Bobryshev’s Picks for MMA Series-94’s Main Fights and McGregor’s Return

Hello everyone! You are watching the weekly discussion on the mma-tv.com portal. My name is Yulia Mirey. And today we will discuss the upcoming MMA Series ninety four tournament, which will take place this Saturday. And joining me is the MMA Series welterweight champion, Sergey Bobryshev. Hi, Sergey! Hello! Hello everyone!

It's great to see you, hello there, Yulia!

It's been a while since we've seen you, glad to hear from you. Well, let's go ahead and discuss the very first fight. Francimar Barroso versus Dimitry Andryushko. Let's go over each of these fighters first. Francimar Barroso, what are your thoughts on this veteran fighter? He's a good, seasoned fighter with a significant amount of professional experience behind him.

Of course, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about him. He's a good fighter, excellent, at a very high level, and incredibly experienced.

By the way, did you happen to watch his fight against Vezhenko?

That is the specific one where he took him down and finished him off right there, isn't it? If I am not mistaken about that. Yeah, I watched the whole thing, but to be honest, he did not show anything particularly special. I think he was simply up against a much weaker opponent in that fight. As for what Andryushko brings to the table, I think he simply hasn't faced the Russian machine yet , and that is all there is to it.

Andryushko, that's the first thing you said about him. Yeah, the Russian machine. What else can you say about him?

What more is there to say? He has significantly improved his striking skills lately. I have been watching all of his recent fights closely. He always pushes forward, has impressive cardio, and he can definitely go the full distance. If he prepares himself well, I truly think... His opponent will definitely have a lot of difficulties, and a great deal of problems. So, in my opinion, I think Andryushko will emerge as the leader. He is much younger, and he is much stronger. That's why victory is 100% ours.

Listen, so what do you think, how will the fight go? What do you think will happen in the octagon?

I honestly think there will be a lot of wrestling, especially since his opponent is known for that style. He probably won't be able to do anything else against him except wrestle. But Andryushko can do that too. The second round will come to an end, and I honestly believe that Andryushko will knock him out or catch him somewhere in the ring .

So your prediction is the second round, Andryushko by knockout?

I think yes, second round, Andryushko by knockout. He'll catch his breath in the first round, and he'll sense blood in the water when his opponent begins to fade beneath him. So to speak, when his opponent starts to die out. And that is pretty much it, I really think it will all end quite quickly after that. Either he is going to finish him off right there, or there will be a very good, beautiful knockout to see. I will be attending this tournament too, showing up and supporting Andryushko. So the strength is definitely with us, and the strength is truly with Andryushko.

Alright, let's move on to the co-main event. Next up, we have Mikhailidi versus Barkhatov. Looking at these two, this particular matchup is actually quite a bit closer to your own weight class than the previous one.

What do you think, how exactly will this fight go? I suspect there will be quite a lot of grappling here as well. As I recall from their past fights, Mikhailidi definitely prefers to take the fight to the ground and grapple more. However, Barkhatov is certainly no pushover either, so it's a tough matchup. Ultimately, I think Barkhatov will pull it off because he possesses much harder and heavier strikes that can really make the difference. And I personally think he has quite a bit more experience than Nikolai. So, I believe that, yes, the ultimate victory will go to Barkhatov. As for which specific round it will be, I really can't say, because lightweights can often go the full distance of the fight. But I think Barkhatov will just beat him up in there, and that's really all there is to it.

It's unclear in which round, but he'll beat him up.

I think so, yes. The fight is going to conclude with a rather brutal beating.

Mikhailidi is also a strong guy, and usually doesn't let himself get beaten. He constantly wrestles, keeps his opponent on the ground. And it's worth mentioning that these two fighters have already fought each other once before in the past. That was a few years ago, and back then Mikhailidi came out on top. Do you think the shifting global balance of power will be significantly different this time around?

I definitely think so, yes. Yes, because everyone learns from their own mistakes. And I think Barkhatov will do absolutely everything in his power to win. And judging by his most recent and challenging fights, he's made substantial and impressive progress. So I truly believe the ultimate victory will belong to him today.

And the fact that he's moving up in weight, I mean he usually competes at a lighter weight, do you think that won't be a problem for him? Still, when you don't really know the specific size category you're entering, could that potentially make things much harder for him in the end?

No, I don't think so. He has been consistently training at this weight. When you cut weight, you inevitably lose a lot of your physical strength. He loses everything, absolutely. So I think he's preparing himself at this weight, maybe even heavier. He won't have to cut down quite as much weight. I think he'll feel very comfortable. But for Mikhalidi, it will be significantly harder, since the weight is a little bit different.

Now, let's talk about a different kind of champion—let's talk about you. How have you been doing lately in general? What have you been up to these days? And when will we see you?

Yeah, I'm doing really good, and honestly, everything is going just fine. I've been training incredibly hard every single day, and I'm definitely not slowing down. As soon as it's possible, you're going to see me back inside the octagon once again. I truly feel like I have recovered perfectly, and I'm fully ready for all the new challenges and the big fights ahead. Please don't forget about me. I'm here, I am still around here. And that is exactly why I'll come to the tournament on the thirtieth of this month. I would like to take a moment to remind everyone exactly who I am. And since I moved, I have officially relocated my life to the city of Krasnodar. Because of that, it was simply impossible for me to accept any new fights—I truly needed to recover emotionally, physically, and mentally, basically in every single way imaginable. So, I am definitely ready to strive for some brand new heights.

Have you already had any discussions about when you'll be able to return to the public eye and show yourself again?

For now, there aren't really any predictions. I know that Zalimkhan Yusupov has become active. We are also starting to get quite a bit more active and energetic now, so to speak. In fact, I would even be completely ready to have a serious fight with him, or perhaps even a long wrestling match if it came down to it. I want to test myself in wrestling and prove that I can do something too, that I have some skills.

People call you the Murom Conor, although now, since you've moved, soon they'll be calling you the Krasnodar one. But nevertheless, I know that you follow this fighter. And now they've announced that he's returning to the octagon. On July 12th, he'll be fighting Max Holloway. What do you think? After such a long break and his carefree lifestyle, do you really believe he will be able to win and finally get back on the right track?

I think it will be difficult. It will be an incredibly daunting challenge for him, because Max Holloway is still very active, he's been regularly competing, and I think he will win rather than Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor, in my honest opinion, probably already... his peak has likely already passed him by, so it will be very difficult for him. But if he manages to pull himself back together, both mentally and physically, he also has an exceptionally strong chance of succeeding, because he has a vast amount of experience in this field. And in principle, the break might not even affect him negatively, but on the contrary, it could give him a significant extra boost. So, to be honest with you, I just really want to see a beautiful, high-quality fight, and may the strongest person win.

Could you give a prediction, for example, in which round and what technique?

I think everything will happen standing up. There won't be any submission holds. Someone will go down, and that will be it.

Alright, thank you so much, Seryozha, for taking the time to meet and talk with me today.

Thank you too, Yulia. Take care.