Vitaly Minakov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vitaly Minakov Виталий Минаков
Born	Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov (1985-02-06) February 6, 1985 (age 40) Bryansk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Russian
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	265 lb (120 kg; 18.9 st)
Division	Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach	78 in (198 cm)
Style	Sambo
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Bryansk, Russia
Team	Eagles MMA Fight Nights Team
Rank	1st Razryad Grand Master in Sambo Black belt in Judo Master of Sports in Freestyle Wrestling
Years active	2010–2021
Mixed martial arts record
Total	24
Wins	22
By knockout	13
By submission	7
By decision	2
Losses	2
By knockout	1
By decision	1
Medal record Men's Sambo Representing  Russia World Championships Gold 2008 St. Petersburg +100 kg Gold 2009 Thessaloniki +100 kg Gold 2010 Tashkent +100 kg Gold 2011 Vilnius +100 kg Russian Sambo Championships Gold 2008 Moscow +100 kg Gold 2009 Dmitrov +100 kg Gold 2010 Yaroslavl +100 kg Gold 2011 Vyksa +100 kg Silver 2013 Khabarovsk +100 kg

Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov was born on February 6, 1985. He is a Russian athlete famous for his skills in mixed martial arts (MMA). Vitaly also excels in Sambo and Judo. He competed in the heavyweight division, which is for larger athletes. From 2010 to 2021, he fought professionally for major organizations. These included Bellator MMA, where he became a world champion. He also competed in M-1 Global and Fight Nights Global.

Vitaly Minakov's Fighting Career

Vitaly Minakov started his professional MMA career in November 2010. Before becoming an MMA fighter, he was a four-time Sambo World Champion. He won these titles from 2008 to 2011.

Early MMA Fights

Vitaly quickly made a name for himself. On June 7, 2012, he fought Eddie Sanchez. Eddie was a well-known fighter from UFC and Bellator. Vitaly won this fight by knockout in the first round.

Later that year, on September 17, 2012, Vitaly faced Fabiano Scherner. Fabiano was a world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Vitaly won this fight too, by knockout in the first round.

Becoming a Bellator Champion

In June 2012, Vitaly signed with Bellator MMA, a big fighting organization. He made his Bellator debut on November 2, 2012, at Bellator 79. He won his first fight in Bellator by TKO in the second round.

Vitaly then entered the Bellator Heavyweight Tournament. He defeated Ron Sparks on June 19, 2013. He won by technical knockout in the first round. Vitaly then faced Ryan Martinez in the tournament finals. He won this fight by TKO in the third round.

On November 15, 2013, Vitaly fought Alexander Volkov at Bellator 108. Vitaly won this fight and became the Bellator Heavyweight World Champion. He defended his title once against Cheick Kongo on April 4, 2014. Vitaly won by a unanimous decision.

Vitaly was later stripped of his Bellator title in May 2016. This happened because he was not active enough in fighting for Bellator.

Fighting After Bellator

After leaving Bellator, Vitaly returned to fight in Russia. He joined the Fight Nights Global promotion. He had seven fights there and won all of them. He finished all his opponents, meaning he won by knockout or submission.

Return to Bellator MMA

In August 2018, Vitaly signed a new contract with Bellator. He returned to fight Cheick Kongo in a rematch on February 16, 2019. This time, Vitaly lost the fight by a unanimous decision. It was his first professional loss in MMA.

Vitaly was scheduled to fight Javy Ayala in August 2019. However, Ayala had to pull out of the fight. Vitaly instead fought Tim Johnson. Vitaly won this fight by knockout in the first round.

Vitaly's last fight was on October 23, 2021, at Bellator 269. He fought Said Sowma and lost the fight due to a broken finger.

Vitaly Minakov's Achievements

Vitaly Minakov has achieved many great things in his career.

Mixed Martial Arts Achievements

• Bellator MMA
  • Bellator Heavyweight World Champion (one time)
  • He successfully defended his title once.
  • He won the Bellator 2013 Summer Series Heavyweight Tournament.
  • He is tied for the most knockout victories in the Bellator Heavyweight division (five).
• Fight Nights Global
  • He was undefeated in Fight Nights with a record of 9 wins and 0 losses.
• Global-MMA
  • He was named Global-MMA Fighter of the Year in 2013.

Sambo Achievements

• Fédération Internationale de Sambo (FIAS)
  • He was a Sambo World Champion four times.
  • He was a Russian National Champion four times.
  • He won the Russian Presidential Cup Sambo three times (2008, 2009, 2010).

Judo Achievements

• Russian Judo Federation
  • In 2006, he placed 1st in the Russian U23 Championships.
  • In 2005, he placed 3rd in the Russian U23 Championships.
  • In 2004, he placed 2nd in the Russian U20 Championships.

Mixed Martial Arts Record

See also

In Spanish: Vitali Minakov para niños

• List of Bellator MMA alumni
• List of male mixed martial artists