FOX Sits Down with Oleg Prudius
Former WWE Superstar Oleg Prudius (aka Vladimir Kozlov) talks to FOX5NY about who would make him come out of fighting retirement.
Tag Archive for: MMA
Oleg Prudius Challenges Brock Lesnar to MMA Fight
/in News/by IPZFormer WWE Tag Team Champion “The Moscow Mauler” Vladimir Kozlov was recently a guest on The Roman Show. Kozlov said that he would like to challenge current WWE Universal Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar to a mixed martial arts fight.
Before signing with WWE back in 2006, Kozlov did have a fairly extensive background in various different forms of Martial Arts, including kickboxing, Russian Sambo, Judo, amateur wrestling, and Jiu-Jitsu.
Kozlov said the following on The Roman Show:
Wanting to face Brock Lesnar in an MMA fight:
“When I got signed with the WWE and when I was undefeated for a couple of years, fans wanted to see if I could fight Brock Lesnar. But at the time, I couldn’t find him because he left the WWE and he went to the UFC,” he said. “Since I left the WWE, he got back to the WWE from the UFC, so we couldn’t face each other. Right now everyone is asking me if I would challenge Brock Lesnar in an MMA fight. I am telling you if were to get this opportunity, I would like to face this animal. I would put in all my hard work. I will give up my productions. I’ll give up my movies, everything, to compete with the best athlete in the world, Brock Lesnar. He is strong, professional. I think the person who fights him deserves it because he is a legend. If I get this opportunity, I will train hard and face this animal. I spoke to Scott Coker of Bellator. At the time I was busy with productions,” he said. “I was in many projects because of traveling, but for a big fight like that, I will train and put everything on the table.”
Possibly returning to WWE in the future:
“WWE stays in my heart,” he said. “I am popular because of the WWE. When I used to wrestle, I created a fan base. Even in China, they know me because of WWE. The WWE is one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. I didn’t think of joining the WWE because I was busy, but if the opportunity will come then we can figure it out. I have a management group who decides what we are supposed to do. Let’s see what happens.”
C.M. Punk’s MMA career:
“He is a great guy. He is a hard worker. This guy can sacrifice himself to follow his dream,” he said. “Since he left the WWE, his dream was to fight in the UFC. I think he can put on a very nice fight. I like C.M. Punk. He is a nice guy.”
View the story at Wrestling News Source.
Alexey Oleynik in Men’s Health
/in News/by IPZThe UFC’s Alexey Oleynik – How the 40-Year-Old ‘Boa Constrictor’ Stays in Elite Shape
By Vinnie Mancuso
At 40, Alexey Oleynik is one of the oldest fighters competing in the UFC. But it’s a different, far more impressive number that earned Oleynik his “Boa Constrictor” nickname: 45, the record-breaking tally of submission victories the Ukrainian grappler has collected over his 20-year MMA career.
The heavyweight — who holds an overall MMA record of 55-11-2, 4-2 in the UFC — took a moment away from training for his May 12 bout against Junior Albini at UFC 224 to chat with MensHealth.com.
SO HOW EXACTLY DOES THE 4O-YEAR GET INTO FIGHTING SHAPE?
“In reality, I’m already in top shape year-round,” Oleynik said through a translator. According to the fighter, the months before entering the octagon is more of a fine tune-up than anything. “It’s like a train. It’s already moving, you just want to get on the right rail and move in the right direction.”
That direction doesn’t involve as much maxing out as you’d expect from UFC’s heaviest weight class. “It’s concentrating more on endurance of the muscle than the size of the muscle,” Oleynik said.
He added that because he’s a “submission artist,” he doesn’t want to “put on big muscles, to look like an Adonis. If I develop a very big chest and look like a bodybuilder, it would be hard for me to choke somebody out.”
The Workout
Oleynik’s training camp consists of 14 to 16 sessions a week, broken down into hour-and-twenty-minute periods. The first 30 minutes is always dedicated to cardio, with a focus on keeping up explosiveness over a long period of time.
CARDIO (30 MINUTES)
For strength training, Oleynik focuses especially on repetition over weight. “If I’m doing 6 to 8 reps with the heavy weight, I develop more size. I don’t need that,” he said. “My coaches know I need lighter weight, 15 to 20 reps.”
STRENGTH TRAINING (50 MINUTES)
The most important exercise of the day, Oleynik said, is a classic combination of both cardio and strength training: the sit-up.
“When you’re doing sit-ups your diaphragm constantly gets compressed, so it throws you off in terms of breathing,” he said. “This is what happens in a fight. So every time my training is over, I go down and have to finish at least 100 sit-ups with a twist.”
Recovery
Oleynik broke down some of the recovery routines that have kept him mostly injury-free over a decades-long career.
NUTRITION
“The most important thing when it comes to recovery, and actually the entire process of training, is nutrition,” Oleynik said. As a heavyweight, the fighter is in the unique position of technically being able to gain as much weight as he wants. But the 40-year-old has been able to compete at a high level for so long because his diet still consists mostly of lean meat, vegetables, and natural fats. “I coach my body as a working machine. Whatever you put in your body, that’s the outcome you’re going to have. Whatever gas you put in a car, that’s how fast it’s going to go.”
SLEEP
“You must, must sleep during training,” Oleynik told us, a feat easier said than done for the father of five. “That’s the tricky part. Some of my kids are young, they wake up in the night, they have to pee, or they want to eat.”
On average, he says, Oleynik sleeps 6 hours a night, but makes sure to sneak in an extra hour or two throughout the day.
RELAXATION
For Oleynik, the recovery process is as mental as it is physical, training your mind to switch gears when you leave the gym. Usually this starts with either an ice bath or quick stay in the sauna, but then it’s putting the fight out of mind until the next session.
“What I’m trying to do is, I’m trying to switch my mindset,” Oleynik told us. “I’m going with my kids to the zoo, to the movies, doing family things. You have to switch your mind from all the hard work and totally relax. Totally zoom out and concentrate on something, anything else.”
View the story on MensHealth.com.
MMA Crossfire Interviews IPZ Director of Combat Sports Alec Savitsky
/in News/by IPZNow that we have Conor McGregor, it’s easy to forget how reluctant many fighters were – and still are – to embrace the importance of branding.
Conor’s fearless combination of Irish steak and sizzle skyrocketed him not only to the top of the UFC, he quickly transcended combat sports with his formidable skills, charismatic personality, and business smarts.
It’s something that former USA National Combat Sambo coach Oleg “Alec” Savitsky appreciates.
Born in the Republic of Georgia, Savtisky will be 46 years old in 2018. He became a U.S. citizen in 1997 and is a three-time world championship medal winner, with a nine-year career in Combat Sambo and MMA (2000-2009). Known to friends as “Alec,” Savitsky successfully made the transition to the business side in various roles including a TV commentator, talent scout, and promoter for M-1 Global in the USA.
Savitsky was recently named Director of Combat Sports at management consulting firm International Players + Zito Partners (IPZ). He spoke to The Crossfire’s Kenai Andrews about his career and his new position.
View the Q&A here: https://www.mmacrossfire.com/2018/02/05/ipz-director-combat-sports-oleg-savitsky-opens-importance-branding/
OLEG SAVITSKY TO LEAD IPZ COMBAT SPORTS GROUP
/in News/by IPZFormer USA National Team Coach Named Director of Combat Sports for Agency
WARREN, NJ, January 24 – Oleg “Alec” Savitsky, former USA National Combat Sambo Team coach, has joined IPZ as its director of combat sports, the company announced today.
“I’m extremely excited to join IPZ and lead its combat sports group,” said Savitsky. “I’ve spent my entire life and career within combat sports, and I see a tremendous opportunity for us to help these athletes reach their full potential on and off the combat stage. IPZ has laid the groundwork for its clients’ success, and together, I believe we will be able to provide the services that every combat athlete is looking for in representation.”
Savitsky enjoyed a successful career as a Combat Sambo competitor and MMA fighter. Known as one of the most accomplished American athletes within Combat Sambo, Savitsky is a three-time World Championship medal winner. In 2008, Savitsky was selected to be a coach for the USA National Combat Sambo Team.
Following his career as a competitor, Savitsky continued to be involved in the world of combat sports as a promoter, TV commentator, and talent scout. Savitsky is a licensed promoter and was at the helm of organizing, promoting, and running M-1 Global shows throughout the U.S.
His experience as a fighter and mentor has allowed him to travel the world and develop strong relationships and contacts with the top current and former athletes, coaches, and promoters.
“Today is a very exciting day for IPZ,” said IPZ Managing Director Jeff Curtin. “Alec is a fantastic addition to the IPZ team. Alec’s experience, reputation, and global connections within the world of combat sports will allow us to immediately enter the market. From the first day Bob (Zito – managing partner of IPZ) and I met with Alec, it was evident that his character, values, and vision were in line with ours. We’re thrilled to have him officially join our team and we can’t wait to begin working together.”
About IPZ: IPZ represents clients in sports, media, and entertainment, providing management, contract negotiations, consulting, public relations and marketing communications support. The company, an alliance with Zito Partners, is built on the integrity of its professionals, maintains a family focus, and provides whole life solutions for its clients. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.
About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs. For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.
