On the night of March 23-24, the UFC Vegas 89 tournament will be held at the Apex Arena in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA). Of particular interest to Russian fans is the fight with the participation of Daria Zheleznyakova, who will his debut in the UFC. The Russian will meet with Montserrat Rendón, representing Mexico. We prepared a long interview with our compatriot and learned exclusive details about her debut. In addition, I was able to talk with Daria about the hottest topics in the world of MMA and professional boxing.
– How do you feel before your first fight in the UFC?– I’m in a very good mood. But now I’m slowly starting to prepare for the fight. At first I was happy and relaxed, but now I feel that there will be a battle very soon. I have become more serene, I smile less. There is no point in training anymore. We need to gain weight. In general, I tune in to music, I have my own rituals.
– What was interesting during the preparation process? Was it held entirely in Russia?– Yes. I initially planned to go to France, but it didn’t work out. He held a camp in his native St. Petersburg. I wanted to come to the United States sooner, but it didn’t work out either.
Unfortunately, we did not find training partners that matched our opponent’s anthropometry. There were practically no girls in my camp. She came alone, but very, very rarely. I worked with boys. They just tried to adapt technically, working in my opponent’s way. Somewhere they suggested something to me, they acted like her.
Daria Zheleznyakova
Photo: From the personal archive of Daria Zheleznyakova.
– How unusual is this – an all-boys camp?– Incredibly unusual. There is also an advantage. Almost all the boys were very intelligent. They helped and advised me constantly, I learned in every training session. I consistently received a wealth of competent and necessary advice. But it’s unusual to work with kids. Each one works differently. There are guys who work competently and technically. They know how to take a blow and not hit hard. And so, of course, a camp with girls my weight would be a little more productive. This is a completely different job.
– What do you think of the atmosphere of the last week before the fight?– We had several training sessions. We practice once a day. These are training sessions for weight training and practicing tactical and technical aspects. I like the atmosphere, my coach Fernando López is with me, he helps me. I am not alone here, this is very important, everything suits me. The humor is very good.
– Is the Russian flag ready for departure?– Flag? To be honest, I didn’t even think about it. She was thinking about the camp and the preparations. She will be on the TV screen. And to be honest, I didn’t think about going out with the flag.
– You said that you personally support Petr Yan. Most recently, he scored a long-awaited victory. Does this mean a return to the championship race?“I was very happy for him.” I’m very glad he’s back. The most important thing is that he is mentally charged. His eyes burn. I hope everything goes well for him, I believe in him.
– After fights you often have to take long breaks. You’re facing some pretty serious downtime right now. How often do you plan to enter the UFC octagon?“I would really like to fight more often.” Stop your tradition of fighting once every six months. Plus, I now have almost a year of downtime. The last time I fought was in France last April. I think it’s a very long pause. When they promised me a fight in December and then I found out about March, I almost cried. But in the end time passed very quickly. I’m already in Las Vegas. I will be fighting very soon. I want to listen to my coach and follow his advice. I would like to fight in a month and a half or two months. I don’t want to take long breaks. We need to fight and make up for the downtime.
Daria Zheleznyakova
Photo: From the personal archive of Daria Zheleznyakova.
– Before you fought in Europe, now the United States joins in. What do you think of the tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia? Ready to try your luck there?“If they get me into a fight there, I won’t refuse.” It could be interesting to fight there. But this is a completely different climate. It is not entirely clear how the body will behave. I flew to Las Vegas via Abu Dhabi and stayed there for a day. And when I was in the sun for two hours, I realized that I felt a little bad. And I decided to return to the room under the air conditioning. I think the body can get used to anything. But some difficulties may arise.
– The big UFC 300 is planned very soon. Do you plan to attend in person?– No. I would love to attend an event like that. But by then I’ll be flying out of Las Vegas.
– At one of the press conferences a curious incident occurred with Arman Tsarukyan. How did you react to?– I went to my friend’s page, who reacted very positively to his words. This caused me a lot of negative emotions. Because I really liked Arman before. I even went to his page and unsubscribed out of excitement. Because I didn’t like everything about this video. And then I watched the video and realized the question itself was awkward. And if Armand had remained silent, it would have been stupid too. Therefore, I think he is a good guy with good manners. He simply responded, that’s all. It was not necessary to unsubscribe. I hurried, the woman in me leapt. The question is not for Arman, but for the person who asked it.
Daria Zheleznyakova
Photo: From the personal archive of Daria Zheleznyakova.
– If Armand defeats Oliveira, he will be able to have a rematch with Islam Makhachev. How do you evaluate his chances?– I don’t want to answer this question. I like Armán. But the issue here is that both Islam and Arman are very strong fighters. This will be a super fight that absolutely everyone will be waiting for. Tsarukyan already lost, so he will enter the cage angry and very motivated. But it will be difficult for him. I don’t want to bet on anyone. Islam is a great fighter.
– Let’s go back to his UFC debut. How much difference do you feel with other leagues, how much has the financial situation changed?– It’s really cold here. They provided me with a whole set of equipment and fed me. Then I did a training session and was lucky enough to talk to scientists about the diet, they explained some points to me. And I realized that in the United States the level is completely different. In financial terms, this will be the largest fee of my career. But my condition is not the best after downtime. Therefore, the money will be spent on paying off debts. A classic story for all athletes.
– Before the previous fight there were problems with weight loss. How are things now?– We take into account previous problems. And they started running in two months. This is a good period of time. The weight fell, fell, fell. And just before leaving I jumped a little. There was a kind of swing. But the UFC PI told me that I weigh very little and that I need to eat. Right now we are just maintaining the weight.
Daria Zheleznyakova
Photo: From the personal archive of Daria Zheleznyakova.
– Are you in favor of trying to regain the kilos immediately after weighing yourself?– So many people, so many opinions. I listen to the right people, but I am in the process of self-discovery. The last time I made up for it with all my might, I liked it. But this is fraught with swelling and cuts. And I’ve had problems with this.
– You will have Fernand López in your corner. He trained Cyril Gan, Francis Ngannou. How would you rate working with this specialist?– You know, he gives everything in full. Every athlete chooses a coach for a reason. And on a psychological level, whether you like it or not. This is a connection: a coach and an athlete. It’s very important. They must understand and motivate each other. This is not always the case. I am very happy with Fernando. He is a very intelligent and educated person, with a lot of experience. And during this trip I realized that he was right. They gave me a device with an error in my last name. I didn’t notice her, but he saw her in a split second. He solves any problem. He’s great and you can trust him.
Fernando López and Daria Zheleznyakova
Photo: From the personal archive of Daria Zheleznyakova.
– You admitted that you sympathize with Dmitry Bivol. How do you assess your chances in the fight with Artur Beterbiev? How good is it that two Russians fight for the title of absolute champion?– This is a sport. The champion will fight the champion. I really believe in Dima. I’m worried about him, I support him. Gennady Mashyanov is very smart, Bivol is a strong guy. I think that in their combination they will choose an approach to the rival.
– What happens if you have to fight other Russians in the UFC?– I don’t like this story at all. I don’t like our own people fighting with our own people. But it will happen. There is understanding of the team. And for there to be progress, we need to help each other. And when the guys understand that they will meet in the ring in the future, the thought may arise: “Maybe we shouldn’t suggest something?”
The battle of styles will be a real test of strength for Arthur:
Is Beterbiev a suitable opponent for Bivol? Dmitry fights perfectly with the drummers.
– Is there a female fighter that you like in terms of fighting and behavior outside the octagon? Are you targeting someone?– There is probably no such thing anymore. I try to focus on myself. And before there was Gina Carano. I liked her because she was very feminine. She didn’t try to act like a child. She combined beauty and strength.
“Then he dedicated himself to filming movies. Would you like to try yourself in this role?– Why not? But my friends who act in movies say it’s boring. I haven’t seen very enthusiastic people. But I would try. Especially if you have financial support.
– We started talking about actors. There is an artist Nikita Kologrivy who got into a very unpleasant situation. The man used to box, but now he started a fight in a bar. How would you evaluate this situation?– There is nothing worse. I don’t respect people who allow themselves too much. Especially those who show their strength over those who are obviously weaker. I am for justice. I don’t like all this very much.
Nikita bit the waitress and attacked the staff with his fists:
The “The Boy’s Word” actor caused a commotion in the bar. Kologrivy is a talented boxer.
– Have you already chosen the song with which you will enter your debut fight in the UFC?– I already performed in France with the song “A Shotgun for the Belt”. This time I doubted it for a long time. But he let the coach listen to the song and he just clapped. And so the final decision was made.
