Full transcript
0:00First, it is a pleasure to be joined by
0:02one of the very best heavyweights in the
0:04world, a man who will be returning to
0:06action on October the 24th in Abu Dhabi,
0:09UFC 333. He is the one and only
0:12Alexander Vulov, and he's kind enough to
0:14join us right here now to talk about all
0:16things heavyweight. Hello, Alexander.
0:18How are you, my friend?
0:19>> Hello, Ariel. Hi, everyone. Uh, who
0:23watching us? Uh, finally, I'm here.
0:26>> Is this is this our first chat,
0:27Alexander? Yeah, like and uh I I I I
0:31should to say uh two things before we
0:34start, please.
0:35>> First of all, uh sorry that I doing this
0:37interview from my car because I'm just
0:39in front of the gym. I will have my
0:41practice very soon. I'm just very busy.
0:43So, sorry I doing from my car.
0:44>> No problem.
0:45>> And and another one uh sorry for my
0:48simple and broken language is not not my
0:50native language. So, I will try to do my
0:52best. uh and please if it pos if it's
0:55possible speak a little bit slowly for
0:57uh slowly for me so I can understand
0:59your question clearly and answer uh the
1:02best way.
1:03>> Okay. Well, first of all, thank you for
1:05joining us. No matter if it's in your
1:06car or anywhere else, we appreciate it
1:08very much. I want to apologize to you
1:10for taking so long to have you on the
1:12show. So, so that's my mistake and I
1:15will speak very slowly and clearly so
1:17you understand everything that I'm
1:18saying. It's great to have you on.
1:21>> You're doing very great for me. Thank
1:22you so much.
1:23>> Uh are you living in Las Vegas now or do
1:26you just train out of Las Vegas?
1:27>> Uh I'm living Las Vegas for last maybe
1:31three or maybe four years. Yes, I'm
1:34training like I'm living here training
1:35here. So I find here like a good gym, a
1:39good place to
1:41like um not refresh my my career but
1:45like kind of refreshing my
1:49skills to learn something new you know
1:52to to find new sparring partners, new
1:55new team, new coaches. So I'm kind of
1:58trying to develop myself and then that's
2:01why I'm moved to US and to Vegas uh to
2:06train and to be the best guys and to be
2:08better of version of myself.
2:12>> Speaking of training in Las Vegas, I saw
2:14recently that you were training with my
2:16friend Alex the Terrible. You know Alex?
2:19>> Oh, he's he's my
2:20>> This is my guy. He gave me this. Oh,
2:22wait. Let's show Can we show uh Mr.
2:24Yeah. Look at this. You see this? He
2:26gave me this.
2:29>> He gave me that.
2:30>> This is great. Thank you.
2:31>> Yeah, Alex. Alex is a like a great kind
2:35person. Like you will never tell about
2:37him this if you never know him because
2:40uh that uh song he did uh he do and uh
2:46the person he is in in life it's so
2:48different.
2:48>> Yeah.
2:49>> Yeah. He's a very nice and he I I want
2:52to say for all fans he's a real fighter.
2:55Maybe he's not as professional and know
2:58so like uh like so deductible in uh HI's
3:03uh fight uh fight career uh but uh he's
3:08very very like very fight spirit. So I'm
3:13very impressed by him and I support him
3:15in everything in his music and his
3:17fighting in like everything he do.
3:20So, Alex, one of the reasons why we
3:22wanted to have you on is because the
3:23heavyweight division is very much in the
3:26news recently. Um, you know, we found
3:28out last week Tom Aspenol vacated the
3:30title. We found out late last week the
3:33the title is going to be defended
3:34Madison Square Garden in November.
3:36You're fighting October 24th. And I want
3:38to go back to your fight against Surel
3:40Gan, which uh happened exactly December
3:447th, 2024, so almost two years ago. And
3:47that was a fight that was very
3:49controversial in which you thought you
3:51won, the media thought you won, a lot of
3:54the pundits thought you won, and it
3:55seemed like Dana White thought you won.
3:58And there's a clip of Dana coming up to
4:00you and saying, "We're going to make
4:01this right to you. We're going to we're
4:03going to fix this because he felt like
4:05you were robbed." Do you feel like it
4:07has been made right to you? Do you feel
4:09like you have been rewarded for that
4:11performance now almost two years later?
4:14>> Yeah, of course. Uh he did it all good
4:17for me because uh see how next fight
4:20with Serial Garn and Thomas Panel goes.
4:23He just I um I uh
4:27uh I spoke him.
4:30So
4:31uh you see save me from this if you save
4:34me from everything bad things can do
4:38with me like with all cheating. So they
4:40save me to fight with him. Yeah. Um
4:42because I think a lot of people thought
4:44that by making it right to you that
4:46would be giving you a title shot, giving
4:49you what you want, but that hasn't
4:50happened.
4:52>> Uh yeah, I know. But uh you know, I'm
4:56not the person who involved in
4:58matchmaking. Uh so I can't tell you why
5:01this happens. Um but uh yes u I still I
5:06still um here fighting for to be uh
5:11challenger for the belt.
5:13So this is what it is. So I'm fighting
5:16uh I don't know like they tell me some
5:19but uh I'm in this point right now.
5:23>> So you said uh earlier that they saved
5:26you from fighting him again. Uh, and it
5:28sound and I know you're maybe a little
5:29bit joking, but do you feel like he is a
5:32dirty fighter? Do you feel Suril Gan
5:34tries to cheat in his fights in order to
5:36win?
5:40>> We don't know if he do it for a purpose
5:43or not, but he do it in every fight. So,
5:47I don't know. Uh, maybe he can't fight
5:51clear, maybe he do it for a purpose. But
5:54uh this not good that from fight to
5:57fight he do the same things and u you
6:00see don't do anything with it. he uh
6:04kind u pull out the true champion Tom
6:08Aspenel who like goes for this title for
6:13long like long pass uh and u and he and
6:18he injured so badly he need to uh make
6:23surgery for his eye and everything and
6:26they still give uh again not
6:29disqualification or something or some
6:32penalties. They just put him on a title
6:35again with a guy who never fought in
6:37heavyweight. Uh and he again started
6:42punching u wrong place in the head. So
6:47uh I don't know what what the reasons
6:49they put him and why they don't like
6:52make any penalties for his
6:56like dirty things in the fight. Uh we
7:00should think about it. we should do
7:02something like with the with the rules.
7:04But uh I'm the guy who was eight rounds
7:08total with serial gun. He didn't any big
7:13damage for me for this whole eight
7:16rounds. But from the
7:19first fight and from the second fight,
7:21from the boss fight, he was for sure was
7:24very injured with me. From the first
7:26fight, I kick his legs badly and he uh I
7:30think I I I saw uh his team tell uh his
7:35coach maybe that he can't walk like for
7:38a week after my after our fight and
7:40after second fight uh his leg was
7:43broken. So I totally know how make a
7:46damage to him. Um and this may be a
7:50reason he don't want to get this fight
7:51again.
7:53>> In those two fights against you, did you
7:55feel like he was trying to do things
7:56that were quote unquote dirty? Did you
7:58feel like he was trying to do those
7:59tactics on you
8:02>> uh in first fight? Absolutely he did. He
8:05he he poked my eye as well in the last
8:07round. And usually I like I I don't
8:11remember he he did it one time or few
8:14but uh you know in this close fight when
8:18uh opponent do this in like in last
8:20rounds uh juris should uh notice this
8:25and like make some marks about this
8:27because our first fight was very close.
8:29Um uh I I think so. And uh this I poke
8:34if if they took points for this I I I
8:38should win this fight. But I'm not
8:39crying about it. I'm I'm like uh I got
8:42it and I go through. But second fight
8:45was also like he he didn't do a lot of
8:49dirty for me in this fight because I was
8:51I little bit change tactics. I was more
8:54I used more pressure like u little bit
8:57different things
8:59but they everybody think they robbed me
9:02so I think so because u after the fight
9:05I was 100% sure I I won uh I was very
9:09surprised I was like uh you know
9:12honestly by my heart surprised with it.
9:15I I I can't believe uh they put his arm
9:19up. So but this is what it is. It's two
9:22years after that. I'm still uh training.
9:25I still keep winning. This what I can do
9:28to get back on the line and uh give uh
9:32this fight like a good trilogy to fight
9:35him and win the belt.
9:37>> So leading up to that fight, you were on
9:39a great four-fight winning streak. Then
9:40that fight happens obviously the
9:43controversial loss and then you've now
9:45won two in a row. But those two fights
9:47were against Jaltton Almeida, Waldo
9:49Corteza, and now Rizvan Kunv. Meanwhile,
9:53he fought on the White House card. He
9:55got the title fight. He got the interim
9:57title fight, and now he's fighting
9:58Madison Square Garden for the undisputed
9:59belt. He's just been elevated. When you
10:02find out on Saturday that it's him
10:04versus Josh Hoid in Madison Square
10:06Garden for the belt, and now he's the
10:08undisputed champion. How do you feel?
10:10How do you react?
10:12Oh uh I want to be honest with you.
10:17I want to try explain
10:18>> please.
10:19>> I'm I'm very support this fight uh from
10:22UC. I have a lot of reason uh
10:26that this fight should should happens
10:28because uh Josh Hawen what I know about
10:31him he have a clearer dealing with
10:34something mental in uh illness. So it's
10:38very you know uh admirable uh for UFC to
10:42put the guy with a serious mental
10:45condition uh to title shot. So u of
10:49course he should go in front of me. You
10:52know guys with this uh kind of reason
10:56should fight first. It's like for for
10:59him is not possible I think in my
11:02opinion to beat somebody in top five
11:04right now. So this is like the easiest
11:07way to American um heavyweight to get
11:12title shot right now. Um and um like
11:16it's incredibly
11:19expiring story of the guy with a mental
11:22illness who can fighting for heavyweight
11:25title like um um yeah very support you
11:30see with that and it's it's very like uh
11:32very like uh noble things you know for
11:36the UFC doing for him with all his
11:39mental problem. So yeah I support it.
11:44Alex, I I I wasn't sure where you were
11:46going with that answer. If you would
11:48have seen me on camera while you were
11:50saying that, I was laughing because I
11:51don't know if you're being
11:52>> Why are you laughing? Like, took it
11:53serious. You can laugh about people who
11:55have a mental illness.
11:56>> No, I'm not I'm not laughing at people
11:58with mental illness, but I'm not sure if
11:59you're making a joke or not.
12:01>> No, of course. No.
12:03>> You think that they're giving him a
12:04title shot because he has a mental
12:05illness?
12:07>> Yeah. you like it will be like first
12:10like UFC shows uh you know they send a
12:13powerful message mental illness doesn't
12:16have to stop anyone from becoming a
12:18world champion you know so it's this is
12:20uh yeah it's it's very uh admirable uh
12:25for you so yeah
12:27>> okay
12:27>> and and I very proud for America then uh
12:32they should have this um kind of uh
12:36heavyweight
12:38uh have a chance to be a champion of the
12:40world. You know, it's America will be
12:42very proud uh of the guy with uh kind of
12:47problems to be a champion. So, yeah.
12:49Very supportive like Yeah.
12:52>> inspirational. It's it's a nice
12:53>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's very like I I can
12:56do it like later. uh he can he can try
12:58first like I'm here for like how 10 10
13:01almost 10 year on UFC I uh he um he just
13:06needs a chance right now I don't think
13:08if if he will have like few fights and
13:10he lose forever but for somebody he will
13:13took it back but right now it's time for
13:16him so yeah like I I don't think he will
13:19have any other opportunity for that
13:21>> so so he's been here for a year you've
13:23had 20 fights you're about to have your
13:2420th fight 10 years It doesn't make you
13:27mad at all that he's getting a title
13:29shot.
13:30>> We should make this discount for him
13:32>> in in in what way?
13:35>> Like uh to make for him a little, you
13:38know, like um
13:42um we we we should like it should be a
13:46little bit easy for him but because it's
13:48uh honestly hard for him to be to be
13:51right now in the place he he had. So I
13:54wear respect with like uh all the reason
13:58he have he on his place you know like uh
14:02yeah I I could I could uh let him go
14:06forward so no problem.
14:07>> Okay. Who do you think wins that fight?
14:09Alexander.
14:12>> Uh I don't know. Uh Josh Hogan could
14:14could win. Uh and if he win and and in
14:19case I will win my fight because my
14:21fight next next fight and my next
14:23opponent is is very tough. Honestly,
14:25he's the Gistanian guy like uh very good
14:29in in all all
14:32skills. So it's it's a big challenge for
14:35me. So if I will win and if he will win
14:38yeah I just uh kick off his hand from
14:41his shoulder u and u doesn't matter if
14:46he have something uh mental problem or
14:48not I will do this so for me if het win
14:52will be the best way American versus
14:55Russian uh or if uh Ghana win it will be
15:00like good trilogy so anyway I will be in
15:03a plus so I'm not worried about All
15:06right, pardon the interruption, but I
15:08want to tell you about our good friends
15:09over at Kshi. We love Khi around these
15:12parts. They are the largest prediction
15:15market in the United States of America.
15:17Let me tell you about Koshi. You're not
15:19playing against the house when you use
15:21Koshi. Koshi is peer-to-peer trading.
15:23You buy yes or no contracts on whether
15:26something will happen, and you're
15:27trading directly against other users.
15:30Think of it like buying or selling a
15:32stock. The line isn't set by some
15:33algorithm working against you. Public
15:36opinion sets the price. Cali is CFTC
15:40approved. That's federally regulated,
15:42which is why it's available all across
15:44the country, including California and
15:47Texas. If you download the Koshi app
15:50right now, and use code Helwani, Hel
15:53Wii,
15:55you can get up to $25 when you trade 25.
15:58Use that QR code right over there. Just
16:00scan it and voila. That's Kshi. K A L S
16:05H I Khi. Trade. What's next? And by the
16:09way, please support them because they
16:10support us. We love Koshi and we hope
16:13you do as well. Have you been told if
16:15you win this fight in Abu Dhabi, you'll
16:16get a title shot?
16:20Uh,
16:22you know, all these things do my manager
16:25I I can feel this. Uh, of course you see
16:29right now want me to finish uh guys, you
16:33know, like uh faster to knock him out
16:36and they little bit maybe disappointed
16:38with my two last uh shows. But uh look
16:44uh they give me guys who on the win
16:47streak like they give me young guys who
16:51on win streak and looking for title uh
16:53boss time and now the same they give me
16:56like a very hard opponent to winning. Uh
16:59they give to uh uh guy who never fought
17:03in heavyweight division. Uh now they
17:06give him uh guy with a um some problem
17:11as I say like who just uh
17:14I don't I don't sure is he ready for
17:16title for the five round fight. I I
17:19don't I I don't I don't I don't know if
17:22he have had any five round fight in his
17:25career at all. So, uh
17:30uh I
17:32don't know like um I I hope it should
17:36be.
17:36>> Can I ask um on the Instagram post when
17:39they announced this, you you posted like
17:41the laughing emojis right over there?
17:43>> Yeah, I was happy.
17:45>> You were happy for Josh because he has
17:47some issues. So, you thought it was a
17:48nice gesture.
17:50>> Yeah, of course.
17:52>> Why do you think he has a mental
17:54illness? What about him makes you think
17:55this?
17:56>> Yeah, because he act like this. No, like
18:00he do some some things like uh normal
18:04people did didn't do like I don't know
18:07in my mentality in in place when I grow
18:10up uh we call it mental illness. I don't
18:13know uh I don't know how how you call
18:15it. Uh it's
18:18uh not about entertainment. I know
18:20people take fun about it, but uh it's
18:23serious.
18:24>> Okay. Okay. So, you're not making a
18:25joke, you're being serious,
18:27>> of course.
18:28>> Okay. Okay. Uh who do you consider the
18:30best heavyweight in the world,
18:31Alexander?
18:33>> Right now?
18:34>> Yeah.
18:36>> Uh I think uh Francis Gun still
18:41unbeatable. I think Franc
18:44one of the best. I'm I I know he's a
18:47hard person to have a deal with, but uh
18:50this guy uh still unbeatable and uh
18:57and Tom Aspenol as well. He's a I think
19:00he's a true champion.
19:02>> Do you feel bad for Tom? What happened
19:03to him?
19:05>> Yeah, I feel a little bit better about
19:07him like because
19:09he kind of ruined his career. look so
19:12different before the fight with again he
19:16was uh in so good uh like win streak and
19:20in so good position
19:23um so yeah I like if I was on his place
19:27I I was a little bit frustrated so but
19:31u it is what it is uh I have my own
19:34career I have my own like goals
19:38so this happens so they open opportunity
19:41for me. Just just give it to me.
19:44>> I saw an interview with Surril. He said
19:46that uh he thinks that Tom is mentally
19:49fragile, that he he he doesn't deal with
19:52the eye pokes well, that he was looking
19:54for a way out, all these things. Do you
19:56think that's fair?
19:57>> Fragile? What? What? What does it mean?
19:59>> Like mentally weak?
20:04>> I I can say the same. I can tell the
20:07same about Gen honestly.
20:09>> Why? like
20:12watch his fight with John Jones John.
20:15>> Mhm.
20:15>> He just he just uh give up before the
20:18fight like uh and I feel the same with
20:23in fight with me when when I start
20:24pushing him. He I didn't I I didn't feel
20:27um you know something like he he tell he
20:33telling this doing dirty things you know
20:36he put his uh finger in eye on opponent
20:40and telling oh this guy is mentally weak
20:43because I I I'll uh uh I I I'll poke him
20:49and uh he uh say he don't want to fight
20:53you you did like uh is this not a rule?
20:57this there's not like a a thing we we
21:00could do you know I am from karate and
21:03uh um I did karata whole my childhood
21:07like and and I still doing this I have
21:09very strong fingers to to put in an ice
21:12like it's it's one of weapon karata
21:16people have so I can do every fight it's
21:19just uh not legal uh
21:23so I don't know um Why why he telling
21:27this doing if if he didn't do this if he
21:31just punch him hard or like do something
21:33and he he can tell this but he just uh
21:36uh make situation that uh champion
21:41should do surgery and now can fight and
21:45then another fight with a Pereira. He
21:49just start punching his back of the head
21:52like u
21:55like like every fight he loses
21:59like like I I don't I don't I can tell
22:01he will do it by purpose but he still do
22:03it and he have like kind of uh nothing
22:08apologize about this. He just say
22:10thinking it's okay.
22:11>> I know you have to go in a second
22:13because you have training coming up but
22:14I just wanted to ask you one last thing
22:15Alexander.
22:17This is so much fun. I can't believe it
22:19took us so long to speak to you. I feel
22:21even worse now. We have to have you on
22:23more often. You're incredible,
22:24Alexander. This is one of my favorite
22:25interviews. You're amazing.
22:27>> What's up with Patty Pimpblelet stealing
22:29your hairstyle? Not cool, right? That
22:31was your style and now it seems like
22:32he's trying to uh to take it to another
22:34level. You did it first, right?
22:37Uh, no. I think uh Patty did it first.
22:39Uh, and yeah, and I'm just uh first time
22:43in my life try to grow up my hair and uh
22:46did did this braids. Um, yeah, right now
22:50I I I cut it. So I will be normal hair
22:53ne the next fight. Uh, but yeah, it it
22:57was fun. I didn't uh understand and
22:59recognize uh it happens when I did this
23:03because I did it for very first time.
23:05But when it uh uh starts, it was a very
23:09good meme for both of us. So, it's fun.
23:12>> You like the memes? I saw the other one
23:13where you put your your hand on uh
23:15Waldo's shoulders. You did that meme.
23:17This one.
23:19>> Oh, yeah. Uh it it wasn't it wasn't for
23:22a purpose, honestly. It it just u
23:25>> it just happened,
23:26>> you know. It just happened.
23:28>> I love it. I love it. Uh and and and
23:31what do you think happens? Uh, Kunv
23:33Volulov,
23:35October 24th. Tell us the I I feel like
23:37you you need you need an emphatic win,
23:40Alexander. Let everyone know who you
23:42are, who Drago is. Get that title shot
23:45once and for all. Get some respect. Make
23:47them make it up to you. What are we
23:49thinking on October 24th, UFC 333?
23:52>> Yeah, I will try. I'm I'm training hard.
23:54Like, I'm training very hard. I'm I'm
23:56trying to uh train overall. I know this
24:00guy will try to like pressure me,
24:02clinching me, maybe tank me down as
24:05usual everybody try to do. Uh I'm not
24:09sure he will be good enough in the
24:11striking skills to work with me on on
24:15the on the kickboxing, but he will maybe
24:18start with it. I should knock him out or
24:21submit him. Uh I I I'm very my purpose
24:24to finish this fight uh earlier.
24:28Uh but we will see what's happen. This
24:31guy is very tough. I told before I train
24:33I trained with him before when uh uh
24:36Uncle was in our gym because uh Kuniv
24:40also from Uncle team. So I know very
24:43good his coaches for a very long time. I
24:45was very young and um I I know his
24:48coaches from this this period like it's
24:51it's very like old and historical the
24:54Gistanian school. I I know those guys
24:56and they uh they everybody know me very
24:58good as well. So yeah, it will be hard
25:02fight but I I looking for finish.
25:05>> One very quick last thing I promise.
25:07Were you disappointed you didn't get the
25:08call to go on the MSG card or did you
25:11understand given what you said earlier
25:13about Josh? Was there any part of you
25:14that thought maybe I would get the call
25:16and they would move me to fight Gun or
25:19was that not something you were thinking
25:20of? Of course I'm thought about it
25:25but u as I told you before I'm not a guy
25:29who involved in matchmaking in UFC. I
25:32don't know. I don't know
25:34>> um like I I can just uh you know uh have
25:39some opinion why they do this. Yeah. And
25:42as I I as I see I told you reason why
25:45they put in. So So this is a great
25:49reason. So yeah. Oh, and and what did
25:51you think of Gable?
25:55>> Uh, yeah, this was like tremendous loss.
25:59I he was absolutely
26:02um it on the on the on the paper before
26:06this fight. Um yeah, and and and and
26:10this guy Sharab uh he trained with us as
26:12well a little bit and he didn't look so
26:16good as he compete uh this fight. So, so
26:21yeah, big respect for this fight and now
26:23he he he he had it. Uh respect to to
26:27Sharaf and uh
26:30I I just uh
26:32uh can say good luck to Gable. It's it's
26:35it just like fighting career he
26:40come back and and get better. We'll see
26:42if he can do this because he's he
26:44Olympian champion. Yes.
26:46>> Yes.
26:46>> Yes. Yes. So, so, so yeah, he have a for
26:49fighting spirit for sure to be Olympic
26:51champion of wrestling. It's very hard. I
26:53think he come back like it it could be
26:54like a you know kind of not a lucky
26:59punch. I I uh is for sure was was like a
27:02a good plan to just attack him in the
27:05first but maybe he come back to make
27:07some like you know work on it and come
27:10back stronger. So yeah, I think he will
27:13be very fast in in top ranking. Massive
27:16respect for you, Alexander. Thank you so
27:18much for the time. I appreciate it. Good
27:19luck October 24th. I feel great things
27:22are coming your way and it's so nice to
27:23connect with you finally. All the best
27:25to you and thank you for doing this
27:26before training.
27:27>> Thank you so much. Thank you. I
27:28appreciate it and thank for calling me
27:30here.
27:32There he is.
27:33>> Drago Alexander Vulkov. What a guy. You
27:36know, I have to give props to GC. He's
27:39been talking all morning about Alexander
27:41Vulov's debut on the program. And dare I
27:44say, he exceeded expectations.
27:47>> I had high expectations to the ceiling.
27:49We're at lunch. I was like, I can't wait
27:51for Volkov today. Everyone's like,
27:53"Yeah, man. I guess." And I was just
27:55like, "Yeah, y'all will see soon." He
27:57exceeded it and then some. I think he is
28:00my interim heavyweight champion in terms
28:02of like, you know, we all love Tom
28:03around the program, but while he's out,
28:05Volkov is my king.
28:06>> Dare I say, the uncrowned interim
28:09heavyweight champion.
28:11>> You can't love this guy anymore. I
28:12didn't know where he was going with the
28:13hookah thing. Didn't break a smile
28:16>> at the very end. You could kind of see
28:19it like pursing through just a little
28:21bit.
28:21>> Holy smokes. I did not expect that.
28:23>> I got to remember this for uh promo of
28:25the year when awards come around.
28:26>> That was great. Thanks for watching this
28:28video. Before you go, if you haven't
28:30already, hit that subscribe button for
28:32us. Also, give us a thumbs up, leave a
28:34nice comment. These things go a long
28:36way. And while you're here, do check out
28:39the rest of the channel. We've got live
28:41shows and full interviews, clips, and a
28:43whole lot more. We're doing big things
28:44here, and we appreciate your support
28:46very much.