Issue 164

February 2018

• Age: 28
• Weight: 185
• Record: 12-2
• Nationality: Russia
• Promotion: M-1

We’ve really seen Artem Frolov learn on the job in MMA, from his raw pro debut in 2014, to the more-polished version we see now. He still shows some fallibility, but he also has great durability as he scraps, scrambles and hustles his way to victory in a variety of ways. His striking isn’t as crisp as others, but it is effective, and the Sambo Master of Sport is clinical with his submissions – often choosing attack over anything else, even if it means he’ll land in a bad position.

Despite this, he always finds a way to win and against good opposition, as victories over UFC veterans Caio Magalhaes and Luigi Fioravanti have shown.

Q. How did you start your MMA career?

Artem Frolov: "I was always an active child and I needed an energy burst. My father brought me to Taekwon-do, but I did not like it. We went to freestyle wrestling school and watched a competition. It aroused my interest and I started training very hard. Very soon I started competing and even winning against older guys with some favorite techniques. I consider freestyle wrestling as my base and think it is a good foundation for my MMA career. It gives you good balance, physical condition and endurance. Now, I prefer to fightstanding but, in difficult situations, I always have an opportunity to take my opponent down or defend against his takedown attempts."

Q. Was there any part of MMA that took more effort to adapt to?

Frolov: "MMA is the most universal and spectacular martial art. I watched many Russian fighters and, of course. was inspired by Fedor Emelianenko. After military service, I decided to concentrate on MMA. In my town there were no MMA clubs, so I moved to the closest big city, Rostov-on-Don, to join Legion Club and learn the basics under Denis Gluhov. I started competing in some local grappling events, but striking was more difficult. I had a general idea and could hit hard because I was strong, but I lacked techniques and kicking was a fantastic thing for me."

Q. Do you still split your time between two gyms?

Frolov: "I only train at Kuznya Club, except for some training camps. We have a nice team and excellent conditions. Legion gave me basic MMA skills and knowledge, helped me to start my MMA career, and opened a way to M-1 Global. At the beginning of this year I had camp in Thailand. After that, I trained in the Gorets and Alexander Nevsky clubs. I had another camp in Crimea, under the Russian MMA Union. I’d like to train in the US because this country is a Mecca of MMA. The best fighters in the world train there."

Q. What are your greatest strengths as a fighter, and where do you need to improve?

Frolov: "Universality is my greatest strength. Despite having won the M-1 Challenge strap, I still consider myself a young fighter who has a lot to learn and to show. First, I’d like to improve my defence because I care about my health and punches you miss do not make you feel better. I also want to work on combinations with punches and kicks, despite this not being necessary in MMA. Of course, endurance and freestyle wrestling are very important as well."

Q. Where do you rank among the middleweights in Russia?

Frolov: "M-1 Global is one of the best promotions in the world and they don’t give you the belt for your good looks. I went a long way from my debut to a title shot, won matches against tough opponents and I deserve my place among the best Russian middleweights."

Q. How was it go five rounds for the first time against a UFC veteran?

Frolov: "Five rounds is a different story to three rounds. First, there’s a psychological thing: you start thinking about going the marathon distance and that bothers you. Before this bout I did a lot of work and I was functional, so despite being tired, I had energy left.

During the fight, even when I felt I punched hard, I did not go mad trying to finish him. I delivered many punches, including body shots, but he still did not quit. Perhaps, he has his own secrets."

Q. Do you think your recent performances show you can perform at the highest level?

Frolov: "I haven’t been competing in MMA very long and I have a lot to learn. Of course, I want to fight the strongest opponents and win these battles, but it should be done step by step. No matter how you look at it, most of the best fighters in the world are now in UFC, so I’d like to compete against one of top five UFC middleweights, like Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza. If I successfully defended his takedown attempts, I would have a good chance to knock him out. Moreover, it would be a revenge for the fight in 2006 when he defeated Alexander Shlemenko."

Q. What stage do you think your career will be at in a year’s time?

Frolov: "I could say that in 12 months, I’ll win belts in all the best promotions in the world, defeat all the top middleweights in the world and be boxing Floyd Mayweather, who gained some weight for millions of dollars. But let’s be real! In MMA you cannot make any predictions. You need to move forward, step by step, and give everything you have to climb to the top."