CHICAGO – The smile of Grigorii Popov is infectious.
Everywhere the UFC newcomer goes on fight week, he wears a wide grin. He keeps asking his teammates if his UFC 238 fight is real. And they’re happy to oblige, of course.
“Today, we trained at 6 o’clock in the morning, and I asked my manager,” Popov told MMA Junkie via his translator, who added: “His manager said, ‘Let’s just tell him it’s a prank. It’s just a joke.'”
UFC 238 takes place Saturday at United Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Chicago isn’t just a place where Popov is fighting. It’s a city he’s dreamed about and seen in movies. Nothing would’ve stopped him from coming here.
“Even if it takes me a month to fly, I would do that,” he said.
With a flight halfway around the world from Thailand, he almost did. Popov (14-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is facing former WEC champ Eddie Wineland (23-13-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC) in his first octagon about, which is no easy task. But he’s not worried about what might happen when the bell rings.
“My grandfathers used to actually fight for their lives,” he said. “They were all in wars. So for me to come into a fight where there’s a referee and rules, it’s pretty much like hard sparring for me.”
A positive mindset is Popov’s antidote for everything he encounters in the fight game. He figures there’s plenty of negative things in the world already – just look at social media. He might as well enjoy himself.
He’ll do that up until the moment he walks out to the arena. And, of course, his team will be there to give some encouragement.
“We’re waiting for the moment before the walkout to tell him it’s all a joke – let’s just go back home,” Popov’s translator told MMA Junkie.
To hear more from Popov, check out the video above.
For more on UFC 238, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
