Interview with Sam Cardan (manager, creator and leader of the Red Fury team) Red Fury - the road to the UFC Thanks to Sam Cardan, in less than two years, 5 of our fighters have already made it to the UFC. On this moment In the UFC, his team is represented by: Khabib Nurmagomedov (5-0 in the UFC), Adlan Amagov (2-0 in the UFC) and fighters who are yet to debut - Adam Khaliev and Alexandra Albu, and Azamat Gashimov (unfortunately was fired). His players perform in another well-known American organization - Bellator, Shakhbulat Shamkhalaev became the winner of the eight tournament there. Most recently, Sam Carden announced new members of his team, this time the “recruits” were: former M-1 champion Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Hussein Khaliev, who have already flown to the States and started training. QUESTION: Good afternoon Sam, tell us about the newcomers of your team, have you already looked at them in action, your first assessment, noted their strengths and weaknesses, have you already drawn up an action plan? Sam Cardan: Hello. Yes, I have already looked at the guys and we already have a plan. Magomed feels very good in the standing position, has good protection against penetrations to the legs, and is very strong physically. Like most of our compatriots, he needs to work on jiu-jitsu from the back and from the clinch against the cage, getting up and defending against takedowns. Hussein Khaliev is a very talented guy, and also a great friend. He fits perfectly into the character of our team. About Hussein I will say that he has a very good stance, good grappling, he needs experience working with Americans in the cage. The ring and the cage are completely different things, they have their own specific work, and as a rule, our fighters prefer to work in the cage after they adapt to it. Hussein needs experience in the cage, as well as sparring with top-level fighters. QUESTION: Where will they train, have they already chosen a gym? Sam Cardan: The Red Fury team, consisting of Magomed Sultanakhmedov, Khusein Khaliev and Alan Kaitukov, will go to Miami, Florida, to train at the American Top Team (ATT) gym. We have a good relationship with the owner of the club, as well as with some fighters, in particular with Hector Lombard. There are many famous and technical fighters there, Rustam Khabilov’s recent opponent Jorge Masvidal, Robbie Lawler and many others. QUESTION: What are your plans for their performances, do you already have any ideas? Sam Cardan: Magomed Sultanakhmedov will be preparing for his debut in mid-December, while the opponent and details are not known. Indeed, it is very difficult for him to organize a fight with a record of 18-5 and being former champion M-1. We are also planning 2-3 fights for Hussein in the States, then, depending on the results, we will sign him with the UFC. QUESTION: Where is Adam Khaliev now, what are the plans for him, are there already offers from the UFC for an opponent? Sam Cardan: Adam is still at home, waiting for information from the UFC. So far there have been no proposals, I think that by the end of this month the situation regarding it will become clearer. QUESTION: Your fighters train in almost all the famous gyms in America, they are scattered and not concentrated in one. Is this specially designed so that they do not “cook in their own juice” or maybe there are other reasons for this? Sam Cardan: This is on purpose, they need their own spies everywhere (laughs). We distribute our fighters according to weight categories and the style of their technique, selecting sparring partners. There are many good fighters in the American Top Team that weigh in with Hussein and Magomed. QUESTION: What difficulties do you face when organizing training camps for them, how do the gyms receive you, because in fact, the gyms in which your fighters are represented are the leading MMA gyms in America? Sam Cardan: Yes, indeed, these are the best halls in America. We are received well, our fighters have given us a good reputation. Khabib is already at home in AKA. Adlan, a trainer at Jackson*s MMA gym, is considered one of the most promising fighters today. Hector Lombard made me promise to come to Florida ATT and bring his guys. Our guys are respected and loved in all the gyms, they behave with dignity, train hard and deserve respect. For example, Shakhbulat Shamkhalaev is invited to all the cool gyms in America. QUESTION: When will it be possible to see Shakhbulat’s return? What is known about it? Sam Cardan: He will take part in the next season of Bellator. He has already started studying. QUESTION: The UFC has planned a number of tournaments in Europe in 2014, Russia is not yet on the announced list, and when asked about Russia, Dana White replied that they don’t have time to think about it yet. Meanwhile, Russian representation in the promotion is growing, fighters are showing spectacular and tough fights, becoming recognizable in the USA and in the world, and a logical continuation of all this would be a tournament in the capital of Russia. Do you communicate directly with the management of the promotion, have you had such a conversation or thoughts on this topic? Sam Cardan: Yes, we communicate with them, as far as I know, now they have no designated plans for Russia. In the near future they are going to visit Poland, in connection with this I signed the KSW welterweight champion - Aslambek Saidov. QUESTION: Is he signed to Red Fury or is he already in the UFC? Sam Cardan: So far only in Red fury. QUESTION: It often happens that a lot of interesting things remain behind the scenes. After winning the last fights between Khabib and Adlan, Dana White wrote admiring messages on his Twitter addressed to them. Somehow after the fights, he noted that Dana addressed them, or you personally? Sam Cardan: Yes, he talked to me for a long time, then we discussed the Khabib fight and the possibility of signing Adam Khaliev. After Adlan’s fight, he came up again and said that we have a very serious team and daring fighters. Well done, keep it up. Indeed, Khabib and Adlan have proven themselves well and paved the way for the rest of our guys in the UFC. When there was a conversation about signing another fighter, I was given the right to choose whether to sign any of our fighters on the list. I consulted with the team, and we decided that Adam Khaliev was the best fit. Adlan also advised me to sign Adam. QUESTION: What advice would you give to young and ambitious fighters from Russia who set the highest goals for themselves? Sam Cardan: Work hard, believe in yourself, don't take the easy way out and be patient. Sam, thank you for your time and good luck to your entire team. In Russia they look after you, they root for you and they worry about you. Sam Cardan: Thanks everyone for the support.
MMABoxing: Did you play sports as a child?
Sam: I did wrestling as a kid, nothing serious.
MMABoxing: How did you end up in the USA? How long has it been since you last visited Russia?
Sam: I’ve been in the USA since 1997, I was in Russia a couple of weeks ago, I’ll go again in a couple of weeks.
MMABoxing: What's the difference between K-Dojo and Red Fury MMA? Are you together?
Sam: K-Dojo is a club that I created with Murat Keshtov, but we did not agree on opinions, and I created the Red Fury team, under the auspices of which all our guys perform. K-Dojo is not affiliated with the Red Fury team.
MMABoxing: Why did you decide to become a manager of MMA fighters?
Sam: I thought that our guys were not promoted enough in international MMA, although there was talent. We sat with Misha Malyutin and talked about it. He introduced me to Adlan... That's where it all started.
MMABoxing: Are you planning to sign someone in the UFC, Bellator or WSOF in the near future?
Sam: Yes, we are now preparing personnel for the UFC. Now we are recruiting, we need heavyweights, girls, fighters in 57 kg, 84 kg and 93 kg.
MMABoxing: What is known about next fight Azamat Gashimov?
Sam: So far, Azamat’s fate is unknown, we are trying to get another chance for him.
MMABoxing: How do you search for new fighters?
MMABoxing: If a fighter is really talented, can he turn to you for help?
Sam: Yes, I welcome that, we’ll be happy to talk.
MMABoxing: Why did Slava Vasilevsky separate from you? Or is that not true?
Sam: Slava was not separated, two weeks ago we sat with him in Moscow, he was separated (smiles). Unfortunately, he signed with Bellator as an M-1 fighter, thus putting himself in a bind. He was sure that he had not signed a contract with M-1, but apparently he forgot.
MMABoxing: Which fight are you most looking forward to?
Sam: Fights: "Shahbulat Shamkhalaev - Hakob Stepanyan" (September 13), "Imanali Gamzathanov - Robert Plotkin" (September 20), "Pat Healy - Khabib Nurmagomedov" (September 21) and "Adlan Amagov - TJ Waldburger" (September 19 ).
MMABoxing: What is your prediction for the Henderson - Pettis 2 fight and what result do you expect?
Sam: I think Henderson will win this time, hopefully he will be more aggressive.
MMABoxing: In your opinion, the best fighters in the history of MMA?
Sam: JSP, Fedor Emelianenko, Jon Jones, Roy Nelson and Anderson Silva.
MMABoxing: What can you say to Red Fury fans?
Sam: Thank you to everyone who supports our fighters. I often read forums, there is a lot of positive things about our fighters. I ask the guys not to differentiate by nationality in a negative context. In America we are all “Russian” and represent Russia. I am sure that this fall our fighters will give us many pleasant victories. Challenging fights await Shah in the Bellator tournament, Khabib in the fight with Pat Healy and also Adlan with Waldburger. These are real tests and our guys, by the will of the Almighty, will pass them.
Interview prepared by: Kantemir Gaunov.
Without this man, perhaps the undefeated Russian lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov would never have fulfilled his childhood dream and would not have gotten into the strongest championship in the world of martial arts - UFC. The name of this wizard is Sam Carden. The Russian emigrant, who took root in America, almost by chance learned about such a fighter as Khabib, saw clips of his fights and, after talking with his father, signed him to the “octagon”. In addition, Sam is promoting other Russian and, in particular, Dagestani fighters to the best American promotions. Day by day, the list of Dagestan athletes who have signed contracts with the Red Fury team is growing. We will see them all soon... About potential champions, the signing of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the intricacies professional MMA, its differences with boxing and simply about America - in an exclusive interview with a world-famous manager to our weekly magazine.
– Sam, tell us how you got into this business? MMA, in your opinion, is a sport in which rich people can invest, expecting a quick return, or is it more of a philanthropy, a hobby?
– In 2007, I and my partner founded a club specializing in karate and MMA. The hall was located in New Jersey. I think MMA is picking up steam at the moment and if it's not all about the money right now, it will be a serious business over time. In principle, this is what it already is for many people. But not for all businessmen whose money is in MMA. For now, this is a hobby and philanthropy.
– Can you compare the level of development of mixed martial arts and professional boxing?
– Boxing is more popular in wider circles, but MMA follows closely behind. This is primarily due to the fact that professional boxing has a rich history and traditions. MMA is just developing; it is actually a very young sport. And, as a result, fees in boxing are significantly higher than in mixed martial arts. But I believe MMA will outpace boxing as a whole. And some UFC shows have already done this.
– You can often hear the opinion that MMA has already eclipsed boxing. Is this so, in your opinion? And what would you, as a functionary, take into account from professional boxing? It doesn’t matter in what segments: training of athletes, their promotion, relations with television...
– I think that MMA will outstrip boxing in popularity, as I already said, I believe in it. Not only me, but also the UFC has already borrowed certain aspects of promotion of fighters and relations with television from boxing. This needs to be learned from them...
- IN professional boxing a slightly different business model. There is a lot of money circulating in it, but at the same time there are many undercurrents and intrigues. It's different in MMA. There is a monopolist - the UFC - and no one else is nearby. In your opinion, if in MMA, as in professional boxing, there were three or four strongest organizations, would this be beneficial in the development of mixed martial arts?
– Yes, I think that if MMA had several versions, equivalent organizations, it would be to the benefit of the fighters and the public. More choice, which means viewers would see more interesting fights. Now there is a giant - the UFC. Bellator is close on his heels. But the problem is that in America the masses believe that MMA is the UFC. They are inseparable in their understanding.
– How did you take the news that the UFC bought out and closed a pretty decent organization – Strikeforce?
– I welcomed this news because it meant this to me personally – Adlan Amagov gets into the UFC. It was in this regard that it was good news. I maintain relationships with Strikeforce and its directors; they are actively involved in the UFC.
If we believe in a fighter,
then they will believe in the UFC
– Sam, tell us how your company Red Fury works? What problems do you solve, what are you striving for, and is it difficult to get under the wing of your management team? What requirements do you have for a potential Red Fury fighter?
– Task number one is the promotion of our fighters on the international stage. To have a champion in every division, in every strongest organization in the world, primarily in the UFC. It’s easy to join our team; to do this, you can go to our website redfurymma.com and on social networks Facebook and VKontakte. Also Eldar Eldarov And Mikhail Malyutin are engaged in the selection of fighters in Russia. In principle, most of our guys participate in the selection of fighters: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Shakhbulat Shamkhalaev, Timur Valiev, Rustam Khabilov. We consult with the guys, since everyone knows each other. Eldar is also the exclusive supplier of red fury clothing in Dagestan. Fighters can safely post their information link on the “Sherdog” website and a video with a compilation of fights. We will consider all candidates. The most important requirement is an open relationship and commitment. I hate it when they cheat and try to use you.
– Let’s say you discern talent in an athlete and place certain hopes on him. How do you convince the management of the same UFC to sign a guy to your promotion? What do the bosses of the “octagon” pay attention to?
– The bosses of the “octagon” pay attention to many factors and, believe me, not only the record. If we believe in a fighter that he is ready, he will be signed.
– Are there any cases in your practice when a fighter signed to a major promotion did not live up to your expectations? And if an athlete is fired from one organization, do you immediately find him another or also cut off relations with him?
– Yes, this happened, of course, a couple of times. We are trying to work with the fighter to bring him back to the promotion. It all depends on the fighter. Now we are trying to test athletes at local shows before signing them to the UFC or Bellator. We have now Imanali Gamzathanov will perform at Ring of Combat, as well as Timur Valiev.
– How do American functionaries feel about Russian and, in particular, Dagestani fighters? Are they interested in them, does the language barrier leave its mark?
– Yes, the Americans are very friendly. They are very simple people. Dagestan and, indeed, all our fighters find a common language. Of course, the language barrier plays a role, but with the help of gestures and at least a little knowledge in English our soldiers feel like they belong among the Americans. As a rule, our guys are not inferior to American athletes in any way and immediately deserve respect. Khabib, for example, fit well into the AKA team, Adlan into the Jackson Winkeljohn team. American sparring partners speak well of them: Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez and others. Shakhbulat has long been his guy in the Bombsquad team.
– Can you name the main qualities of a fighter, the presence of which guarantees him the love of the public and interest from promoters?
– Character, courage, charisma. You have to be either bad or good, you can’t be either fish or fowl. And if you can be both bad and good at the same time, you will become a star. Khabib, for example, wore a T-shirt that said “If Sambo were simple, it would be called Jiu-Jitsu.” Such things evoke different feelings, but most importantly, they attract attention. Good PR. Shakhbulat drives a Ferrari to the fight, many people don’t like it. Look, the American is walking, and he, a fighter from Russia, almost drives into the cage in a Ferrari. And this is his trick.
– What advice would you give to athletes who are now in Russia, in Dagestan, but are training hard and dream of getting into the states, UFC?
– Of course, you have to train hard. Always work on mistakes. My advice to fighters from Dagestan is to take part in serious fights, and don’t just get a record, don’t chase it. Technically, the Russians are lagging behind in wall jiu-jitsu work. This is a very important element of preparation for fights. And there are many such elements. Getting into the UFC is much easier than staying there.
Khinkal cannot be banned,
Certainly…
- Let's move on to the topic of training fighters. Is it realistic to live in Russia, train at home and prepare for fights abroad? Is it possible to demonstrate good results with such a model?
– Yes, I think it’s possible, but I recommend coming a month before the fight. It will take 7–10 days for acclimatization. When training in America, it is very important to work with existing UFC fighters. Adlan, Khabib, Shakhbulat can train in Russia and show results, but the experience of working with Jon Jones Josh Thompson, Jim Miller, Edson Barbosa, Eddie Alvarez, Frankie Edgar and many others is irreplaceable.
– What is the significant difference between the training of domestic and foreign fighters? Can you name the main factors in which we lag behind, for example, the Americans and Brazilians? And in what ways, on the contrary, are we superior to them?
– We are superior in spirit, we are behind in work against the cage, on the ground, in work from the back and in ground-and-pound. Many Russian fighters have no experience cutting weight and do it incorrectly. In Russia this is not so important, but Americans carry from 7 to 18 kilograms. This gives an advantage in physics. Well, we must not forget about the “functionality”; all Russian fighters need to improve it.
– One of the main problems that Russian fighters face upon arriving in the United States is the availability excess fat and painful weight loss. Are there any recommendations for tracking your weight for athletes from Russia?
– For everyone – an individual approach. Of course, I’m not saying to completely exclude khinkal - mothers and grandmothers will swear. Weight loss is different for everyone. Khabib, as a rule, races without problems, and so does Adlan. And Shakhbulat and I race together.
– The first Dagestani fighter on your team was Khabib Nurmagomedov. Why did you choose him, and what hopes do you place on him now?
- Yes, Habiba recommended it to me Eldar Eldarov. This happened when we were communicating on Facebook. He is a disciplined guy, with spirit and respect, I liked him immediately. Khabib really lives MMA and knows everything about it. He has a goal in life; when he goes into battle, his eyes light up. I'm sure he will be a champion Eagle deserved it. And we must not forget that he paved the way for many Dagestani fighters.
– In his recent interview with our publication, Khabib expressed the idea that as soon as he manages to become UFC champion, he will immediately leave the sport. And this can happen in at least two fights. Do you think it’s too early for him to leave, won’t he regret it later?..
- Let's see what happens when he becomes champion. I won’t make any guesses, of course, I think it will be too early to leave the sport. He has his whole career ahead of him. But he makes the decision, we only advise.
Dagestan fighters
front
– Now there are many Dagestani fighters under contract with your company. Most of them have not yet signed contracts. Can you tell us about the prospects of these athletes, and in what promotions we can see them? In particular, Rashid Magomedov, Magomed Sultanakhmedov, Arsen Abdulkerimov, Timur Valiev, Salim Davydov...
– Yes, we are now preparing personnel for the UFC. Arsen Abdulkerimov has already fought in the ring of combat. He's at Shelton Graves, in the first round, 80 fighters from this organization entered the UFC. It was a good experience working in the cage for Arsen, one more fight - and he can go to the UFC.
Now Imanali Gamzathanov is preparing for a fight on September 20, also in ring of combat. After a couple of fights it will be possible to sign them with the UFC. Now he has a record (6-2), he is a very interesting, promising fighter. I organized training for him with Frankie Edgar, Edson Barbosa, Eddie Alvarez - he trained with them for about a month. Unfortunately, he suffered a slight dislocation of his shoulder at one point and therefore did not compete in July as planned. He is a very interesting fighter, I will say this: he practically did not lose to either Frankie or Edson, and in the fight he has an advantage over both. A very promising guy, a very spectacular fighter. Timur Valiev and other guys will also fight in local shows to start. I don’t want to sign them to the UFC or Bellator right away, I want them to first perform in smaller promotions and gain experience. I want our team to take quality, not quantity. For example, I could give the same Imanali a couple of fights in Russia and sign him to the UFC. But the thing is, I don't want him to go out and lose. Although I think that he would not have lost, let him still have the experience of fighting in a cage, the experience of performing in normal arenas - with light, sound, and spectators.
– Meanwhile, you also concluded contracts with Chechen fighters. These are the Amagov brothers and the Khaliev brothers. Adam Khaliyev was already rumored to join the UFC, but for some reason this contract fell through. Can you tell me why?
- Yes, Khalievs also with us. There was no contract with the UFC. They were signed to our team, and someone mistakenly started rumors that they were in the UFC. The Khaliyevs will be there very soon, but for now we are preparing visas and preliminary fights in America. I think he just said that he was signed to our team, and this was already inflated into something that was not true. He himself didn’t say that he was signed to the UFC, I talked to him. Apparently, the fans already have such a simple logic: if he’s signed with Red Fury, it means he’s signed with the UFC. It is not always so. Adam is a great drummer and I think he will destroy everyone here. We need to work on wrestling and grappling, as well as boxing. His work from a distance is superb. I think he can also be tested in a couple of tournaments in America, and he will be ready for the UFC.
– By what parameters do you determine American gyms for this or that athlete? What characteristics of a fighter do you take into account? For example, if this is a wrestler, then you send him to the gym where there is good trainers by “blow”, and vice versa? Or are there other criteria? Can you name the top 5? the best halls in the States?
– Top 5 gyms: Jackson's MMA, AKA, Blackhouse, American Top Team, extreme couture.
I mean that these are top clubs in terms of such indicators as sparring partners, the attitude of coaches towards fighters. Of these five, I prefer Jackson's MMA, I have a good relationship with the coaches of this club.
Yes, a wrestler - to a club with a good “strike”, a drummer - to a club with good wrestling. I select a club based on what kind of sparring partners there are. For example, we are planning to go with Adlan to the champion Georges St. Pierre. And this will be a good experience for Amagov. Also Johny Hendrix has been calling for a long time. Shakhbulat will train with Frankie Edgar and Alvarez. Timur Valiev and Imanali have been training with Edgar and Barbosa for a long time.
– There is a dual attitude towards Americans in our country. On the one hand, they are usually called the “fat nation”, on the other – sporty. As someone who has lived in the States for a long time, can you say what they really are like in sports? There is a lot to learn from them in terms of if not professional sports, then at least physical culture, healthy image life?..
– Yes, as a mass you can say that it is fatty. Here you get very fat from eating, but at the same time, when you go to work in the morning, you see how many people go for a run. Russian guys are constantly surprised by this. Nowadays in America many people pay attention to sports. And in general, Americans are very positive people...
Citing an unnamed source in the United States, the authors of the material claimed that the head of the team, Sam Carden, had left the business. At the same time, the team’s fighters were stuck in the United States in an uncertain state, and most importantly, they lost their money.
We will never know who this “our source” is. But, judging by the text, this is an English-speaking person, because his words are a somewhat crooked translation. They don't say that in Russian. Be that as it may, he turned out to be quite informed.
Further more. According to the “source,” Sam Carden not only left, but also took with him money intended for Russian fighters. And Shakhbulat Shamkhalaev and Alan Kaytukov even eat only once a day!
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the story of the rivalry between Sam Carden and Murat Keshtov has come to light. As you know, Red Fury left K-Dojo at one time, and Cardin was able to intercept several promising fighters from Keshtov, including Khabib Nurmagomedov. Half a year ago Murat Keshtov gave great interview website BloodAndSweat, in which he rather tactfully shed light on the circumstances of the rise of Carden and his Red Fury team. Here's what he said then:
How did it happen that Khabib, Adlan and Azamat left K Dojo and moved to Red Fury? What disagreements did you have with Sam Cardan? Now fighters are training, in fact, in two camps - at Jackson and at AKA
- Yes, they sent me a link to the words of Shamil Kardanov (Sam Cardin - editor's note) about our club. You know, I’m not one of those people who sit at the computer and throw mud at others, and until today I didn’t even want to remember those events and this person, and never mentioned him publicly anywhere.
But now I have to react accordingly. In this case, for me it is already a matter of protecting the honor of the K Dojo club. And today I would like to dot all the i’s.
They write to me a lot about that situation, ask questions, and, of course, I cannot answer every one of them, but I would like to outline a number of, in my opinion, the most important points, giving the answer to why Shamil Kardanov and I diverged.
It’s worth starting with the fact that in 1998. We were introduced by a mutual friend from Russia. Shamil had just arrived in America, asked for my phone number and said that he planned to go to Iowa in search of a suitable university. Then he was in the USA as an exchange student.
About six years later, he called me and said that he would like to settle in New Jersey, because there is a diaspora here, and asked me to help him marry a girl from the diaspora, since his period of stay in the United States was expiring. Of course, I did not refuse to help my fellow countryman. He helped with everything he could, like a brother. He got a job as a bank employee.
- So, then you didn’t communicate?
-After several years, he complained that the bank was in crisis and he didn’t know what to do. That’s when I shared with him my plans that I wanted to create a team of professional MMA fighters from Russia and, in particular, from the Caucasus, since I was originally from there and had acquaintances there. I offered him a job at the K Dojo club.
We agreed that the fighters would stay with him, since he had a room with a separate entrance. This was his first responsibility, and he handled this responsibility very poorly. At that time, he was offered some other job, and he forgot about our agreements.
Leaving for work, he brought the fighters to the gym at 8-9 am, although training began at 10-11 am. The fighters were forced to stay in the hall all day, since he picked them up only at 10 pm.
This is very serious when we talk about heavy physical activity. Proper rest is an important component of an athlete's success. I spoke to him more than once or twice about this topic, but he replied that he could not do otherwise, since he had work.
- How did he respond to criticism?
- He was indignant. He didn’t understand why I devote so much time to fighters, and especially those from Russia. He said that there was a lot of trouble with them - housing, food, language barrier, and that there was no money to be made from them. The children made even more money for the subscription, and it’s better to just deal with them.
I saw the prospect and believed that the time would come and K Dojo would come out high level. When the first fighter K Dojo fought in the Bellator organization and the first fee appeared, Shamil’s opinion began to change.
I would like to add that I did not take money from any fighter for the training that I did twice a day, or a percentage of their fees, although the management club was K Dojo, and not Shamil Kardanov, as he seemed to everyone, which turned out later . I gave everything to Shamil, thinking that he was in a difficult situation and that he needed such support now.
Simply, due to my busyness in the hall, in order to allocate time for other matters that required my personal presence, I entrusted Shamil with something that did not require any outstanding abilities from him. This is the only thing he could help me with - to conduct business correspondence with potential fighters from Russia and with matchmakers in the USA. And it was my mistake.
When he got involved in all these processes, found out all our contacts, and thanks to the name K Dojo became more or less known in the circles of athletes and matchmakers, he simply abandoned our club. What do I mean by "threw"? I’ll tell you straight - Kardanov, without my knowledge, rewrote the contracts of Russian fighters, which were concluded by the K Dojo club, to other managers. Also, behind my back, having access to the club’s money, which was intended for renting premises, he secretly transferred it to his bank accounts. The list of his actions that brought damage to the club is quite long, and I will not list further.
- What was your reaction when you found out about all this?
- Of course, I was angry with him, and, despite the fact that we are civilized people, then I could not resist and wanted to talk to him like a man. But I still decided that there was a little honor in offending a person who had never even done exercises, let alone played sports. At the last moment I was able to stop, and there was no assault.
But after some time, I received an official statement in which it was reported that Mr. Kardanov had filed a complaint and indicated that I had beaten him, and if I offended him again, I would be imprisoned (smiles).
Naturally, after such actions of his, to put it mildly, I asked him to leave the club and never appear here again. Yes, I kicked this man out.
I heard conversations that Shamil allegedly lent me money to promote the business, but this is not true. Also, I hear rumors that the fighters left K Dojo because they were allegedly forbidden to pray there. But this also never happened and never will happen. We train guys of different nationalities and different religions, and we respect them all. In general, we are all like one family.
- So what happened? Why did Khabib, Adlan and Azamat leave?
- I can only say good things about Khabib, Adlan and Azamat. They are excellent, talented athletes and hard workers. I never had any misunderstandings with them. I have great respect for them, as well as for other athletes, because I know how much work they put into training.
Why did they leave? When Shamil's machinations came to light, unfortunately, Khabib and Azamat were here, and I did not want them to be drawn into this conflict with contracts and so on, especially at the very beginning of their careers. And, as I said earlier, due to Kardanov’s thefts, we had serious financial problems, because of which we ultimately ended up on the street.
The future of our club has become uncertain, but the guys from Russia were relying on us, to whom we promised help and support. Of course, it was very difficult for me to make the decision to part with such fighters, but I considered it my duty to accommodate them and agreed with other clubs about training for them.
I have a friend, Muhammad Lawal, who was training at AKA at that time. I asked him to negotiate with Xavier Mendez about training Khabib at AKA. Then Khabib and Azamat flew to Russia, and when they arrived the next time, Khabib, before the fight with Tibau, immediately went to AKA.
Adlan was in Russia at the time, and I did not have time to talk to him about this topic. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him since then. In addition, I spent all my time in the hall, and Shamil was always in sight.
Surely, the fighters did not know that it was I who provided Shamil with all the connections and brought him into business. They considered him the owner of the club, and me just a coach. I think he managed to present himself in the right light and convince them of the correctness of this decision.
- Sam Cardan said in an interview that K Dojo has a weak coaching level...
- In sports, Shamil has absolutely no qualifications to give at least some assessment of the abilities of this or that coach or fighter. Other fighters are looking for fighters for him. It is a fact. He himself is unable to assess the athlete’s data.
The only thing he can know for sure is that he has no advantage over K Dojo. We can sign a fighter to the UFC and place him in an elite gym, as was the case with Khabib. Finding good sparring partners is also not a problem. This is the real reason behind his words about K Dojo.
Instead of being grateful to us for the fact that we made him a whole career in MMA, when he had no idea about mixed martial arts, Kardanov manages to say something else about our club, coaches and fighters.
I didn't want to make it public and kept quiet about it ever since, but he crossed the line with his statements and forced me to do it. In this case, making those events public is an adequate reaction to his chatter. I hope I never hear from this man again.
I would like to add something about nationalities, since many people ask or think that our fighters are only from the Caucasus or belong to a specific national group. This is absolutely not true.
I myself come from a small village in the Caucasus in Karachay-Cherkessia and have not forgotten where I come from, but this does not mean that we do not have respect for other nationalities. I don't really go on social media. networks, especially Russian ones, but sometimes you have to watch the fights of our guys, and in the comments there is a lot of negativity on national grounds.
This is very unpleasant. If a fighter comes to me, then the least that interests me is his nationality. For me, a fighter is a fighter. If you got into our team, got under the roof of the K Dojo Warrior Tribe, then your nationality is K Dojo Fighter!
It is curious that within a few hours the original material about the collapse of Red Fury was deleted, and on the team’s page in social network a refutation of this news appeared, supposedly belonging to. to Sam Carden himself. However, judging by the comments, fans are not entirely convinced of the veracity of these words.
One can only guess who the unnamed source was? Why was the material removed? And what's really going on in the Red Fury Fight Team camp. If these words are true, then the situation looks rather ambiguous.
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