Volkov: Bellator wants showmen like Kimbo Slice, not fighters

[THECYNDlCATE]

They told him he's gonna continue fighting then all of a sudden he gets cut.
He was 2 times HWGP champion.
Deserves more respect if you ask me.

But it still proves his point as wrong. He lost, they cut him.

Obviously they want fighters that win.

 

[Frank23]

It's a business.

 

[Lucifer Alpha]

But it still proves his point as wrong. He lost, they cut him.

Obviously they want fighters that win.

They just signed Leben.

 

[Aranha21]

Volkov's a young HW at 27 really. He has experience fighting stateside, IF (and I don't think he will beat Smoldaraev) he can win 2 in M1. He would be a good addition to the UFC.

 

[THECYNDlCATE]

They just signed Leben.

And Leban actually fights.

I am sure if he loses a few times, they will fire him too. Until then, its not even close to the same situation.

 

[CC27]

They just signed Leben.

And Kos

 

[CC27]

If his goal is to get into UFC then this is good for him, out of Bellator, get some fights in Russia and then look to get signed to UFC.

He's young.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

He's not wrong, Bellator is a joke now. It was better under Bjorn. Coker is terrible.

With that said, he'd have a tough time in the UFC. He got grappledfucked by Cheick Kongo. That's not good.

 

[LHWBelt]

if he can beat Smoldarev and Delija, yeah I think UFC can sign him, his TDD is bad but he is athletic and can fight the whole 3 rounds

Yeah like everyone says if he can add some muscle mass and work on his wrestling he can be really dangerous. He's already dangerous as it is. Smoldarev is no joke though. That's a great fight for someone who wants to go to the UFC, a big win like that makes him a lot more interesting because right now he's a "bellator reject".

 

[THECYNDlCATE]

And Kos

See above.

 

[Baguba171]

He's a pretty skilled heavyweight who needs to wrestle a little better. He makes a point about ratings, but that's how they make money.

 

[YesMySon]

it was so much bettter under Bjorn, yet he got rid of askren because he was in it for the show, not the sport. New Bellator is 10000 times more entertaining. It is so wrong and that is what makes it so right.

 

[lsa]

that's beyond fucked up if he really found out through the news.

i like watching him ufc should go after the man they need every HW they can get

Bbbut Bellator is the good guys, they would never do that!
Coker is a true gentleman and a scholar.

....

 

[InfinityLens]

And Kos

Kos is #12 in their WW division and Leben was #38 in the world when he retired so we can estimate him at like #6 or so in Bellator's MW division. They aren't just names but legit talent signs.

 

[Organic Damage]

They told him he's gonna continue fighting then all of a sudden he gets cut.
He was 2 times HWGP champion.
Deserves more respect if you ask me.

I think the best way to gain respect in a fighting promotion is to win fights.

Being able to talk and pop buyrates is a close second, however.

 

[Yoville]

I think the best way to gain respect in a fighting promotion is to win fights.

Being able to talk and pop buyrates is a close second, however.

No when Volkov fought two fighters that didn't want to fight but kept stalling against the cage

 

[mkt]

Points made, but Volkov let a 40-year old Kongo beat him. Kongo is now a Gatekeeper Lite. Don't talk about UFC belts if you can't pass that test.

 

[Philo-Publius]

Following back-to-back losses to Tony Johnson and Cheick Kongo, Volkov found himself out of the promotion, something he said was a surprise. In fact, Volkov said that he heard about his release through the news, not from any Bellator official.

“Just after the two losses, we had a talk with Bellator,” Volkov told MMAjunkie. “They told us that everything was OK, to continue life as a Bellator fighter. But after some months, I received news that I was fired from the organization. I heard it on the news, not from the organization itself. I really think that the organization wants to have other people like (Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson) who are showmen, not fighters. My main problem is the lack of PR and marketing – a lack of attention within the U.S. market.”

Volkov has signed a two-fight deal with Russian promotion M-1 and will compete for the heavyweight title against Denis Smoldarev (11-1) at M-1 Challenge 64, which takes place Feb. 19 at Olympic Sports Complex in Moscow.

While his sights are set on capturing a new belt and figuring out his next move, the 27-year-old can’t seem to get past his frustration over Ferguson’s place in Bellator.

“By no means do I think (Kimbo Slice is) a professional,” Volkov said. “I really think that it’s wrong to put on shows like that. I think that every MMA fan knows that neither Kimbo or his opponent would have a chance against me inside a cage. It’s not sports. This is a pure show, and sports lose out from that sort of thing.”

One of Volkov’s biggest career victories was his Bellator 120 win over Blagoy Ivanov. It was Ivanov’s lone career defeat and he has since moved on to capture the WSOF heavyweight title.

When asked about his interest level in a rematch, Volkov said he has his sights on bigger career goals.

“Right now, frankly, I’m more interested in a UFC belt, out of the American organizations,” he said. “I’ll think about my career after I fulfill my two fights in M-1. The UFC is the target, of course. But I don’t want to go there as just another fighter. I want to go there with a meaningful belt. I’m a young fighter, and I wish to take two steps forward, not two steps back. I want to move my career ow "meaningful" is a K-1 title?

How "meaningful" is a K-1 title? Just go to the UFC if you think you can hang in that heavyweight division.

 

[WSOFool]

Volkov? Doesn't the UFC already have a tall guy who can't stop takedowns in Struve?

I guess he could be a top 10 heavyweight by default though...lets see if he can beat Rosholt

 

[Ichibanner]

Volkov only had 3 losses in Bellator, two of which were decisions and a previous one that happened when he was only in his mid-twenties. He may not have been setting the world on fire, but Ken Shamrock has less wins in his last 30 fights then Volkov has in his last 20 and Shamrock will probably stick around. If Volkov (with most of his wins by TKO/KO) isn't a fighter then neither is Ken at this point. Bellator wants freakshows for casual fans and big name legends despite their age and ability to fight.