On the night of November 22 to 23 in Doha, he achieved a knockout victory over Jack Hermansson in the first round.
After the fight, he gave an interview to the Namys Fighting channel, where he discussed his coach, life in his hometown, and Arman Tsarukyan.
- The punch to the ear was very powerful, and the second punch was unnecessary. Do you regret taking a bit of his health away?
- The referee didn’t stop the fight, and I was emotional, thinking he would try to take me down. That’s why I struck.
- Hermansson took a long time to get up after that. Weren’t you worried about his health?
- Jack also suffered a knockout in his last fight. Perhaps it’s related to his age. I respect him as an athlete; he was one of the best fighters.
- You mentioned that you have physical strength thanks to life in the village.
- Yes, my parents still live in the village. There’s hard work every day. We went to school, and after lunch, we did physical labor. When I moved to the city, my coach asked if I went to the gym.
- Do your parents watch your fights?
- My mom doesn’t watch, but my dad doesn’t miss a single fight.
- You invited Arman Tsarukyan to Kyrgyzstan. What will you show him? Treat him to kumys?
- We can go horseback riding. There’s no kumys right now; winter is coming. We can go to kok boru; the games take place every week.
- Do you think Arman Tsarukyan could participate in kok boru, or is it too dangerous?
- It’s not that dangerous. We’ll see.
- What do you think of Arman’s fight?
- I believe he deserves a title fight. I’m sure his next match should be for the belt.
- Which weight category do you prefer — 70 kg or 77 kg?
- It doesn’t matter to me; the main thing is to fight. My team and I will make a decision and soon share good news about a new contract.
- Who is Urijah Faber to you now?
- He is my coach. We met three years ago, and he always supports me. When I’m training in the USA, he works with me 2-3 times a week, teaching me the nuances. He even flew to Qatar, leaving his business and family for me.
