While Vyacheslav Datsik plans to practice mixed martial arts with Jeff Monson, his future boxing rival Alexander Emelianenko is purposefully preparing for a fight in the ring. The fight is scheduled for September 24 and, I want to believe, it will still take place.

The younger brother of Fedor, even on his birthday on August 2, does not quit his job in the hall. At least the fighter himself explains his own gaiety on the holiday with training. The approach is correct – in boxing, he is unlikely to feel like a fish in water, serious preparation is indispensable. Alexander has already tried to prove himself in the ring, challenging the world champion. It didn’t work out very well.

Fans booed Emelianenko.

Retrained as a boxer

For Alexander Emelianenko, boxing is not entirely uncharted territory – he knocked out a lover of power extreme Mikhail Koklyaev. True, in the confrontation with a real boxer, the profile MMA fighter did not look so confident – he made his debut with a dubious draw.

It is impossible to judge strictly for not the brightest fight of Alexander. For his debut in boxing, he prepared not so long and carefully. Initially, Emelianenko was going to participate in a duel according to the rules of MMA, which was planned to be held in South Korea at the end of September 2009. There was indeed information in the press that a certain organization Fighter Mania Championship was preparing a duel between a Russian fighter and Bulgarian Blagoy Ivanov, who once offended Fedor Emelianenko at a combat sambo tournament.

Alexander sincerely believed that someone in Seoul was going to organize something, preparing to take revenge on Fedor’s offender. True, in an interview he said that he planned to fight with a certain Ivan Blagy, but the non-existent fighter did not enter the octagon. The existing Ivanov also did not meet on the path of Emelianenko – the Fighter Mania Championship promotion turned out to be fictitious.

The MMA fighter did not grieve for a long time – he temporarily retrained as boxers and agreed to enter the ring in early October as part of a charity tournament in memory of the founder of Russian professional boxing, Edmund Lipinsky. Emelianenko’s opponent was the world boxing champion among military personnel Khizir Pliev. For him, the fight was also a professional debut.

“We have to shoot. Not ready”

The European champion in sambo and the world champion in combat sambo, who had many fights in mixed martial arts behind him, had to get a new experience for himself – to spend four rounds of three minutes, following the rules of professional boxing.

The entourage corresponded to the real boxing show. The role of the ring announcer was played by, perhaps, the most famous Russian in this role, Alexander Zagorsky. The referee was the well-known judge of the European Boxing Council Alexander Kalinkin. And in the stands of the Moscow USZK RSUPC there was the most demanding audience, which from the first to the last minutes of the fight was skeptical about the capabilities of an MMA fighter in the boxing ring.

Almost all four rounds the audience watched the same picture. Pliev showed who was the boss in the ring, and skillfully worked on a popular fighter from the world of mixed martial arts. Emelianenko did not hesitate and tried to kill himself at every opportunity. Periodically hit, but rarely surprised the opponent. The profile boxer used Alexander’s numerous oversights and regularly delivered extremely unpleasant blows, after which the opponent’s head was shaken.

The fight, which was monotonous in its plot, was brightened up by comments from the audience – the fans did not believe in Emelianenko, but some, deep down, hoped to see some kind of miracle in his performance.

“He will fall now,” the voice of a skeptic sounded at the end of the first round.

Alexander did not fall and stubbornly continued to go forward, ignoring unpleasant blows.

– Goes forward, what’s next? What do you want?

– Why did you leave?

– After the attack, he stood still and did not move back – amateur technique, – they continued to criticize the MMA fighter.

– Maybe, of course, beat jocks …

– I think they should shoot him – he’s not ready, – the fan said after the end of the second round.

He shouldn’t have gone into boxing.

The discerning public nevertheless found positive sides with Emelianenko.

– Fizukha is his only plus

– If it hits, it won’t seem a little

Having lost by one wicket, according to the fans, three rounds, Emelianenko nevertheless became more active in the fourth. He did not become more technical, he continued to act monotonously, but by this moment the opponent was physically addicted, and Alexander had a hope to solve everything with one blow. Pliev at some point, for some reason, also decided to forget about defense and rushed into an exchange of blows, which was quite risky for him.

Everything worked out for the boxer – the fight ended, Khizir triumphantly raised his hand, an impressive support group immediately approached the ring. Alexander did not even begin to portray confidence in his success, without much hope waiting for the referee’s verdict.

The audience had no doubt that the victory would be given to Pliev – he has a boxing career ahead, and for Emelianenko, statistics in a non-core discipline is not fundamental. The judges, however, surprised – one determined the victory of a boxer from Ingushetia, the other two recorded a draw. The referee raised his hands to both opponents, the audience reacted with a whistle.