Sherdog’s Top 10: European Mixed Martial Artists

Mike SloanSep 08, 2016

Igor Vovchanchyn opened the card defeating Gary Goodridge with punches from the mount at 5:58

8. Igor Vovchanchyn

Easily one of the most exciting fighters ever to compete in MMA, Vovchanchyn remains a favorite within the old-school community. The “Ice Cold” Ukrainian was a wrecking machine when the UFC was still in its infancy but never stepped foot inside the Octagon. Instead, he knocked people senseless across various other organizations, most notably Pride Fighting Championships.

Vovchanchyn enjoyed an unimaginable run of success in his prime. Between Jan. 28, 1996 and July 4, 1999, he won 32 straight bouts, 27 of them finishes. At his peak, Vovchanchyn took on two-time UFC tournament winner Mark Kerr at Pride 7. They were two of the premier heavyweights of the era. Vovchanchyn knocked out the exhausted Kerr in the second round but landed a few illegal knees in the process, resulting in a no-contest.

The Vovchanchyn highlight reel is something to behold and includes one of the greatest knockouts in Pride history -- a first-round KO of Francisco Bueno at Pride 8 in November 1999. He retired at the age of 32 in 2005.

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