Dvizh Bortsa: Makhachev’s Hard-Fought Win, Yan vs. Dvalishvili and Evloev’s Title Shot

Hello everyone, friends! You are watching the weekly discussion on the mma-tv.com portal. I'm Julia Mirei, joined by sports commentator and 'Dvizh Bortsa' channel author, Vitaly Kurilenok.

Hi! Hi, Julia! Good to see you, good to hear you. I often watch your reviews, your interviews, and now, finally, I've made it onto your show, so to speak, for a little review of my own.

The feeling is mutual, absolutely mutual. I'm inspired by yours too, especially the latest ones you did after UFC with Valter. It was cool. I really enjoyed it when I was watching. Well then, let's discuss the next event. Or rather, the past one that happened just this Saturday. It's not for nothing that I'm wearing an Islam Makhachev shirt today, because on August sixteenth, he defeated Ian Garry by unanimous decision. He secured his 17th consecutive victory, breaking Anderson Silva's record. Now with 29 wins and 1 loss, congratulations to Islam and his team, and to all of us, because an athlete of such magnitude represents our country. And secondly, Vitaly, I want to break down the fight with you. Why exactly wasn't our champion able to submit Garry within those first three rounds, just as he had originally wanted? What do you think held him back?

Listen, well, the first thing, which I mentioned in my review, is the size. Ian Garry Machado is, really, a huge guy, standing at six-foot-three. He has arms like a pterodactyl, just super long, which gives him a massive reach. Legs are the same. And plus, he's genuinely bigger than Islam. And the most important thing, as I saw it—and I've fought myself, you know—is that you can always tell when a person comes out truly looking to win, and when a person comes out already knowing, deep down, that they're going to lose. Ian Garry didn't come out to lose, and he didn't give up positions. Because often, many of Islam's opponents—just like Khabib's opponents in the past—were completely affected by that aura. It's a situation where they come out to fight, but it's clear that at the very first opportunity, they will just give up their neck, their arm, or anything at all. Garry, he came out with a different mindset, at the very least determined not to lose, which is why it didn't work out for Islam. And the second point is that he's 28 years old, a strong, healthy Irishman who came out here, well, really, he's just getting started. That's why he didn't give up his neck.

Well, Islam is certainly no slouch either; he is, after all, widely considered the best fighter in the world. But make no mistake, some significant damage was still inflicted on the Irishman. And as Islam Makhachev himself noted in his post-fight interview, the only person who truly caused him more damage was Alexander Volkanovski when they fought on his home turf in Australia. Well, it's as if nothing really foreshadowed such an outcome, but it certainly wasn't the way, for example, that Ian Garry felt afterwards. It was quite clear that it looked like he had taken much less damage. So, what do you think, will all the fights in this weight class be this difficult for Islam from now on?

Did you see the latest callout that was thrown at Islam?

It's Prates, I think. I mean, honestly, everyone is calling him out on it, quite naturally.

But I don't think it was Prates. It was definitely Prates, he's an incredibly tough guy. And he has, you know, hands like sharp katanas. So, if Islam gets in there with him, I think his face will look the same, or even worse. But, of course, the weight class is different now. The guys are bigger. And it's harder for Islam to compete purely because of the size difference. Yeah. And yes, Garry's face was completely clean. As if he hadn't even been knocked down by a high kick in the second round. And for Islam, yes, the result, as they say, was written all over his face. It's the first time, you could say, that I've seen him like that. Well, really beaten up, battered. I think, yes, every fight is going to be like that now. Islam understands perfectly well that... Well, after all, how old is he now? 34 years old, yeah, already. He said he wants to get 3 more wins to reach 20-0, 20 in a row, break the all-time record, and then it's time to retire. Well, because the further it goes, the harder it will be to compete with the young, hungry wolves in this weight class.

I also wanted to talk about the wrestling. Well, Islam, naturally, threatened to submit Garry within these three rounds. He traveled to Georgia to spar with sambo wrestlers, just to prepare for that specific style of wrestling. Well, Islam mentioned that it's impossible to learn how to wrestle well in two months, or however long he was at the camp. However, he did manage to defend against the wrestling, in principle. What do you think about this in general?

The recent training trip to Georgia clearly had a positive effect on Ian Garry's defense. You know, it's impossible to learn how to wrestle in just two months, especially against a wrestler of such high caliber. But it is quite possible to learn how to effectively defend against those specific signature moves. to learn, not so much to learn, but to drill the defense, which, in principle, is what Garry did. Well, in the 5th round, for about half the time—roughly 2 minutes and 30 seconds—Islam was really trying to lock in a choke, but nothing came of it. Garry defended correctly. I mean, yeah, he was taking those pokes for those 2 minutes, but it didn't cause any real damage. The Irishman is a good guy, he has everything ahead of him, and I think in a year, two, maybe three, when Islam leaves the scene, I think it's quite within his power to win the championship belt. And he says so himself. I gained good experience. For me, this is not a loss. And in the future, I think he will succeed. Although everyone is constantly making fun of him, mocking him, saying he's a cuckold, that his wife is fourteen years older than him, and that her ex-husband, who is his nutritionist, lives in the same house with them. Well, they can mock all they want, but the guy puts on cool fights, and he's really a good guy, honestly. He had full respect for Islam. Well, he's a great guy. I liked the fight. Many commenters, even on my Telegram channel, were writing things like, 'ugh, it's boring,' or 'not boring'. Well, what else would you expect? Well, Garry is such a huge machine, but he did everything smartly, he defended well. And Islam couldn't manage to do what he usually does with ease. So, well, the fight was intense, all five rounds, I liked it.

I don't know how boring it really was. I was very anxious. I was sweating, then turning pale. I was worried at six in the morning. I think it went fine.

Did you ever truly have any doubts that Islam would win? Or why were you worried?

I was nervous for him because things weren't coming as easily as they usually do. And overall, actually, this respect you're talking about, it extremely annoyed me. I understand that it annoyed Islam too, as he said later, because it felt like it wasn't so much strong respect, but also some kind of psychological thing. Like, 'I respect you so much, please don't hit me too hard.'

This infuriated Dana White first and foremost, who said, I really think that Ian Garry should have come out for that fifth round, not to hug and express respect, but to just go out there and beat up his opponent. Well, obviously, he needs a show, he needs that kind of intense drama. It infuriated Dana White more, I think, that Garry was so respectful. Nah, I don't think he was trying to be anything other than himself, but it didn't sit well with the boss. bothered or rattled Islam. No. Everyone goes out there knowing what for. To win and leave their legacy there. For Garry, it was a really wonderful chance. If he had won, he would have basically drawn a lucky ticket, so to speak. And for Islam to lose, well, that's, as they say, well, not that it's like death, but it would have been a harsh fiasco. So it definitely didn't affect him in any way. Whether he respects him or not. His task was one thing. To win. That's it. But the bald boss was annoyed by it. Come on now, and see this...

Well, I suppose that at the very least, we can actually agree on something. Listen, I want to discuss one last thing. For some reason, he suddenly became a bit controversial. The fact that the guys brought out the Russian flag sparked a lot of comments, including negative ones. Although, in my opinion, the guys hadn't been bringing out the flag for some time. It wasn't always like that. It should be said in advance that, for example, Islam actually debuted... when Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov brought out the flag, then there is supposedly an unwritten rule in the UFC that the Russian flag is banned, and now it has appeared in the octagon again. And that's when some comments started. I don't understand how they can even be negative in principle, because if the guys don't bring it out, they get hated on, and if they do bring it out, they get hated on. What the f***? Why is this happening? Well, anyway, I think it's respect and props to them for doing that. Although the flag wasn't theirs, it was brought out by a fan, and they took it from her to show it off. How do you view this situation?

Well, look, this situation usually triggers, well, let's put it this way, the multinational crowd, right? When, well, the Russian flag isn't banned. Petr Yan with the Russian flag, Alexander Volkov, well, many of our fighters. It's just that for many guys from the Caucasus, well, with that kind of, let's say, 'special' mindset, right? If their fighter comes out with a Russian flag, even though he is a citizen of the Russian Federation, it's like something, well, unimaginable. Well, we remember, right, those... The stories with Mokaev, I don't think I need to explain to the viewers, they already remember all of that perfectly well. The ones who got worked up were, you could say, narrow-minded kids, just because Islam had the Russian flag. And what flag was he supposed to come out with? The flag of Dagestan, or what? Dagestan is a republic that is officially part of the Russian Federation. For me, this is such a, you know, situation that is completely clear and obvious to everyone involved. I have an advertisement for a total crook right here. Danya, you hid and hid from all your crooks for a long time, but you really couldn't hide from them forever, could you?

I played the role of a dad for a little bit during the call. You know, in the news, there are those famous viral memes where kids unexpectedly walk in while presenters are trying to work from home during the quarantine period.

You know, when I'm recording reviews and I've got deadlines looming, I need to get the Dvizh News out by 5:00 AM on Monday, And there's just, in my studio, my home studio is small, there's just... I start losing my train of thought. In general, it's that kind of story for me. A constant one. But now, like a secret partisan, I hid from my mom, snuck out, and quietly, I'm already here. Even though he didn't have a clue that I was coming here to see him.

Small joys, after all. Alright, let's continue. Listen, you mentioned Petr Yan, but actually, he also said in an interview that they forbade him from bringing it out, and I said that either I go out with the flag, or I don't go to the fight at all. And then they had no choice, they brought it out.

Well, you see, he really insisted on it, and it happened. Well, sort of, there were complaints against Khabib throughout his entire career that he didn't come out with the Russian flag. I think you know that.

Yes, but his father carried it out. His father was actually banned from entering America because he carried out the Russian flag.

Well, honestly, I don't remember that. But the point is that throughout Khabib's entire career, especially the final part of it, many, well, let's say, patriots from Russia were tense and complained that he was without the Russian flag, and so on. On the other side, people, on the contrary, strongly believed that that is exactly how it should have been. And so, everyone had already gotten used to the fact that neither Khabib nor Islam come out with the Russian flag. And then he just went and took a picture with a Russian flag that he got from a fan. And, of course, all these discussions started, but it's all, you know, it's just, in my opinion, all just information noise. What is there to discuss? Islam Makhachev is a citizen of the Russian Federation. That's it, I mean, he should be with the Russian flag. There is nothing wrong with that. Whether some are discussing that it's good, or others that it's bad, it's all, well, it's nonsense. We are all citizens of the Russian Federation, of our Russia. Therefore, to be ashamed of one's flag or to make a big deal out of it, well, that's just noise, it's just information noise.

Especially since after the second fight, Islam said that, he just said, 'We are Russia, we proved that we are the best.' He has spoken about the country before as well. Well, in short, respect and props.

Now, yes, he has started to speak out specifically about how we are a great Russia. We proved to everyone who we are, because often, guys from the Caucasus like to highlight their own republic—well, say, Dagestan or Chechnya—but he said it all directly, united, as they say, everything. The whole nation, the whole country, standing as one. And, of course, this spread even through public pages of, you could say, a right-wing leaning, yes, where everyone, on the contrary, was like, okay, well done, what a beast, finally. So, no, well, everything is great, I posted his statements on my page, and it also got a number, a crazy number of likes there, so, well, these are indicators. Of course, it's pleasing to everyone. That the fighters are highlighting not just the republic they are from, but that they are starting to identify themselves with the whole country and the entire nation.

Let's move on then to another fighter whom we have already mentioned, Petr Yan. He will be having his third fight on October twenty fourth in Abu Dhabi against Merab Dvalishvili. It is worth noting that Merab took the first fight, where he effectively outwrestled Yan.

He completely declassed the seemingly effortless wrestling of Merab Dvalishvili, a feat that many felt was impossible. By doing so, he proved to everyone watching that absolutely anything is possible.

He won in every aspect, didn't let him get into close range, didn't let him get close to him. And, in general, we are now preparing for a third fight. How do you think it will all play out? Do you believe our champion will manage to keep the belt?

Listen, honestly... I am absolutely sure that Yan will take the 3rd fight and he will be 2 to 1 in their personal head-to-head record. It really seems to me that Merab only has one realistic chance here. His wrestling just isn't working against Petr Yan's elite defense. We saw that in the second fight, and even though Merab is giving one hundred percent, he's struggling. So, what can he do better in his wrestling to actually take Petr down, like he did in the first fight? Well, honestly, I really think he's already squeezed every single bit of potential that he possibly could out of it. His wrestling, without a doubt, is at the absolute highest level. In my personal opinion, just from what I've observed, I think he'll bet a lot more on his striking technique to try and outstrike Yan. Like, that's where his chance will be, you know, in a lucky punch, in some kind of exchange. Maybe if he rocks Petr, if Petr gets wobbled, then the wrestling will start to work. Because he won't be able to defend himself as well. If he simply goes out there with the exact same tactics he relied on in the second fight, then the third fight is inevitably going to end in the same way. Because of that, I really think Merab is going to start focusing much more on his striking game from here on out.

Do you honestly think that only a lucky punch could possibly help him out here, or do you believe he can actually rely on his technique to counter Yan's own technique?

You know, it's not just about landing a lucky punch; he's certainly good at striking, but Petr is clearly the better striker. I think he'll sharpen his striking game anyway; they'll break down Petr's combinations to work on those counterattacks. It's not even just that he'll win specifically with a lucky punch, but if he starts outstriking Petr or at least imposing a, well, a really competitive fight on him in the stand-up as well, You know, it's just like my old coach told me back when I was competing in combat sambo. He said, if a wrestler who is at a higher level than you gets a hold of you—and I used to compete in combat sambo—he'd say, 'Hit him first.' And honestly, after taking a few solid hits, even a good wrestler stops being such a good wrestler. It's the same here. If Merab can manage to land a clean shot on Petr at some point, then he'll likely take him down and really wear him out down there. That's 100% certain. But I really think this fight is going to play out just like a third encounter, you know, very similar to that legendary Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward trilogy. They had an incredible trilogy, and that third fight was truly the absolute pinnacle; Micky Ward won the first one, Gatti took the second, and that third fight was just the absolute essence, everything that was best about it. I think it will be the same here. They both already know each other inside out, and this is where, you know, it becomes higher mathematics with sparks flying. That's why this fight is going to be intense, one hundred percent.

Well, Petr's fights are always interesting to watch, especially for me, because I adore people who possess such boxing technique. And it's just a sight to behold. Even if just to watch how he works. Well, naturally, we wish Yan victory. And we hope. We're crossing everything we can.

Gotta give credit where it's due. What I want to say about Merab Dvalishvili. Although many people in our country don't like him. Well, I suppose that's understandable, given his recent political statements regarding Russia. But, you know, he's a really cool guy. Plus, he knows how to promote his fights incredibly well. Did you see the trash-talking videos he started recording with Petr Yan?

No, the only thing I've seen lately is that, out of all the fighters, he's been the most vocal about how he's supposedly being banned from bringing the Georgian flag into the octagon, and how Islam is such a bad guy. And I was thinking, man, what a jerk.

No, well, I think that's completely understandable, considering he's constantly blowing up about it. You should just let him speak his mind. But for example, he recently recorded a video with Mark Zuckerberg where they're sparring on a raft, and it really looks like Mark is training him. And then, remember, there was that moment in the second fight when Merab started slapping Petr Yan on the buttocks. Well, and he is actually kind of playing that up jokingly on his social media right now. By the way, I have all of this on my Telegram channel, DvizhBortsa. Yeah, I am posting it all there for you. Well, he's already hyping up the fight. Yeah, Petr Yan. He doesn't know how to make such videos, to churn them out. Cool ones. He proves everything more in the cage. And Merab, of course, well, he's getting creative, getting creative to the fullest. I think the closer it gets to the fight, the more of these funny videos we'll see.

I really hope that Merab continues sparring with Zuckerberg. Honestly, they aren't going to find anyone else who is stronger to train with.

You know, I honestly think that, God willing, Petr is going to win this match quite convincingly. He'll tease him about the fact that Merab wrote that Mark Zuckerberg is preparing him for the fight with Petr. I really don't think he'll forget that anytime soon. But Petr is quite sharp-tongued, so he'll definitely call him out for making jokes like that.

Let's move on to another fight that will take place at the same tournament. Finally, the Russian athlete Movsar Evloev has been given a major chance to fight against Alex Volkanovski. It is a title fight. This matchup was actually supposed to happen already, but unfortunately, Movsar got injured back then. And now, finally, he will have this fight. Perhaps our collection will be joined by another champion from Russia. Movsar is thirty two years old now, he has had twenty fights and has never lost. At the moment, he is undefeated. Volkanovski is thirty seven years old, he has had thirty two fights, won twenty eight of them, and lost four. Movsar's last fight was against Lerone Murphy. And back then, he fought on his feet almost the entire time, although usually, of course, his style is wrestling. He showed that he doesn't necessarily need to wrestle to win. And so, what do you think, The next fight. Will he be forced to avoid relying on his main weapon, wrestling, once again? And instead, will he have to trade punches as much as possible?

Listen, it's hard to make a prediction for the fight here. Movsar is often criticized for not being an exciting fighter and not knowing how to promote fights. But he goes forward like a bulldozer, grinding everyone down regardless. He finally got his title shot. I'm speaking here strictly as a fan, just an ordinary viewer, not as a professional reviewer. I really hope that he'll be able to outwrestle Volkanovski, whose athletic peak has clearly passed. After all, he's thirty-seven, and he's been so beaten up in such serious, grueling battles over the years. I just really want to see Movsar go in there and prove what he's capable of. get a confident victory, even if, I don't know, not by knockout, not by submission, not by TKO, but just for him to outclass Volkanovski due to his youth, he's a fresher, yes, you could say, fighter. Yeah. I just wish him victory, and imagine what kind of tournament that would be, right? I mean, with the Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili fight already set, and Movsar Evloev in the main event, and Volkanovski too. Well, damn, that would be a crazy tournament. I think it would break all ratings in Russia, because it has two such fights. The only thing I saw was that Sasha Volkov was given Rizvan Kuniev, but he's a really tough knockout artist. And, damn, they gave Sasha one of our fighters again. I mean, it really seems like they are waiting until he is 38 or 39 years old, that point when his form really starts to decline, just so they can avoid letting him get to a title fight. Damn, I honestly do not like watching fights between our own fighters. Like when Sasha fought Pavlovich, yeah, well, damn, that was just tough. And who are you supposed to root for? Both of them are solid guys. Well, as they say, we're rooting for a good fight, but... In this particular case, I honestly don't want to wish a loss on Kuniev, or on Sasha either. But at the end of the day, only one of them can come out the winner.

Yeah, I agree. It doesn't feel right either. But I don't think they have the option to refuse. Or if you refuse, then you might...

Well, now if you refuse, it's quite a strict policy. If you refuse, you're out. So we'll watch what we've got. But if Sasha wants the title, well, he'll have to win. Well, Kuniev is no walk in the park at all. He's got some serious power. He is likely even more powerful than Derrick Lewis, the fighter who Sasha fell to. So, that really changes the dynamic of this fight. Nikita Krylov will also be fighting on this card. I was surprised they kept him, to be honest. He's currently on a three-fight losing streak, or something like that. But they gave him a chance after all. He's getting on in years, you know.

He loses, but, in principle, he fights spectacularly. Will this be his last chance? Well, we'll see. I honestly think that if he loses, well, that's probably it for him.

Well, in general, UFC 333 is going to be really cool, and we definitely won't be sleeping. We'll be watching.

For sure. Well, Vitaly, thank you for finding the time, despite your spies, and for repelling all their attacks. We'll keep in touch.

Yes Yulia, the feeling is mutual. It was pleasant and fun.

Guys, this was the weekly discussion on the portal www.mma-tv.com. My name is Yulia Mirey, and joining me was sports commentator and author of the 'Dvizh Bortsa' channel, Vitaly Kurilenok. Alright, bye-bye.

Guys, subscribe to MMA Series and 'Dvizh Bortsa', and you'll know all the biggest, brightest, and most interesting events. Bye everyone, bye.