Bellator Signs Russian Striker Vyacheslav Vasilevsky
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 12:04 PM EST
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What will it take for the UFC to wake up and begin flexing their muscles in the free agent market? Your guess is as good as mine, but in the meantime -- Bellator is making all the right moves. According to a press release sent out this morning, the Chicago-based promotion has made another brilliant move, signing the #4-ranked 2011 World MMA Scouting Report middleweight Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (15-1):
CHICAGO, Ill. (November 15, 2011) - In a continuing effort to scout and sign the world's best talent, Bellator Fighting Championships has signed highly-touted Russian striker Vyacheslav Vasilevsky.
Vasilevsky joins Bellator after an incredibly successful career in Russia where "Slava" compiled a dominating 15-1 record. Currently riding a 14-fight win streak, the 23-year-old prodigy will be fighting at middleweight in the Bellator cage. The two-time Sambo World Champion and K-Dojo product has had success at light heavyweight but feels at home at 185 pounds and immediately adds more world-class depth to the Bellator middleweight roster.
"This opportunity means the world to me," Vasilevsky said. "I'm really excited for the opportunity. I felt like I've conquered the Russian scene, and I'm ready to compete against some of the best in the world with Bellator. They have some great middleweights, and I want to test my skills against them as soon as I can."
"We've had tremendous success in the international market acquiring many of the world's best fighters," said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Vyacheslav is a world class fighter we've had our eye on for quite some time and he will make a tremendous impact on our middleweight roster."
Since his placement on the 2011 World MMA Scouting Report, he's rattled off four straight wins, most recently beating Polish prospect Robert Jocz by unanimous decision in June. A move to Bellator's 185 lb. division makes perfect sense for his continued career progression, although the UFC certainly would have provided a similar landscape for the Russian.
In a broader scope, the signing points to something I've been privy to over the course of the last six months. Russia's mixed martial arts scene is growing, and their young talent is seeing the benefits of fighting in the more attractive market stateside. Look for more Russian prospects to head to the U.S. in the first quarter of 2012.
Update by Brent Brookhouse:
M-1's Evgeni Kogan responded to the article being posted on Bloody Elbow with this tweet:
@BloodyElbow @bjornrebney Who has an existing contract with M-1 and is about to get sued.
So sounds like there's some hurdles that need clearing before Vasilevsky ends up in the Bellator cage.
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No kidding, it seems like Bellator is signing a top guy from the prospect rankings every few weeks. UFC could also use someone like this to try and break into a Russian market where I don’t think they have much going right now.
They will have this guy very soon
http://unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com
by MattParker117 on Nov 15, 2011 12:23 PM EST up reply actions
really?
that’s a substantial improvement for Bellator, not so much for him though. Where did you hear that?
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
I meant Sergei will be in the UFC soon.
http://unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com
by MattParker117 on Nov 15, 2011 1:02 PM EST up reply actions
whew, I was thinking Conrad would just drop the belt and run…j/k.
I really can’t wait to see all the top HW’s under one roof.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
I don't think so
He wouldn’t be worth much to the UFC (not a big name with fans, will never contend for the title) and I don’t think they would pay him what he would want.
But he’s better than a lot of current UFC HWs and most of them will never challenge for a title either. He’s a pretty big name though.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
that doesn't matter if they don't pay him what he wants. Why didn't he go to the UFC before?
And big name is relative. He is a big name around here, but I was at the Fedor vs. Silva event that he fought on and people didn’t seem to know him there.
Dude, Mark Hunt is on a 2 fight win streak in the UFC.
Sergei would do just fine in the UFC.
Xtreme Couture- The best never rest! The girl in my av is Kari Sweets (you're welcome).
"I swear it upon Zeus an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler."
-Socrates
by ElliotMatheny on Nov 15, 2011 5:06 PM EST up reply actions
he would win some fights
and the Hunt thing is different. You know they didn’t actively pursue Hunt right?
What was stopping him from signing with the UFC before anyway? Sergei made 100k as base pay his past fight. He won’t get anything like that from the UFC.
i smile when I think about this for a number of reasons.
1. Brian Hemminger gets laughed at, but he is making himself the man in terms of this promotion and I don’t think people will laugh at Bellator in days to come.
2. the UFC needs to hire Leland Rolling. :)
'if you don't have humility as a fighter, fighting will bring humility to you...'
1. Hopefully Bellator evolves, I’d like to see more than 3 title defenses (among 8 champions) in 2.5 years.
2. agreed!
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
Point 1 is definitely one of if not the major achilles heel – and the ‘non-title superfight’ scenarios seem more problematic than anything.
Also, if the UFC took on Leland, I think we’d have to get a petition together to ensure he continued to write for BE on the side, or else unleash the kitten gif hordes to kick some ass!
(I think that last point is coming from my o’ding on the Ben Saunders post from MDH :)
'if you don't have humility as a fighter, fighting will bring humility to you...'
by rohedron on Nov 15, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
#1 is my major problem with Bellator
and why i’m not a huge fan of the org.
I like the fighters, just not the format. I like the tourney winner getting a shot as well, it gives a lot of fighters that are often overlooked a chance at a title…but it shouldn’t be the only way to get there. And they should change the name to Bellator (insert weight class) Grand Prix, it gives it more prestige. But that’s a minor sticking point.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
Didn't they also recently sign Attila Vegh?
like last week?
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
Yes.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 12:39 PM EST up reply actions
Sam Caplan's doing an amazing job
and I agree with rohedron, on the 2nd part at least.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
Not so fast from evgeni kogan
@BloodyElbow @bjornrebney Who has an existing contract with M-1 and is about to get sued. https://twitter.com/#!/evgenikogan/status/136500569522192384
The key is to hit the guy in the jaw really hard before the other guy does it to you.
by FreeLightningLee on Nov 15, 2011 12:51 PM EST reply actions
linkage failure :(
The key is to hit the guy in the jaw really hard before the other guy does it to you.
by FreeLightningLee on Nov 15, 2011 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
I’m vastly interested in the ability of Russian mixed martial arts camps to bring over the not-quite-elite wrestlers in the former Soviet federation. There’s so many Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Russians and so on that are competing for those Russian, world and Olympic championships that they can’t all make money.
M-1 is kind of a paper tiger in that regards. I couldn’t get a clear answer out of Fedor’s peeps when I asked them a while back.
Twitter: @DefGrappler
InStrength dot com.
It’s happening in a much quicker timeframe than people realize. Just wait till 2012.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
Good for Bellator
I really look forward to seeing this guy in their cage.
A part of me wishes that he was inb the UFC, but Bellator offers many compelling match – ups with other prospects and some very crafty veterans.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Nov 15, 2011 12:56 PM EST reply actions
To save ourselves trouble I dub this man "Vivi"
Cuz I don’t want to embarrass myself by trying to pronounce this mans name until I hear someone else pronounce it correctly or give a phonetic breakdown how it is meant to be enunciated.
People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.
- Helen Keller
MMA is stepping on other people's dreams to reach your own.
- Roxanne Modafferi
speaking of Russians
Anyone see Alexander Emelianenko get crushed by Malikov?
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
M1 have much better ring girls than the UFC
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Nov 15, 2011 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
if bellator is still around in two years
they are going to have at least some of the top athletes in the world, and be on spike to boot.
if i’m the ufc, i would start making a plan to stop these guys slipping through the cracks. getting rid of some TUF alumni to free up space would be a good start.
The UFC is just plain lazy, and I could go on for hours on why their talent acquisition department, i.e. Silva, Shelby are doing a poor job.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
It seems like they let a lot of the prospects slip through the cracks on purpose, just to see how they measure up against better opposition…that is unless the hype is real. Especially with the foreign prospects. That may change if the ‘TUF International’ plan actually takes off. TBD on that front I guess.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
Well, they are doing the whole camp affiliation front for TUF Brazil, which should work out well if the snag a bunch of Nova Uniao prospects.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
true
The way Silva/Shelby seem to sign guys most often now is through camp affiliation. Sure the media coverage, record, and quality of opposition plays a huge part, but they don’t seem to weigh their decisions as heavily on that as compared to team & management.
Does the UFC employ scouts?
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
I’m sure the camp relationships act as a scouting network, but for the most part — Joe Silva and Sean Shelby must do the work. I think what has happened is that all of these relationships are now their network, therefore they can do other things, none of which are attempting to scope out new talent which may not necessarily sit in those camps.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
Interesting. I’m sure they have some interns that go over tape for them, but no real scouting team per se, eh? I’ve heard that Silva is a hound when it comes to finding the scoop on prospective talent, or at least he was for a long time.
Who's the only one here who knows illegal ninja moves from the government?
No holds barred, no time for move fakin,
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon - Charlie Brown
If he’s a hound, then he’s had his nose damaged, or he’s not pulling the trigger quick enough.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
they also still own Strikeforce which could have some legs if the Showtime deal is renewed
They could surely add some of these prospects and keep that promotion alive while still maintaining these guys rights.
I don’t see how that will work. It all comes down to what Strikeforce’s expectations are. If they are looking for the UFC to bring solid numbers, they can’t just load it up with prospects. It’ll basically be a higher profile regional promotion.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 1:53 PM EST up reply actions
When are eastern europeans going to learn that M-1 sucks?
i want those awesome Russian fighters in the UFC and Bellator, but they keep getting held back by those fucking scumbags
disclaimer: i dont actually know if they are scumbags or not, im just assuming they are.
"Your spelling and grammar errors belie a seriously skilled thought process"- therealCatnuts
by justsomehawkeyefan on Nov 15, 2011 2:06 PM EST reply actions
You can think what you want about M-1 attempting to get loads of money off Fedor’s fame, but it’s difficult to bury them over trying to progress their own promotion, especially on Russian soil.
Staff Writer, BloodyElbow.com
Follow @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Nov 15, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions
Seems like an open and shut case
If M1 does sue (and they should) they should win.
http://unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com
We’ll see. It’s unclear if M-1 has a claim for fights owed to them, or if they just feel that he is still under the term of an existing contract and it’s their exclusive right to renegotiate. One thing is clear: Slava wants to fight in North America and he’s made gestures to that effect in the past year (dropping the M-1 LHW belt, turning down a MW unification fight with Sultanakhmedov, now this)
This is a situation in which Bellator should be able to put the trade secrets that Monty Cox stole for them to work. They contain step-by-step designs on how Zuffa kidnapped Jonathan Brookins. Hopefully Slava makes it into Bellator without a giant mop of platinum blonde hair.
Real BElitists only rec ironically.
by Charles Awad on Nov 15, 2011 5:50 PM EST up reply actions
C’mon, M1 needs some sort of revenue stream. With no more lucrative Fedor contracts, they have to look to suing people for money.
Old M1 Business Model
1. Fedor
2. ???
3. Profit!
New M1 Business Model
1. Lawsuit
2. ???
3. Profit!
by Steve W on Nov 15, 2011 6:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Oh M-1
You manage to ruin everything, even a prospect leaving for greener pastures.
"Denique nullumst iam dictum quod non dictum sit prius."-- Terence
"By doubting we come to inquiry and by inquiry we perceive the truth." -- Abelard
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