Translated by Kolchak from Sherdog…
Ruslan Nagnibida: “In sports, there is always a place for intrigue”
In the past few days, we have managed to speak to Fedor as he returns from training in Kislovodsk to learn about his plans for the future, as well as how he plans to celebrate his birthday. His muay thai trainer, Ruslan Nagnibida, also agreed to speak with us.
Correspondent: Fedor, you recently returned from Kislovodsk where you typically go and do training. Who came with you this time, and did you do anything than you have in previous trips?
Fedor: This time a whole bunch of Red Devil fighters who have fights in America coming up in October came. Roman Zentsov, Sergey Kaznovsky, Vlad Zenin, Eric Aganov, Mikhail Malyutin, Amar Suloev, and my brother Alexander prepared for the PRIDE tournament which happens in September. Of course we had trainers there too, Vladimir Voronov, Alexander Michkov, Ruslan Nagnibida. We did a lot more work on striking, grappling, and functional endurance than the usual cross-country running.
Correspondent: How your hand, are you training already with full power?
Fedor: The hand, is generally good, already I’m sparring and boxing. There is pain, but in general it’s okay.
Correspondent: Will you take part in the October Pride event? If so, is the opponent known?
Fedor: Yes, as I already mentioned, in October the first Pride event in America takes place in Las Vegas. As for my opponent, American Tim Sylvia is being considered. Before I go, I plan to do another training camp in Kislovodsk, which will last all through September. In general, the new year is already booked up for me. For the New Year’s event, I have to face the winner of the Grand Prix. That is to say, the one who wins the tournament ending in September will face me for the title.
Correspondent: In the near future you are going to go to Costa Rica? What is the plan for this trip?
Fedor: First we fly in Las Vegas, where there will some Pride promotional stuff, i.e. some kind of presentation about the upcoming fights Pride has planned for America. From there, we leave for Costa Rica on August, 22nd, some of the best young guys from Red Devil will have fights in the “Euphoria” promotion. They have invited me as the guest of honour. I will observe the fighters, and I hope I can give them some advice: What they should devote more training to, improve, and suggestions for technique.
Correspondent: Fedor, your birthday is not far off. When and where will you be celebrating?
Fedor: I’ll celebrate in Stary Oksol in the beginning of October. Why then? In September, I’ll be training in Kislovodsk, or in Moscow, where on Sept. 30th there is a tournement for all kinds of combat sports, karate, jiujitsu, etc. My fight will be final, and it will be a sambo match, one of the best disciplines. So from Kislovodsk I’ll probably go straight to Moscow.
The event takes place in the Moscow palace of sport in the Youth section. It is supposed to have five pairs of fights. At present, negotiations with the foreign sportsmen are going on, and prospective participants are fighters from France, Czech Republic, Finland, and from our team will be young fighters which we hope to see in Pride someday. They are Yuri Pulyaev, Michael Zaitsev, Yevgeny Orlov and, the world Sambo champion from Stary Oksol, Dima Samoilov.
Correspondent: Is there any news from Van Damme?
Fedor: I had to postpone working with him. There is no time to be doing movies right now, I have to focus on preparing for fights.
Correspondent: Fedor, what was the most interesting or significant event of the last month for you?
Fedor: We went out on the sea with some close friends. Good emotions, we stopped for a rest in Gelendzhike. It was very cheerful. Taking a vacation with good company is great!
Correspondent: Name the most interesting person you have communicated with recently.
Fedor: When we were training in Kislovodsk, a famous movie producer who has done many movies about fighters came to us, Joel Silver. Now he is shooting some footage of fighters from Red Devil. We have become friends, spoke both in America, and in Russia he has come to see us already a few times. In the beginning of year he came to St. Petersburg, and also accompanied with us on our trip to Holland. I hope it will turn out to be interesting material. It will be played on American TV first, and afterwards they plan to play it on NTV (big TV station in Russia).
Correspondent: Have you finished drawing the portrait of your brother?
Fedor: I haven’t finished that yet, but I’ve already begun drawing a new figure, now I’m drawing a gnome, this one will be angry, and I’ll do some cheerful ones afterwards. I’m trying to do a series of figures with this subject.
