Idman.biz
Azerbaijani mixed martial arts (MMA) master Asef Chopurov admitted that the victory in the fight for the championship belt at the "UAE Warriors" tournament held in Abu Dhabi was so easy for him that he even had the opportunity to smile at Habib Nurmagomedov during the match.
According to Idman.Biz, the Azerbaijani representative won a confident victory against South African fighter Demarte Penya in the title fight in the lightweight category at the "UAE Warriors" tournament held in Abu Dhabi.
"Our plan was to keep him under pressure and show superiority throughout all rounds. Everything went as we planned. After the end of the third round - which was the last - I was surprised that I didn't feel tired at all. We even smiled at each other with Habib Nurmagomedov during the fight. I guess this was the only fight where I had everything completely under control," Chopurov said in an interview with the Vestnik MMA YouTube channel.
He also revealed what happened between him and Habib Nurmagomedov.
"I smiled and winked at him, and he responded by clapping. I think he remembered me," the fighter noted.
It should be noted that five rounds were planned in the title fight, but the South African fighter refused to continue the fight after the third round.
"In one episode, he wanted to hit me in the body with a leg kick, but I returned that kick very hard with my elbow. After that, his pace slowed down, his tempo decreased, and I also surpassed him in terms of endurance. I think he got discouraged at some point, because between rounds he was sitting in the corner, and I was standing, walking, talking to my friends, and even had time to calm them down. So, everything went great," Chopurov said.
The Azerbaijani fighter also spoke about the prospects of moving to the UFC.
"I really hope that my manager Rubi (the fighter's manager Daniel Rubenstein – ed.) will finally start working. God willing, maybe I'll get there next year, or maybe this year, with a short notice (i.e., when one of the fight participants cannot participate at the last moment – ed.) I may have the opportunity to get there. I am always ready, whether there is a fight ahead or not, it doesn't matter - I am constantly training. I just enjoy the process itself," Chopurov emphasized.
Meanwhile, the fighter admitted that he feels so good after the fight that he is already ready to fight at the "UFC 321" tournament to be held in Abu Dhabi this weekend and replace any athlete.
"If any fighter gets injured, I am ready to replace him. For example, if Mario Bautista is out of the fight, I am ready to face Umar Nurmagomedov. It doesn't matter who I fight, I am ready to fight at any moment," Chopurov said.
Our athlete also admitted that the American PFL organization offered him three times more money than UFC to sign a contract.
"I'm not chasing money, because I have a dream, a goal, and I'm going towards it. And money will definitely come with time," Chopurov added.
Teymur Tushiyev
