, first of all, Gor MMA probably has one of the top rosters of heavyweights in Russia. And obviously, if I have the opportunity to train at Gor's gym, then of course, without any hesitation, I'm absolutely going to take it. And also, you always need to leave your home for training camps, because that way, nothing can distract you—not your family, not any outside issues, and not even the smallest interruptions. This helps you stay completely focused on your training and your goals.

Sergey, could you tell us, did you spar with Tiago Cardoso? Maybe he noticed something, since he also had two fights against Andryushko—did he share any valuable advice with you? Who did you spar with the most?

I sparred with Tiago, with Grisha Dyachkov, with Shamil Ismailov, and also with Evgeny Erokhin. So, that's basically how it was, just like that. As for what Tiago could possibly suggest in this situation... Well, he actually doesn't speak a word of Russian at all. He might be happy to give some advice. But it was mostly others who gave advice, those who were preparing Tiago for Andryushko. They were the ones giving tips.

Alright, friends, ladies and gentlemen, let's now move on to the next exciting matchup. The co-main event will be a title fight for the league champion. Number one in the lightweight tournament rankings, Dmitry Mikhailidi, versus Andrey Vasilenko. I want to ask both of you a question, just to clarify. Vasilenko has only fought twice in our league and already got a title shot. In your honest opinion, do you think he's such an exceptional and standout fighter, worthy of this opportunity?

Vasilenko, well... he's definitely the most obvious and clear candidate for a championship fight with Mikhailidi, without a doubt. Because, first of all, he's charismatic and flamboyant. And in terms of fighting skills, he's actually pretty well-equipped. That's my opinion.

I completely agree with that. First of all, yeah, if someone just happened to turn on the TV or maybe stumbled upon a Vasilenko fight, the very first thing they'd probably notice is his striking and memorable persona. He knows how to draw attention to himself, he knows how to talk, and that's pretty important these days. He's only had two fights, which isn't a lot. Mikhailidi has had five fights, and won them all. Vasilenko has had two fights, and won both. But still, he burst into the league so quickly. At the same time, we have Melnikov, who was also in the championship race from the start, but he got injured and couldn't compete as a result. Vasilenko showed his full potential and declared that he's ready to fight for the title. So, basically, everything here makes sense too. And Vasilenko, he's a versatile fighter—yeah, we saw that he's capable of surprising us. The only thing is, yeah, the way he fought his last bout against Beksultan Tursynov—he did have, let's say, some issues with his preparation for that fight. And he didn't perform as impressively as usual. He himself mentioned this in an interview. If he manages to avoid that kind of situation, then he definitely has every chance to become champion.

The guys used to represent the same club, Alexander Nevsky, but then their paths diverged, and the coach who trained both of them in wrestling says that, of course, their wrestling... ...is on completely different levels. Meaning, Mikhailidi is much higher than Vasilenko, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out. So, Mikhailidi has been competing in our league for quite a while, he's undefeated, but he still doesn't have a single belt. He's wanted it for a long time, waited for it, and now, finally, he has a chance. My personal opinion is that this probably happens because he... ...is a good fighter, as you can see from the stats, but his fights aren't very entertaining. Am I right? Do you agree with me?

Well, maybe he just hasn't yet had the opportunity to face those particularly high-profile, well-known opponents—after beating whom he would then be given a well-deserved shot at the championship belt. Maybe. That gets taken into account too. As for the entertainment factor... Well, obviously, the more entertaining the fights are, the more enjoyable they become for the audience. are the ones that happen while standing up. But if someone has that particular kind of performance style, you still have to find a way to adapt it for the audience, making sure it works for everyone. If you know you can take someone apart standing up, then you should fight standing up. If you feel there's some danger , when you sense it, then you need to depend upon what you do best, what you are most skilled at. But in any case, you have to try something new. And for him, something new is fighting on his feet.

I hope that after this title fight, there will be another one in the near future where Ilya will hopefully take part. And of course, he puts on very spectacular fights. I'm really looking forward to it.

I think Melnikov, as the next title contender—if he recovers and everything goes well—I think it's almost 99% certain that he will get the opportunity. Because the fights that Melnikov has shown so far, speak for themselves. Still, I believe that Melnikov, with all due respect to Vasilenko, is a class above Vasilenko. He may not be quite as flamboyant or showy as some others, but nevertheless, as a fighter, I truly believe that he's on a completely different level. In fact, a much higher one.

So, the first fight between the holder of the silver and bronze MMA Series belts of the Jefferson Gonçalves and Evgeny Tabarovsky. The competitors fought in May of this year at the 90th tournament. Tabarovsky said he doesn't consider Jefferson a great fighter—quote—but inside the octagon, it turned into a hellish three-round brawl, and the entire audience was on edge. That day, the not-so-great fighter won by unanimous decision. In November, it was Tabarovsky who asked for a rematch, but Jefferson turned him down, saying he wanted to face other opponents and that he was no longer interested in Evgeny. However, once again, Fedor Ryzhov somehow managed to make this rematch happen, and it's actually really interesting, because the rivalry isn't just about fists—it's also about personalities and personal animosity. Misha, you keep an eye on the fighters' social media. What is Tabarovsky saying this time? How does he rate his opponent? Well, this time he was more reserved in his comments.

Yeah. He just said that this time, the outcome will be completely different from what happened before. That's all that's going to change, according to him. I'm just going to step into the cage, focus on what I have to do, and do my job the way I always do. I know what is expected of me, and I am prepared to give it my all. My approach remains the same, and I am ready to face whatever comes my way. How can we comment on that? All that's left is to wait for this fight. The first bout, honestly, I think that fight at the very least deserves to be included in the extended list for the annual MMA-TV.com Awards. Really, it was very interesting. And Jeff could have certainly finished Evgeny early, and Evgeny as well. He really attacked dangerously. There was a moment where he could have finished Jefferson as well. But it turned out the way it did. We'll see what happens. We still have more filming scheduled for our ongoing project, which is called 'Real MMA.' Maybe, during that time, Evgeny will be able to tell us something additional or share a bit more information about his opponent. Maybe Jeff will add a little fuel to the fire. But for now, they've really just limited themselves to these kinds of statements, yeah. Now all that's left is to wait for the fight. It's going to be really spectacular, I'm sure of it.

I think both of these guys will definitely and absolutely have something to say regarding their highly anticipated upcoming fight. Sergey, you're training now—or rather, you were training at the camp—with Jefferson. What kind of shape is he in? And in your opinion, what will be the outcome of this fight?

Well, I haven't really been keeping an eye on Jefferson. But basically, at Gor's gym, all the fighters are in good shape. I mean, they're always ready to jump in on short notice because they're always in good condition, so to speak. As for the outcome of the fight... Well, it's honestly quite hard to say for sure here. They're both extremely dangerous and formidable opponents, and they're both dangerous for each other in different ways. The first fight, as you know, really showed all of that intensity and unpredictability. I truly believe that the second fight will be no less interesting or compelling than the first one was. And I think here it's more like 50-50. But Tabarovsky... right now, at 77 kilograms in the league— For Jefferson, I think he's without a doubt the most challenging and toughest opponent.

Besides Bobryshev?

I think Tabarovsky will be more dangerous than Bobryshev.

Well, Jeff managed to beat Tabarovsky one way or another, but in the end, Bobryshev actually beat Jeff. It was quite a turn of events, really.

Yeah, but still, that's just my opinion, in my personal view. With all due respect to everyone mentioned above, I sincerely believe that, First of all, they're at 77, they're both big guys. And Tabarovsky—well, Jefferson is big, a big guy, but Tabarovsky is even bigger than Jefferson. So they're quite patient, and they have very good stamina. But the last fight really showed everything. I think that if Tabarovsky had just a bit more time to prepare for Jefferson, maybe things would have gone the other way. You saw it yourself— it was all hanging by a thread. Or was it all, perhaps, on a knife edge? Maybe first one would go down, then, after a moment, the other.

Honestly, I don't see a clear favorite either. It's fifty-fifty. A lot will depend on their preparation, how they approach the fight, whether they burn out or not, God forbid. A true fifty-fifty. Chance could decide everything here. One punch—landed, finished him off, or didn't. Very unpredictable and, as Sergey said, very interesting.

Well, for us as viewers, it'll be really exciting and incredibly thrilling to watch this showdown number two as it unfolds.

Absolutely.