No Russians in UFC in Five Years?

Because it does seem like that sphere is getting ignored.

I think you can separate the Russian/East Euro talent into three general groups:

A) Traditional undersized Russian fighters who are competent in their chosen discipline (usually Sambo) but lack a modern outlooking on training and will spend their whole career in M-1, .e.g. Damkovsky, Magomed Sultanakhmedov

B) Talented, but unproven fighters with good records that haven’t really developed a well rounded defensive game necessary to win consistently at a high level, e.g. Taisumov, Guram Gugenishvili, Magomed Shikshabekov

C) Legitimate prospects with good size for their weight division and skillsets that enable them to rapidly pick up wins over good foreign opposition, e.g. Sarnavskiy, Vasilevsky, Zavurov

Obviously it’s Group C that I’m hoping UFC gives a look. If you’ve been watching any of those three I mentioned, you know they’re all adept at defending takedowns and working their preferred game (standup usually) to win rounds and finish fights.

I partly ascribe to the theory that Vinny has gotten better, improving his all-around game and not just relying on his BJJ. To prove it, he will have to be tested in the future by a known commodity of course.

I think the Eagle – I always get Megomed Sultanakhmedov and Megomed Shikshabekov confused – has a lot of potential if he drops to LW. And I’m big on Vasilevsky as well. But I too have questions about how they’d do under the American system of wrestling first and cages. Still, if Russia ever takes a liking to MMA, I firmly believe we’ll have another Brazil in terms of a fighter market.

so only able to watch Rasul Mirzaev’s vid, but he kinda sums it up. Nice offensive skills with his hands and throws, but twice he almost had the full mount with a dazed opponent and stands up.

The gap between Russian MMA and big time Western MMA is in technical grappling. Russian prospect who show A) top control and B) some sort of game from off their back, I think can be taken as the real deal.

Sarnavskiy and Vasilevsky have legitimate potential, and I do think Koreshkov is going to be a monster eventually. Zavurov, not so much.

It’s slang too

He did give you something of a backhanded HT:

Today, things have changed, and a Bloody Elbow reader wants to know: what happened to the MMA Russian connection?

Henceforth smoogy shall be “a Bloody Elbow reader”…

How is Putin’s Army working out, and why can’t some enterprising college hottie start something like that here in the U.S.?!?

Interesting info, thanks for contributing.