Abstract
<jats:p>The research aims to identify the characteristics of the speech behavior of combat sports athletes within the genre of the sports interview. The article is dedicated to a comprehensive study of combat sports discourse, examining the speech behavior of the athlete as the addresser of the sports interview. The work traces the influence of the polydiscursive nature, roles, and communicative modes on the athlete’s speech behavior. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, for the first time within German studies, communicative roles within the sports interview genre for combat athletes have been systematized, and modes of speech behavior essential for transcending narrow professional boundaries to create a public image have been established. It is found that the choice of speech tactics is influenced not only by the immediate situation but also by the value-based and philosophical aspects of combat sports. The study finds that the communicative roles and tactics of a combat athlete are determined by the thematic focus within combat sports discourse and are realized in a specific communicative mode. Interviews with combat athletes are not merely acts of transmitting information; the non-isolated nature of sports discourse is cited as key evidence of this. The interview serves as a complex communicative act, where a public image is formed based on the communicant’s speech behavior. Furthermore, the speech behavior of combat athletes reflects the specifics of martial arts, acting as an instrument of psychological influence on spectators and fans. The findings will be of interest to specialists in sports discourse analysis. The study is conducted using German-language material.</jats:p>