Issue 015

July 2006

Interview by Hywel Teague

It's not everyday you can claim to have met the PRIDE heavy weight champion of the world, but we at Fighters Only was lucky enough to catch up with him as he recently visited London. I met with the man who every MMA fan considers to be the number one fighter on the planet, and found him to be everything I expected. Humble, unassuming, quiet and pleasant, Fedor cuts a far different figure from the emotionless wrecking machine that we see in the PRIDE ring. 

He has calm, almost sleepy eyes. He looks as if he is so comfortable he could just doze off where he stands.  He smiles often and is very accommodating of people approaching him for autographs or pictures. He walks with the quiet confidence of a true champion. In short, he is truly the ultimate role model for MMA fighters; polite outside of the ring, unimaginably fierce in action. 

This is your first time visiting the UK- what do you think of your trip so far? 

Yes, this is my first time in England I am very happy to be here. I’m looking forward to returning, it is a beautiful country. 

Do you know much about the MMA in the UK, or do you know of many fighters from the UK? 

I don’t know many of the English fighters, but my brother fought and won against James Thompson. I follow some of the fights in England but I don’t know many of the fighters. 

You are prevented from fighting in the PRIDE Open Weight GP due to receiving surgery on your thumb- how do you feel about not being able to fight, and what are your thoughts on the GP in general? 

Yes, I’m unhappy not to be fighting, but my hand is healing alright and I’m doing exercises and receiving physiotherapy. I’m very much looking forward to fighting in the next PRIDE. 

How many months do you think it will be before you can fight?

I will have a second operation in June or July and the doctor will let me know then.

Who do you think has a good chance of winning the Open Weight GP? Do you think there is any one fighter who will win? 

I will be supporting my brother 100%, but there are lots of strong powerful fighters in the tournament. It can go either way, but I have a strong belief in my brother. 

You come from a small city in Russia- did you ever think that one day you would become a huge star in a country like Japan? 

When I started in MMA I never thought about being a star in Japan, I just wanted to win all my fights and become the best fighter. 

Before you were a fighter, what was your ambition? 

I started off doing Sambo, and I fought on the United Russian Team. I always wanted to be a sportsman. 

Having always lived a simple life in the Russian military and as an athlete, how does dealing with the fame of being PRIDE heavyweight champion feel? Almost every single MMA fan on the planet knows who you are- is that a heavy thing to carry around? 

I take a lot of pride in knowing that people know who I am, and that Russian fighters are becoming among the best in the world. I am very happy to be part of it all. 

Do you think moving to Red Devil fight team helped your career? 

Yes of course, it helped very much. I met a lot of great fighters who helped me very much, in preparing for the GP and title fights. They helped me a lot. 

Do you think Russian fighters are the strongest in the world? 

I think that they are some of the best fighters in the world, and that everyone should respect us in a fight. 

My last question is about your youngest brother, Ivan who is 17. How long before we see him fighting MMA? 

He is still young and needs experience, but he is training with us every day and he comes to all of the PRIDE fights. When we think he is ready, we will put him in. His first style is boxing, but he also trains Sambo and Judo, like me. 

Thank you for your time.