Sparring partners Dovlet Yagshimuradov and Josh Silveira could be set to fight for real as they move towards a spot in the PFL Championship.
Miami native Silveira faces a rematch of last year’s $1million light-heavyweight final when he takes on Impa Kasanganay this Friday in his hometown. Meanwhile, his American Top Team teammate Yagshimuradov takes on 2022 champion Rob Wilkinson.
The pair regularly spar hard rounds in the gym, but would need to split up their camps if they both pick up wins this weekend. And speaking exclusively with Bloody Elbow the pair opened up about what the plan will be if they are matched for the title.
Josh Silveira believes he will have to face teammate Dovlet Yagshimuradov in PFL finals
In the second round of fights, Josh Silveira faced Australian Rob Wilkinson, and despite losing a razor-close decision ended up getting the rematch with Impa Kasanganay that he desperately craved. And while he could be set for a series of rematches should Wilkinson progress, he backs Yagshimuradov.
“Rob is fighting my teammate and I want my teammate to win, don’t get me wrong,” he explained. “In the PFL this is my third champion in a row, Sadibou Sy, Rob Wilkinson and Impa, let’s go. They did [Bellator vs PFL] champs vs champs, what about the guy that f***ing fights all the champs?”
Dovlet Yagshimuradov refuses to be drawn on sparring stories ahead of potential Josh Silveira showdown
Silveira and Yagshimuradov are two of the premiere light-heavyweights at American Top Team, which is one of America’s most renowned gyms. They regularly face each other in the training room, although who gets the better of the exchanges is unclear.
“It doesn’t matter to me who’s going to advance from that matchup because whoever wins I’m going to fight that guy,” he explained via a translator. “It’s going to be awkward [if I have to fight Josh Silveira] because we spar.
“Actually sometimes when we spar it goes harder than an actual fight. I was just talking to him the other day about that.
“I basically said ‘if I advance and you advance then it’s going to be the finals and we’d be exchanging sparring partners’. So we were discussing how we’re going to share sparring partners and split our schedule.
However, he wouldn’t be drawn on how the fight would go based on the sessions they’ve shared, adding: “When it comes to sparring it’s very different to fighting. When you go to fight there are many factors to it.
“Your concentration, your stamina, psychological approach. All of that plays and you really don’t know how a person is going to react when they are actually fighting because it’s an extreme situation. So I can’t tell you how we’re going to behave but the cage will show.”
Related Topics
