UFC 328 Recap and 2-on-2 Fight in MMA Series

Greetings to everyone. This is the weekly discussion on the mma-tv.com portal. I'm Artem Novopavlovsky. Today on the agenda is UFC 328, as well as an unusual 2 on 2 matchup in the MMA Series. And joining me is a sports journalist and commentator whom I'm very glad to see. This is Ruslan Gumilyov. Greetings, Artem, and it's truly great to be here today. Hello to all the fans watching. I suggest we start with the much-talked-about main event of the recent UFC tournament, where Khamzat Chimaev fought Sean Strickland. I'd really like to discuss the controversial moments and specific events related to this particular bout. And probably, first of all, let's also have a more detailed talk about the final decision. It was a split decision. Do you agree with it? No, I don't. And why?

Look, at the very beginning I wanted to tell a story as a preamble. Literally just a week before the fight, or maybe it was only a couple of days, 1 of the fans wrote to me on social media and said, 'Ruslan, I'm really into betting, and I want to bet 1,000,000 rubles on Khamzat Chimaev.' When asked, 'Do you recommend it or not?' I immediately said, 'I'm not a fan of betting,' and then I said, 'Yes.' I am not willing to take on that kind of responsibility, but from a profit standpoint, it really does not make for a very interesting story, because you remember what the odds and the bets were. It would be more profitable—and I told him the same thing—if you're into this, to bet that same million on Sean Strickland and win seven. In the end, he still bet on Khamzat Chimaev, and we all understand perfectly well how it turned out for him and for guys like him. Unfortunately, he suffered a defeat. And for the Russian fans watching, this is also a deeply disappointing story. As for the final result of the match, for me personally, as well as for the majority of experts, it was definitely a huge surprise. And it's not just about that... Sean Strickland was significantly underestimated by many. That might be part of it, but first and foremost, Khamzat Chimaev was perhaps rated a bit too highly by the fans. In a way, he was like Islam Makhachev—a person who simply doesn't seem to know how to lose. Although Makhachev actually does have one loss, but we've already forgotten about it—it was like in another century. But Khamzat had no losses. And let me remind you once again, against Dricus Du Plessis, he landed more than 500 significant strikes. That's actually one of the records—maybe it was even a real record. They also just had a simple opponent. Here, it seemed like it should be more or less the same. But when all was said and done, it turned out exactly like this. I completely agree with the judges' decision, because I also thought that Khamzat won the first and fourth rounds. The second and, most likely, the third went to Sean Strickland. The fifth round was incredibly close, but still, it was given with a very slight advantage. And I also gave it to Strickland. By the way, Dana White counted it the same way. So, I think there shouldn't be any conspiracy theories here. Overall, it was a close fight, and in close fights there will always be people who are dissatisfied.

Well, you know, if you judge by the overall impression, the picture was probably like this: It appeared that Strickland successfully dismantled Khamzat's strategy, and so in those controversial moments, the initiative seemed to swing decisively in his favor, and accordingly, the judges' final decision was probably much closer in favor of Sean. But let's also discuss another interesting point that I noticed among the comments. You and I are both very active on social media, and there are just massive debates among people saying that Chimaev actually sold the championship for money. and they list all sorts of people. Bookmakers, Kadyrov, Americans, and even that Khamzat himself just wanted to make some money. Because he has mentioned more than once that he fights in the UFC specifically for the money. What do you think, are such theories appropriate here? And what's your opinion on this matter?

Well, do you really think so yourself? I mean, could something like that really happen?

Of course, I personally do not believe in that outcome myself. Because literally just about one hour before our meeting, I watched a recent interview where Khamzat Chimaev's brother... He explained in comprehensive detail exactly what the situation was with the weight cut. And, by the way, it later turned out that Chimaev had to cut a significant amount of weight from one hundred five kilograms because he was originally preparing for a light heavyweight fight with Jiri Prochazka. And shortly after that, he got a call from his management team, and he simply couldn't refuse the opportunity, so he agreed to help them out.

That's why I kind of threw the question back at you, you know, as a counter-question. Because I think this is just a conspiracy theory. Whenever something truly sensational and unexpected happens, when there's a high-profile event or a major upset, especially in the world of combat sports, there will always be a wide and diverse variety of different conspiracy theories. In this case, I think the primary and most significant issue here is the weight. Even if we disregard all these interviews that are about to come out one after another—some of them clearly exaggerated, and some maybe even completely fabricated or untrue. We saw for ourselves how Khamzat was feeling, how he was walking. That can't be faked. We're talking about a person who had an extremely tough weight cut, and it's not even about how much weight he lost, but how he lost it. Sometimes even losing five kilograms can be extremely difficult. And other times, like Renat Fokretdinov, you drop 20 and feel fine overall, even winning your fight. I think in this specific case, for a variety of different reasons, but mainly because of an incredibly tough weight cut, after the very first round he simply couldn't do what he usually does in the octagon. He just didn't have the energy left to perform at his normal level. He simply had no strength left, and it makes sense that he chose not to continue the fight in this way, because most likely, after the second round... he simply wouldn't have been able to come out, because wrestling takes up much more energy and drains your strength twice as fast. Alright.

The second wave of intense protests from the public is specifically about the fighters' clearly staged conflict. Not only did every single detail follow the famous Khabib-Conor scenario, but in the end, they unexpectedly shook hands and almost turned out to be very old friends or close buddies who had known each other for years. What do you think, did they agree in advance to hype up the fight and there was actually no real conflict? Or maybe during the fight, I don't know, did some memories of training together come flooding back? Or did they somehow make peace or reconcile during the fight?

Well, here I actually agree with these thoughts. There’s really no conspiracy theory here at all. Every single thing we witnessed was entirely real, tangible, and objective. We saw with our very own eyes exactly what the reality was like back then. It was a feeling of pure hatred, yes, that is certain. And a vast number of commentators, experts, fans, and ordinary people who bought tickets were firmly convinced that, in terms of the level of pure hatred and intense animosity toward each other, it was about the same as Khabib and Conor. So, what did we end up seeing? So, after that whole police convoy finally arrived and finished all the cordoning off of the area, the guys actually shook hands. And then, at the very end of it all, Khamzat was practically putting the championship belt on him himself, right? I honestly think this is a clear case where things were staged, but it wasn't done behind closed doors. Just before the fight began, they met up and shook hands once again. And you know, how is that possible? So, the first part, you say this, then I say that. No, it was quite simply an understanding of how to sell tickets. The question is something else. If they have a rematch, and many people say a rematch is needed and should happen, how are they going to sell tickets again? Because absolutely nobody will be willing to believe in the story of their intense rivalry anymore. At that point, you know, they'll have to do something like what Magomed Ismailov and Ivan Shtyrkov did. Assalamu alaikum, greetings to everyone! So, and there you have Vanya Shtyrkov, my friend, and somehow they're still fighting each other. So, Perhaps it will be a little friendly kind of story.

Listen, well, I think there was a similar story with Merab and Petr, where at first they were bitter enemies too, then it seemed like there was more respect, but of course, they didn't hype it up like Magomed Ismailov and Shtyrkov did. But it's an interesting idea if we see Chimaev in that kind of role with Strickland, where they immerse themselves in Russian culture and American culture, I don't know for sure, maybe they could even go hunting together.

There's a reference for that.

Yeah, yeah. Listen, and Chimaev did say from the start that he doesn't want to compete at middleweight anymore, as Dana White also confirmed. And then he said, well, and then he left a message for Sean. Like, let's meet up. And looking to the near future, as we understand the situation, what do you think will be preferable for him right now? Would it be a major fight at light heavyweight, or continuing this rivalry with Sean once again?

In my personal opinion, I honestly believe everything has already been completely predetermined and set in stone here. I... will choose to assume this way, but for me, this is by far the most likely scenario: that Khamzat is already in the process of moving up to light heavyweight, that a potential rivalry with Sean Strickland is highly improbable to happen now, and maybe it will never happen at all at any point in the future. As for the light heavyweight division, I believe in this rivalry both from a matchmaking perspective and in terms of interest, and it seems to me that the interest is mutual. Khamzat Chimaev and Jiri Prochazka.

Of course, adding a win over a former champion like Jiri Prochazka to Chimaev's record is a milestone he would want to achieve. But I don't know if the league would ever go for that, essentially risking the momentum of two such massive stars simultaneously. Just like we explored in one of our previous detailed video discussions, Roman Mazurov recently suggested that Paulo Costa would be a strong candidate to fight Magomed Ankalaev. Well, because there is this incredibly intense and long-standing Brazilian-Russian rivalry in the sport, it is possible that the exciting new contender in this specific fight could actually be Khamzat Chimaev. And we would see a super-charged Paulo Costa, who, as he says, beats all Russian fighters, going up against Chimaev, who also had genuine animosity towards him when, by the way, their rivalry first started, though it never actually happened. What do you think?

Well... You see, everything there is fake. I think I might actually disappoint some of the fans just a little bit here. You can look at this as a fairy tale or a beautiful movie. But you easily lose sight of the fact that these are actors. Here, too, you can forget that. Because we just talked about Khamzat, Sean Strickland, and about Costa. But when he secured a victory over Kopylov, what did he have to say? And during his most recent confrontation, he just... He toned it down and said everything that had happened before. I won't quote him word for word right now. He also, as many say, backed down. And, by the way, that was smart. It is a good thing that he said that. The tension seemed to drop almost immediately. That is why this story can be hyped up so much. And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. But I think that, after all, Paulo Costa would be more interesting against Magomed Ankalaev. Even though Ankalaev has many different professional offers, it has been quite a long time since we last saw him in action, so let's go with this option. I honestly don't know how. I think let's book Magomed Ankalaev vs. Paulo Costa. And as for Khamzat Chimaev, he will also have plenty of different options, specifically against Jiri Prochazka. That's what I ultimately understood.

Alright, let's move on to the next pair of fighters, or rather, a fighter from Russia. As everyone knows, his name is Alexander Volkov, who wins in a tough, I would say, grueling fight—but the main thing is, he wins. How do you see his prospects in the league right now? And is he the undisputed number one contender now, or is there still something missing before he gets a title shot?

Well, first of all, he's number one in the rankings, I think, so he's the number one contender. But as for his fight, it's not clear at all what's next. I mean, he won, that's it. It feels like both his last fight and the one before that with Almeida were far from perfect. We all vividly remember how both of those fights were incredibly competitive and closely contested for him. But these are kind of... reverse cashbacks, so to speak, coming from the UFC because everyone acknowledges that his loss to Gane back then was a highly controversial and peculiar outcome—a judges' decision that honestly left many fans and analysts completely baffled. And so, in this way, we paid back the debt. I think that, as far as calculations with the UFC go, that's definitely settled now. From here on, we'll just have to wait. Definitely wait. I am honestly and really starting to doubt that Alexander Volkov will be competing in a fight at any point whatsoever this year. And maybe it will even be at the beginning of next year. Yes, he is undoubtedly the number one contender in the rankings. But in the heavyweight division, the situation is still very unstable.

Also on this card, Baisangur Susurkaev and Roman Kopylov fought. And they achieved what they wanted. One fighter specifically dreamed of an early victory, as he stated in an interview on our portal. I'm talking about Baisangur here. Also, as everyone clearly knew, Roman really needed a decisive win. And that is definitely a successful path forward, and preferably a very bright and impressive one. We congratulate them on that—they managed to do it. So, what should these fighters be looking to achieve next, and which opponent should they face?

Both of their fights turned out to be exciting, as you already noted, both with a plus sign, but their paths are completely different. That is, Kopylov needed to win, and he did, even if it was dramatic—just like all his fights in the UFC. And now, I think, a new contract is absolutely certain for him... he's signing it. He'll have a chance to get back into the top fifteen. Of course, we're not talking about contender ambitions here, but rather about staying in the mix. Right now, it really seems to me that we are looking at a situation where he is capable of losing to almost anyone or, alternatively, beating anyone at all. Well, at least that is the case if we are discussing the players currently in the top ten. As for Susurkaev, everything is still very much ahead of him, just as people were saying before. The first two fighters he faced were outside the top thirty, even outside the top forty. This guy was quite a bit closer to the top twenty, but still somewhat far off; I think from here on out, his position will only continue to improve. He definitely needs to fight guys who can also take him down. Because we really haven't seen him compete in a wrestling ring yet.

To be honest with you, I was looking at Kopylov's performance statistics —he's been fighting since the year 2019. He started with a loss, then had a year with fights being canceled, then another loss, and after that, he won three knockouts in a row. So, it's like he's on a rollercoaster, and it feels like whenever he gets close to the very top, he's just missing some kind of crucial mental component to succeed. And regarding Baysangur, I wanted to say that he already seems more stable in this particular regard—after all, three impressive finishes in three professional fights speak for themselves, plus Khamzat Chimaev gives him valuable advice from time to time. But I was honestly surprised that neither of them made it into the official top fifteen rankings. I was kind of expecting Baisangur to show up there.

Baisangur still needs to take on one or two more fights to reach that top level. And Kopylov has had a fair share of setbacks throughout his career. And regarding the mental aspect, there is just one more thing to consider... He also has problems with his team, because for a long time he trained in Dagestan with Rasul Magomedaliev. And now, as I already know, for more than a year, maybe even a year and a half, all of those difficult losses he had to endure, and now finally this unpleasant losing streak has ended—this marks his departure from the coach with whom he developed and grew so much as a player. I truly hope that with these new teams he will be able to continue to progress, but I believe that this is definitely a significant loss for Roman Kopylov, because with the guidance of Rasul he could have grown even more as a professional fighter.

Let's move on to the fight in the MMA Series. The league announced just recently This is a long-awaited rematch that first took place exactly one year ago. A 2 on 2 showdown. Last year, Arymarcel Santos and Lucas Nascimento left absolutely no chance for Sanzhar Azhibaev and Kulmurat Orozov. And this time, Andrey Vasilenko himself personally suggested to the league to hold a sort of... A kind of special experiment. And together with Artyom Gudkov, he will now face off against Tamraz Kusilov and Magomed Musaev. In Russia, this format is practiced only in the MMA Series. And I sincerely hope it will continue to grow and thrive. Overall, it generates a lot of interest among viewers, judging by last year's views and feedback. How do you feel about such experimental formats? Why is it that people are more willing to watch this than a standard fight?

Pasha, this is another category for the further development of promotions and martial arts in general. It should be taken into account that almost all leagues that are developing in one way or another now are competing for different audiences. Take a look at ACA, which used to be a very conservative league— now they're actively experimenting with absolutely every aspect: hosts, formats, and even sometimes with trash talk and brawls, which was once unimaginable before. So in this sense, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest, especially since the MMA Series has consistently been at the forefront in this regard. They are always trying out a wide range of new innovations, including the unique Phygital Games that we are all witnessing right now. Some people like it, some don't, but nevertheless, it's also one of the innovations. As for 2-on-2, 3-on-3, 2-on-2—it's just 1 of the variations. For a certain group of people, it will undoubtedly be fun to watch— even I would find myself thoroughly enjoying it. I'll watch it, and honestly, I've never commented on two-on-two or three-on-three before. Honestly, in terms of pure excitement and how it will all play out—even though I've seen it many times in various live broadcasts—it remains incredibly fascinating to watch.

Well, you know, I would say it's like an extra highlight for every tournament. So that the viewer doesn't say, 'Well, this was good, that was good, but it was missing something to make it a perfect ten.' I think that 'something' is exactly these two on two matches, which, I hope, will be a highlight of the MMA Series tournament taking place on May thirtieth. Here's another question for you. Imagine you are a professional matchmaker, and you have been tasked to set up an intense two-on-two fight. You need to create a matchup that is perfectly suited to the Russian audience. And, accordingly, this event will take place in Russia. Which specific fighters would you choose?

Just imagine such a massive fight for a moment. We are strictly speaking in hypothetical terms here. On one side, competing on one team, we have Magomed Ismailov and Vladimir Mineev. On the other side, you would find Ivan Shtyrkov and, let's say, the legendary Alexander Shlemenko. They were all more or less in the same weight class, so there you go. They could even get confused about who should fight whom, and there could be one-on-one matches in different combinations.

It could even end up in complete and utter chaos, with teammates fighting each other. Well, Ruslan, I honestly don't know, I don't think you could come up with a better example than that. Maybe some matchmakers will actually hear this and take these points into serious consideration. It was a real pleasure, thank you so much for joining me today and for coming on the show. And to all of our wonderful viewers, I hope that you will continue to follow and enjoy our episodes, and we will be waiting for you in the next ones. Goodbye, everyone!