Six division titles were on the line at the PFL World Championships last November. Russian athletes won four of those finals, each taking home a $1 million prize.
From the PFL to the UFC, Russian athletes seem to be dominating this current era of MMA across the board – Bloody Elbow spoke to the legendary 'Outlaw' to find out why.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Dan Hardy explains why Russian fighters dominate MMA
Indeed, within the five major MMA promotions worldwide (UFC, PFL, Bellator, ONE and RIZIN), Russian athletes make up the majority of men's division champions:
- Russia – Nine champions
- America – Seven champions
- Brazil – Five champions
- Japan – Three champions
Considering that it was once a rarity to see anyone other than an American or a Brazilian in possession of MMA championship gold, it's hard to argue that Russian fighters aren't enjoying this current era of cage fighting – but why?
In an exclusive conversation with Bloody Elbow, MMA legend Dan Hardy explained why he believes Russian athletes are achieving more success than anyone else.
“MMA goes in waves, and I think if you've looked at it for a long time, you see the cycles come and go.
“First of all, it's the Jiu-Jitsu players who win the fights because no one knows Jiu-Jitsu. Then the wrestlers learn a little submission defense and then they can take them down and beat them up. Then you have the attackers with the takedown defense.”
“The current cycle right now, which is very beautiful and has been revealed by many Russian fighters, is that most people do not see MMA as one system.”
Hardy pointed to this recent crop of Russian champions in the PFL as an example, explaining how Russian MMA dominance stems from, quite poignantly, the mixing of combat sports disciplines.
“You're talking about guys like Gadzhi Rabadanov or Timur Khizriev, Denis Goltsov – winning with a triangle on your back as a heavyweight is almost unheard of since the days of Stefan Struve and Frank Mir.
“What these guys show is just real versatility. I mean, we always talk about Goltsov's jab, we always talk about Timur's wrestling, but it's the opposite sides of the game that won their fights – Goltsov's wrestling and Khizriev's punching.
While Russian athletes dominate this modern era of MMA, the vast majority do not train in the country; as Hardy noted, they export their skills around the world.
“They showed a comprehensive game, and I think what they're doing is they're influencing the rest of MMA to catch up with us; we are currently leading the way because our games are seamless. And that will challenge all other gyms around the world to reach that level.
“The other thing I would say is that a lot of those guys are exporting that fighting style. You talk to Brendan Loughnane, and he spent time training with those Russian guys in Thailand, they're in the AKA in the US and on the top US team.
Considering that more and more fighters are now training on the mats with the Russians, rather than just facing them in the cage, Hardy expects another cycle to occur in the coming years.
“The style that dominates all of MMA at the moment is starting to permeate all gyms and it's going to be a very interesting few years [in the sport].”
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