Oleg Taktarov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oleg Taktarov
Taktarov in 2010
Born	Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov (1967-08-26) 26 August 1967 (age 57) Arzamas-16, Gorky Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Native name	Оле́г Такта́ров
Other names	The Russian Bear
Nationality	Russian
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Division	Heavyweight
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Gorky, Russia
Rank	Master of Sport in Sambo 3rd dan black belt in Judo 4th dan black belt in Jujutsu
Years active	1989–1998, 2001, 2007–2008 (MMA) 1997-Present (Acting) 2007, 2023 (Boxing)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	24
Wins	17
By knockout	2
By submission	14
By decision	1
Losses	5
By knockout	3
By decision	2
Draws	2
last updated on: March 10, 2011 (2011-03-10)

Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov (born 26 August 1967) is a famous Russian actor and a retired mixed martial artist. He was known for his skills in Sambo and Judo. Oleg competed in big events like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pride Fighting Championships. He even won the UFC 6 tournament. Some of his most notable wins were against fighters like Marco Ruas and Tank Abbott.

Early Life and Martial Arts Beginnings

Oleg Taktarov started learning martial arts when he was 12 years old. He trained in both judo and Sambo. During his time in the military, he competed in these sports. He even became an instructor for hand-to-hand fighting.

In 1989, Oleg became interested in a new type of fighting event called Jujutsu Full Contact. He won the first four of these events easily. He also trained in jujutsu and became a four-time European champion. In 1993, Oleg went to the United States. He wanted to become a film actor, but he needed to learn English first.

Oleg's Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Oleg Taktarov first came to North America hoping to become an actor. But he decided to become a professional fighter to help him stay in the country. He had watched the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and wanted to join.

In 1994, Oleg contacted the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. He offered to teach them Sambo leglocks. He was a good training partner, but he couldn't pay the fees, so he was not accepted. Then, Oleg reached out to the UFC directly. He was told he had a good chance to win. He was accepted into the UFC 5 tournament.

Fighting in the UFC

At the UFC event, Oleg was called "The Russian Bear." This was a nickname his manager gave him. He was known for his friendly smile, which was different from other fighters who tried to look tough.

His first fight was against Ernie Verdicia. Oleg quickly won by using a move called an arm triangle choke. He then fought Greco-Roman wrestler Dan Severn. Oleg had an injured knee, which made the fight very hard. The referee stopped the fight because Oleg had a deep cut on his face.

After this, Oleg trained with Ken Shamrock and his team, the Lion's Den. He said he had tough training sessions with Ken Shamrock.

Oleg returned for UFC 6. In his first fight, he beat Dave Beneteau with a guillotine choke. His next fight was against Anthony Macias. Oleg won in just nine seconds with another guillotine choke. This was the fastest submission in UFC history at the time!

In the final match of UFC 6, Oleg fought the much bigger fighter Tank Abbott. Both fighters were very tired. After a long 17-minute fight, Oleg won by using a rear naked choke. He had to go to the hospital right after the fight because he was so exhausted.

Next, Oleg was set to fight the UFC Champion Ken Shamrock at UFC 7. They were friends, so Oleg didn't want to hurt him. The fight lasted 30 minutes and went into overtime. It ended in a draw because there were no judges to decide a winner.

Oleg then entered the Ultimate Ultimate 1995 tournament. He beat Dave Beneteau again. Then he faced Marco Ruas. Oleg won this fight by decision because he was more aggressive. In the finals, he fought Dan Severn again. Severn won the decision after a long fight.

Oleg left the UFC after this tournament. Fans still remembered him, though. In 2003, UFC fans voted Oleg as one of the top 10 most popular fighters in UFC history.

After the UFC and Comeback

After his time in the UFC, Oleg fought in other events. He fought in Japan and Brazil. In 1997, he fought Sean Alvarez and won by knockout. Later that year, he fought Gary Goodridge in Japan at the first-ever Pride 1 show. Oleg lost this fight by knockout.

On June 10, 2007, Oleg Taktarov had a celebrity boxing match against actor Dolph Lundgren. Oleg won the fight after five rounds.

Oleg made a comeback to mixed martial arts in 2007. He won his first comeback fight against John Marsh. His last fight was against UFC 14 and UFC 15 champion Mark Kerr. Oleg won this fight too, using a kneebar.

Oleg Taktarov finished his mixed martial arts career with 17 wins, 5 losses, and 2 draws.

Acting Career

After his fighting career, Oleg Taktarov focused on acting. He has been in many movies and TV shows. Some of his well-known films include Air Force One, Bad Boys II, National Treasure, and Predators.

He also appeared in TV series like Alias and NCIS. In 2022, he played a character called "The Man from Moscow" in the movie The Man from Toronto.

Filmography

Championships and Awards

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Won the UFC 6 tournament
  • Was a runner-up in the Ultimate Ultimate 1995 tournament
  • Voted one of the top 10 most popular fighters in UFC history by fans
  • Had two "Fight of the Night" awards (vs. Ernie Verdicia and Tank Abbott)
  • Had two "Submission of the Night" awards (vs. Ernie Verdicia and Dave Beneteau)

Images for kids

• 

  Taktarov in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Oleg Taktárov para niños