How does he recall his first visit in Gdańsk? What does he think about his opponent? How did his preparations for KSW 23 look like? Mamed Khalidov answers these and many other questions in the interview below.

Watching your training I had an impression that you are bursting with energy. Are you one hundred percent ready to face Melvin Manheof on June 8^th in Ergo Arena?

- Even two hundred percent ready. Honestly, I am much better prepared than before the December’s show when I was supposed to fight Manhoef originally. I’m much stronger now. I’m in great shape and it’s getting better every day. In December I was ready, now I’m super ready.

You have thirty professional bouts in your record, but it is only your second fight in Tricity. How do you recall your KSW 16 visit here?

- I really like Ergo Arena. It’s a fantastic venue to hold such events as KSW. I’m happy to be able to compete there as it is spectacular and even bigger than Łódź’s Atlas Arena. The more people attend the show, the support is greater and it lends me the wings before my fight.

How did your preparations look like? From what I see you do the same drills as the whole group. Are they at the same sporting level as you?

- It’s an advanced group. Many of us fight professionally in Poland and sometimes abroad. There are obviously some aspects that are trained individually, but for the most part we do train together. Before the Manhoef bout I trained every possible aspect of the game. Six-time K-1 and mauy thai world champion Tomasz Makowski visited Arrachion to help me with my stand-up, while my friend, a superb Russian wrestler Dmitri Smolakov assisted in my grappling practice.

In December when Manhoef bout was cancelled, you were matched against Kendall Grove. You submitted him in the second round and now the American is set to face Michał Materla in Ergo Arena. Did Materla ask you for any advice?

- He didn’t have to. He saw my bout against Grove and I’m sure he analyzed it thoroughly. Even if I saw holes in Kendall’s game, Michał is a different fighter and my advice wouldn’t be helpful. I don’t worry about his victory, though. Michał is an extremely hard-working person and I’m sure he’ll handle his foe. He has to.

In the co-main event of KSW 23 Mariusz Pudzianowski battles Sean McCorkle. It seems that the two-meter-tall American, who fought for UFC and Bellator is the most demanding opponent in Mariusz’s career.

- I don’t really know McCorkle as I haven’t seen any of his fights yet, so it’s hard to me to judge. However, I see many positives in Pudzian’s MMA career. He was able to attract many new fans to our sport. We have remember that even before his debut Polish MMA scene was pretty strong, though.