Ilja Dragunov Explains Why He Felt ‘Empty In A Good Way’ After Winning NXT Championship

Ilja Dragunov captured the NXT Championship at NXT No Mercy, defeating Carmelo Hayes. 

Dragunov has captivated audiences across the world with his in-ring performances and NXT No Mercy was another emotional content where fans rallied behind him to dethrone “Him.” In the end, Dragunov was able to overcome and fight his way past Hayes to win his first NXT Championship. 

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Dragunov was asked how he felt once he was by himself and could soak in the moment. 

“When this moment was there, I felt empty, but empty can be good sometimes. I have this thing I say, when one day, when I’m gone, ‘I want to go empty.’ I want to go knowing that I gave knowing that I gave everything that I possibly could. I have nothing to regret, nothing to leave behind, I left all that I had to offer. This is one of those moments where I felt this emptiness but in a very good way,” he said. 

Dragunov was then asked by Bully Ray what he can do to elevate the NXT Title to a new level. Dragunov pushed back asking, “Have I elevated every fight I’ve been in NXT?”

Bully agreed, then rephrased the question to ask what he can do to separate himself from NXT Champions of the past. 

He replied, “The thing is, I won’t stop. There is no one in this business who can deliver this kind of emotion, this kind of passion, getting people into the fight. When I fight, people feel like they are into it. They feel the pain, they feel the struggle. Everything I’m working on has become the ultimate symbol, like not even being human anymore, just a symbol that people can hold on. This is what I can offer for the NXT Championship. Being a champion people can believe in. They look at him and see something they want to be in a certain part of their life. This fighting spirit, you can put it in any area of their life and people want to have it. This courage to step up and deliver in the whole sense of their existence.”

Fans can find Fightful’s coverage of NXT No Mercy by clicking here. 

Check out Fightful’s interview with Dragunov, which was recorded ahead of NXT No Mercy, by clicking here. 

If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.