Beslan Isaev on verge of signing with the UFC
Chechen fighter Beslan Isaev has won eight in a row, seven by T/KO, and is part of the Russian Invasion that is sweeping iinto the elite levels of MMA.
Chechen fighter Beslan Isaev has won eight in a row, seven by T/KO. He is without a doubt part of the Russian Invasion of the elite in mixed martial arts. He is reportedly on the verge of signing with the UFC.
In this exclusive interview with Boris Dealon, Isaev talked about wanting to spread his wings, what division he wants to fight in, and much more.
Boris Dealon: Is the contract with UFC already signed? What you can say about terms and date of the first fight in UFC?
Beslan Isaev: As far as I know, it’s not signed yet. There are some talks, but nothing official yet.
BD: Where are you going to train for your debut in UFC? Would like you to stay in Russia or continue to work in one of American gyms, like AKA, Jacksons, ATT and etc.
BI: If it’s possible, I would like to visit another camps abroad and to see the way they train. I want discover something new, so that’s why I plan to go to America.
BD: In which weight are you going to compete? Do you want to try yourself in lightweight or middleweight divisions?
BI: I’m not too big for welterweight. During my preparation I am 79 kilos (174 lbs.) and max is 80 kilos (176 lbs.). I don’t know yet. When I have a contract and I will be sure about my fight, only then I can think about my weight. Probably it would be lightweight or I have to get to 85-86 kilos (187-190 lbs.).
BD: Some fans believe that with the coming of UFC on the public channel, interest in Russian promotions will fall. You fought in the PRO FC, ACB, joint event “Berkut” with M-1. What you can say about the level of our events? Will they keep their interest?
BI: Anyway, I think so. Russian MMA is developing and we have very good guys in this business. Their approach totally different, than before. If we improve ourselves a bit, we can be on the same level as foreign competitors. As for event, it’s better to watch it on TV. Because in other way you permanently need to search links in Internet or watch in record. It’s much interesting to watch events on TV. Entirely, I think it’s normal and shouldn’t react for our expansion. It’s a reason for competition for organizations as M-1 and etc. In advertising way it’s ok.
BD: Recently, CEO of M-1 Vadim Finkelstein told that he wants his best fighters to compete against TOP-5 of UFC. Who has the best chances in his weight?
BI: M-1 also has good guys in their roster. As I said, they have different approach. During a fight they are very high-level in functional way, their gameplan is good, but they miss something. If the event between M-1 and UFC happens, our guys will have all chances.
BD: You are fighter with a lot of capabilities, who can win as in striking as on ground. Tell about your story. What was in the beginning of your path?
BI: I started with Greco-Roman wrestling, after I switched to Freestyle wrestling. I had a batting average in this sport. I never won anything. I was just interested. Later I started my boxing training. I always was punched, so I can’t say that I’m a good striker. Probably, from that moment I got my own style. I’d like to say, I just catch a perfect moment. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I have a bit of wrestling and bit of striking. Good enough.
BD: You already fought with Alexandr Shlemenko two times. Do you think that he is the most competitive opponent in your career? If not, who else?
BI: It’s been awhile when we met last time. It was not that Shlemenko we know nowadays. I also was another fighter. We should to give him some credit, he has strong personality. Thanks to this he always finished his opponents. He is a really good fighter and I like his mentality and aggressiveness. There is no point in talking about our fight in welterweight division, accepting that fact, he is in middleweight right now. I would like to say again he is a nice guy and a fighter as well. My opinion is he was the one who showed his best, if compared to other fighters from Russia.
BD: For your opinion, do you think that Shlemenko need to test himself in UFC?
BI: If we look his results we can see that he achieved a lot. He has a good record. Maybe Bellator will be his last point in his career, I think. I watched his last fight and it seems like he still has good motivation to make a second fight with Halsey. I don’t know about his contract in Bellator, but if Alexandr is going to fight in UFC I am sure he will be a top fighter. For American and Russian fans it would be worth to see him in promotion as this.
About the author:
Boris Dealon is the founder of the popular Russian language Internet MMA portal MMAboxing.ru, a journalist, tournament organizer, and plans soon to extend his talents into fighter management.