Roman Dolidze on UFC middleweight battle with Nassourdine Imavov
Roman Dolidze (12-2, fighting out of Batumi, Georgia) aims to deliver a statement win against Imavov
No. 8 UFC middleweight. Seven wins by knockout, three wins via submission. Seven first-round finishes
Nassourdine Imavov (12-4 1NC, fighting out of Paris, France) looks to further his climb up the division ranking by defeating Dolidze in impressive fashion
No. 11 UFC middleweight
Five wins by KO, four via submission
Seven first-round finishes
No. 8 UFC middleweight. Seven wins by knockout, three wins via submission. Seven first-round finishes
Nassourdine Imavov (12-4 1NC, fighting out of Paris, France) looks to further his climb up the division ranking by defeating Dolidze in impressive fashion
No. 11 UFC middleweight
Five wins by KO, four via submission
Seven first-round finishes
Transcript
00:00 hello everybody big big fight headliner main event what's what's the fight week
00:11 feel for you like right now fight week feels like always nothing has changed
00:16 but I'm of course happy to be main event and I wanted to be here but like as
00:22 always weight cut drinking a lot of water that's all thinking about food
00:28 Georgian food we see about is there added pressure is there at a moment
00:34 does it feel like a different fight you said it's just like every other fight
00:37 week but is it different or is it truly just another fight week I will tell you
00:41 what's really different it's too much not I will not say too much a lot of
00:45 media a lot of it starting from yesterday and that's definitely
00:50 difference between other fights is it make it hard because everybody wants to
00:55 be at the top right and then they get the opportunities and they have and they
00:58 realize all the responsibilities that come with it does it change do you
01:02 start thinking ah maybe I don't want all this no personal it is you know there
01:08 are a lot of things who knows me very good they know how I'm thinking about
01:11 MMA what part is MMA in my life but a lot of people doesn't know about it but
01:17 I accept the rules of the game and this is part of the game we need to do this
01:23 and do this for us for our organization to promote the fight and I'm here to do
01:29 it what was this last year like for you right like not getting to compete and
01:34 having opponents fall apart and you were desperate to get matchups I mean what
01:37 was how challenging was it for you challenging that may be a little bit
01:42 disappointing but still it's like I said it's part and the rules of the game it's
01:47 happening like that I'm accepting it or not accept I'm accepting it is how it is
01:52 everything would destined to happen it will happen and the situation doesn't
01:59 change me but like of course I wanted to fight more but UFC was offering me good
02:05 fights I say that also but opponents were pulling out nothing I'm good you're
02:13 calm about it now were you calm about it as those things were happening I mean are
02:17 you that understanding in the moment or do you get pissed off and upset and
02:21 angry I was thinking about time what I'm losing yes about things what I could do
02:27 because I have also a lot of things going on in my life and I'm ensuring
02:32 other sides of my life but you know like I told you I understand what will change
02:41 if I will be upset what will change if I'll be mad nothing will change I'll be
02:47 mad that will change it's all nobody will care well you finally got this
02:51 fight what was your thoughts when this was the name that was given to you and
02:54 kind of what challenges you know he might present for you when the you know
02:59 when all this thing happened we start conversation about new fight and I had I
03:06 asked you see to change two things give me new contract I didn't it wasn't time
03:13 for new combat still give me a new contract and many event they gave me
03:17 these two things what I wanted and I also was ready to fight anybody they
03:21 knew and that's all any changes in your training approach or any justice made
03:28 because this is a main event a five-round fight exactly that fights what
03:32 were didn't happen they change my preparation and I was preparing for
03:37 fights for six months and of course I'm in very good shape because I was
03:42 training non-stop and I'm now here ready for five rounds I'm feeling good
03:49 everybody will say I'm in the best shape I really feel very good I know you had a
03:55 long time away but you win this fight I mean you're right back at the top of the
03:58 division and all right so I mean do you start calling out names again and asking
04:02 for the big fights do you just sit back and see what happens what's the plan I'm
04:06 always asking good names always I just wanted to I'm number eight and a lot of
04:12 people around me nobody wanted to fight I don't understand why maybe some some
04:18 guys were telling that he won they wanted higher opponents after they were
04:22 agreeing on number 13 guys to fight after there was situations like somebody
04:27 just didn't even hear that I'm saying that they were saying we want to fight
04:31 December and he didn't had open I said okay I want to fight also in December
04:35 let's fight I know answer nothing else the I'm I'm really very used that all
04:41 these guys are most of them I don't want to be disrespectful but I will say in
04:45 general acting like a kids talking like a kids talking a lot talking and know
04:52 when I'm from where I'm raised we think twice before we say something because
04:58 your words need to have something if you just say so many words nobody will work
05:05 your words that's why for me I'm just looking at them like little kids I know
05:13 you said you want to be respectful but if some of them upset you to the point
05:16 that you're like I want to get in a cage with that guy because he pissed me off
05:20 no if you look how they are talking with each other I'm very respectful what I'm
05:24 talking and how I'm saying this and I'm always never never was saying nothing
05:32 but about nobody my opponents around spiders but these guys are ready to say
05:37 anything just for attention and sometimes when I see them and if I
05:42 didn't like something what they said before and I'm saying listen now you see
05:46 me I'm in front of your face why you was talking like that what's wrong in
05:50 Twitter or somebody else they'll somebody of them don't even remember
05:54 that they said their comment anything or something oh this is just this is just
06:00 that I understand that their words doesn't have worth and I can't ask from
06:05 them like I asked myself I asked myself and try to judge them from my
06:10 perspective how I was raised when word is word but these guys doesn't worth
06:14 they were how I will push them to speak with me like strong words last thing for
06:21 me big moment here you've been waiting for it what type of fight do you think
06:25 we see is this going to be a battle is it do you think he's gonna push you or
06:28 do you think this is a fight you can go dominate make a statement what do we see
06:31 here no one knows how fight will go no no do you was you was thinking that I
06:38 will do calf slicer to check her monster does anybody thought that I will do
06:42 something like that to anybody especially check your mom's what about
06:46 that cosplay when I was huge under the remember what about Phil host when I was
06:51 also on the submission in the late him going after no go nobody knows what can
06:56 happen I always say made this thing happen what this thing it will be that's
07:01 all hey Roman so your main event on Saturday
07:07 Marab is fighting for number one contender fight February he is fighting
07:11 for the title is this gonna be a big year for Georgia it's already a big year
07:15 for Georgia it's every year is big for us we are very small country population
07:20 three and five million probably and with a lot of problems I'm not a guy who
07:25 because of his country he will say oh my country is perfect our country's is bad
07:29 we have a lot of problems happening and I want to be example and we are probably
07:34 example that you can reach things even from our countries and such a big things
07:38 and now if I'm not mistaken we are five from Georgia and four from us our top
07:45 ten guys and I'm sure also Graham deserves to be right it's a little bit
07:51 things are happening with him but he deserves he's a really good fighter so
07:56 we are already living good life showing good example to our country and I'm sure
08:03 February also will bring a lot of happiness to them and I hope and I'm
08:07 sure we will have new champion from Georgia obviously I'm pretty sure you
08:12 probably want to be the first Georgian champion but is it gonna be make you
08:16 happy to see if Ilya wins that for him to be the first one of course of course
08:23 he deserved he did he's a great fighter he's have good striking very good
08:29 amazing wrestling jujitsu very strong sense stylistically it's a very
08:34 interesting fight for me and I'm sure that he will win this fight and let's
08:39 not forget about Murat Murat deserve to be champion long time ago a long time
08:44 than anybody else and I hope after this fight he will get his title shot
08:50 I want your thoughts on the middleweight title fight at us at 297 hood obviously
08:56 you've trained with Sean did you have him winning the fight that question you
09:02 know why because I didn't watch this fight yeah but I think a lot of people
09:10 are saying that Sean won the fight I also think that when I watch the main
09:17 moments let's say like that I think you need to do more to be a champion for
09:22 other guy for the places and it is how it is
09:35 vision a little bit I mean if you go out there knock out Nazar Dean like do you
09:41 put yourself in a position where you know maybe one more fight and you fight
09:45 for the title if you remember how Sean got his title shot he fought Nasr Dean
09:50 after he fought some guy out of top 15 and he got that's why I don't like to
09:57 make like predictions and conversations like this will be what will be I'm ready
10:03 for anything that's all the this is organization you and you know rankings
10:09 nowadays I think doesn't do nothing look comes out why he's in top 15 why who he
10:15 win from 185 why you need to be here and a lot of others it's how they move
10:20 sometimes guys up and down it's why I don't think ranking shows anything there
10:26 is organization UFC and UFC will decide what they want to see what fight will
10:32 sell more better or less and that's more important problem do you do you
10:38 personally see this fight as like a number one contender fight or like it
10:42 just like or a contender fight you what do you want me to say big big words and
10:46 to say yes it's number one can tell you the fight no I'm not that guy I'm sure
10:51 here will be somebody who will start conversing talking like that but it's a
10:55 good interesting fight and I think after this fight we can get top five opponent
11:02 definitely we deserve and let's see what nobody knows thank you thank you very
11:07 much
11:10 - Nice. - Thank you.
11:11 Thank you.
11:12 [END OF TRANSCRIPT]
11:12 Thank you.