Dima, I want to ask you about your emotions about the whole armfight.

Emotionally armfight was very charged, everyone was waiting for the meeting Alexey Voevoda. The situation is unpleasant. Many fans are disappointed. But do not worry. I think Alexey will put himself together and he’ll show a good result. Any loss is good. We're looking for a downside and work on it.

What do you think about your fight?

I think I worked at 99 percent I did not all I want to, but, in principle, I’m satisfied. Todd was well prepared. Of course he made some errors, screamed, but always shook hands. We talked to him after the match – he’ s a normal decent guy.

Watching for emotional component of fight I could see that Todd often did not like grip. Michael constantly corrected something, he screamed at backstage. You stayed calm. How you got it? I think it is very difficult to stay calm in these moments.

Yes, it is very difficult. I previously reviewed a lot of video with Michael’s fights and was preparing for his shouts and for displaying his emotions, because in each of his meetings with opponents, he did the same thing. I tried not to show emotions, but even a little bit, and I'd explode. I was on the edge, but it's good that I restrained myself. I was ready.

And after each explosion he came to you and shook your hand, it means he’s a showman and he did it specifically...

Yes, he did it on purpose, that's a trained thing. The same thing we do on trainings – we work on our emotions. He was charged for it, and I was on the contrary: not to explode, because then I would do silly mistakes.

Do you know some Michael Todd’s some weaknesses now?

In general after six rounds I studied his technique. In the future I do not take much to see through it, I already know how to fight. And basically I can tell if someone will fight, what to do, how to do, and how to exercise for the technique of Todd.

They say that in preparing for the armfight Denis Tsyplenkov helped you. He prompted you to pull in triceps.

Yes, he said all right. But before his advice I already did triceps, I had this technique. I just started to pay much attention for this style. I watched recordings when John Brzenk and Devon Larratt pulled with Todd. I saw his cons. The hardest part was that I did not know until then how to deal with him. But after three meetings at the table, I saw through him.

I know that you had a long flight transfers and you have arrived, as they say, from the ship to the ball.

Yes, acclimatization has not passed, I came directly to the weighing and press-conference. The night before the fight I tried to sleep but I couldn’t. At night I got up, I could not sleep. But an armfight was in evening and it helped me because I took a nap at the afternoon. I can say that I was ready for 70 percent before fights.

Your colleagues and guys from your gym supported you. Tell me, how important is the support of your colleagues to you?

Of course, support greatly affects for training, motivation get more strongly. You know that you fight not only for yourself but for hs fans, family, friends and it's very motivating not stay and strive forward to develop.

What are your plans now?

At the moment, the plan is this: to recover a little, psychologically, emotionally reload. I will take two weeks break, generally I will not do anything, just relax. And then we begin to train and prepare, depending on what fight will be next.

Generally struggle in armfight assumes that you will be more aware about your opponent, you will have short breaks between rounds and much more you will need to give all the best, because this kind of show. It was your first armfight?

With the exception of Bulgaria, where I have fought with John Brzenk, this is the first. But then I was not prepared and got fourth place. It could be called an armfight with round system in 100 kg category. It was won by Arsen Liliev.

How big is the difference between conventional and armfight competition?

If we take the level of strength and training, professional athletes have always come to armfight better prepared than for usual competition. Because a professional athlete is always ready for one opponent, he knows all hiss pros and cons, and fulfills himself for 100%. If you are preparing for any another championship, you do general workouts, develop all muscle groups, prepare your body for any alignment, because all are non-standard opponents. Someone fights top roll, someone in biceps, in triceps, someone in hook, so sportsman needs do everything possible to be ready for the championship. And, accordingly, something is not well, if you begin to give more time for workouts, you get overtraining. Therefore, I think that professional sportsmen are much better prepared.

What kind of exercises do you do usually?

For armwrestling - side pressure, a lot of time I devote to the top roll. For example, I do brachioradialis, pronation, supination, fingers and all sorts of small exercises, which are present in my training process. But while I was preparing for this armfight I cut my top roll workout and paid much attention to side pressure and triceps workout. I wanted, of course, to try to fight in hook, but failed.

What do you think about the level of organization?

The level of organization, as always, was good. I have trophies, medals there but no belts. So this is my first belt, and it’s intercontinental. I'm happy.

Wish something to guys who become involved too, want to be champions and fight in armfights.

Engage armwrestling, strive for your goal and achieve it. Take a little bit lower aim and do not break down reaching it, and when you reach - just raise the bar higher and change aim for a new one. We must constantly strive forward to develop.

For example, now we have the problem, which is that all the guys are fighting lopsided. But biceps and triceps are important too, because we have not only a physical sport, but we have to think during the fight, f. e. what I happened to have with Michael. If I did not think he would put out his hand and go down under the table and I would be pressed like against the wall. In the end, his stamina would win. To suppress this type of fight, like Todd, a large force is needed. It should be like a chess game. You should always look for dead points, weak corners, to impose your style of fighting.

Who helped you to prepare for these competitions?

I would like to thank my coach, Ahmed Aliyev, for support and help, and DenisTsyplenkov for advice, also Alexei Voevoda. And all the fans. And my family, which helped me a lot. All this points develops the overall result. If something does not take into account - and then it will come out at the event.

Do you have some sort of motto that helps you stay on the level and do not stop, if something does not work?

My motto is well-known: "What does not kill us makes us stronger." If something does not work today, it will be ok tomorrow. If tomorrow it does not happen, if somewhere you made a mistake, then do not turn around and leave, you must press forward and develop, in any case, not to stop on the way. Movement, movement and again movement!

OR, AK