(MMA heavyweight star Alexander Volkov recently spoke about the preparation of his teammate, Mikhail Zayats (22-8-0, M-1: 12-5-0), for his M-1 Challenge 82 main event fight vs. Marcus “Caveman” Vanttinen (24-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0),
August 5, in Helsinki, Finland. This Q & A story appeared online at
mixfight.ru.)
(L-R) — World-class Russian MMA fighters
Sergei Kharitonov, Mikhail Zayats and Alexander Volkov from a recent training session
You have been training on the same team for so many years. How would you describe Mikhail as an athlete?
Volkov: “He works very hard as a fighter, completes all workouts to the end, and is among the last to leave the gym.”
What did you learn from him during sparring and training sessions?
Volkov: “How to work to the utmost extent, both in training and in combat. When I watch Mikhail train, he inspires me to work harder and not to be lazy.. We always have small competitions while training and we push each other to work even harder.”
Which of you is more helpful to preparing for battle?
Volkov: “When Michael had no fights, he helped me a lot, of course. In my training camp, he was like a wrestling coach, helping me work on physical exercises as well. I would say that during these last few years, he was more involved in my training than I was in his. But, now he has an upcoming fight and I’m fully involved in his preparations. Moreover, his future opponent is 6 ft. 4 inches tall. So, I imitate his opponent’s style to help Misha prepare for the fight.”
What prediction do you have Mikhail Zayats’ upcoming fight?
Volkov: “I personally hope for the best. I expect him to end his fight with a bright victory, by knockout or submission. Although this won’t be an easy fight for him because his last fight was a while ago (Feb. 28, 2014,). I know from my own experience that even a one-year gap between two fights can make it very hard to show your best fighting qualities. Mikhail has a huge motivation now. He is very hungry for battles and victories too. So, I’m waiting for the triumphant victory of Mikhail Zaytz.”
