Freestyle wrestling world champion and Olympic medalist in Moscow 1980 Magomedkhan Aratsilov shared his attitude to MMA in an interview with SE.
“I don’t really like MMA. I am an intelligent, peace-loving person, I do not like to beat the face. And I watch wrestling, all major tournaments. I am a patriot of my sport. I can see right away who has some mistakes in the fight. As they say, experience. My years are my wealth. I sometimes watch MMA by the will of fate, but I do not approve of it.
I have never hit anyone in the face, and I have not been hit. The grandson somehow wakes up: “Grandfather, who are you for – for Khabib or for McGregor?” I thought he wanted to go to McDonald’s. I have a great relationship with Khabib, his father was my friend. All of them are former wrestlers. If there was no fight, they would not have won anything. Even my student Ali Isaev won a million in MMA, he is a wrestler.”
Aratsilov became world champion in 1978 in Mexico, winning gold in the 82 kg category. Two years later, at the Games in Moscow, the wrestler took silver, losing in the decisive fight of the 5th round to the Bulgarian Ismail Abilov.
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