Widely considered the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist in the history of the sport, Fedor has always had an air of mystery about him, causing fans to speculate wildly about his personal life and skills. But recently released information from his inner circle reveals that Fedor is deeply entrenched in fight preparations, with little time for anything else.

Sequestered in his training camp in the small, secluded town of Stary Oskol in a remote Southwest corner of Russia, Fedor prepares for what will surely be one of his most challenging fights to date. To arrive in this ancient and isolated city takes a lengthy 12-hour train ride from Moscow, followed by a three hour bus ride.

Fedor reveals exclusive facts and quotes about his training regimen and his upcoming fight at a “Day of Reckoning,” to take place on January 24th at Honda Center in Anaheim, California and live on Pay-Per-View.

Trainers:

At 12 years old, Fedor’s family could not afford to buy him the Judo suit and training shoes he needed for class, so his first trainer, Vasiley Gavrilov, bought them for him.

Fedor remains loyal to his earliest trainers, such as Vladimir Voronov, who has trained him since he was 12 years old, long before his MMA career began. Voronov specializes in Sambo and Judo. In 1997, he was training Fedor for the Russian national Judo team, in preparation for the Olympics. Since amateur athletes in Russia at the time received no economic support from the government, many fighters would work as hired muscle for the mafia. So in 2000, Voronov and Fedor decided to focus on MMA.

At that time, Fedor enlisted Alexander Michkov to be his second trainer and striking coach. Michkov is a “Master of Sport” in boxing, the highest level a boxer can achieve in Russia. He has been with Fedor and Voronov since 2000.

Fedor often travels to Holland to train with Yogan Vos and Lucien Carbin, two more reputable members of his training circle, who focus on developing his Muay Thai skills.

Stary Oskol- Russia:

Stary Oskol is a small mining town in the Belgorod region of Russia, located 385 miles south of Moscow. The city sits on one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. With more than eight million tons of iron ore mined there per year, most locals make their living in the mining industry in one form or another. The population of about two hundred twenty-five thousand live eight thousand feet above sea level. At this time of year, Stary Oskol is in the dead of winter and covered in a thick layer of snow. Although there is a small airport in the city, it is rarely used throughout the year, and never in the winter. Everyone in the town knows Fedor and praises his signature humility.