Russia’s Red Devils Invade American Shores and Storm the Taj Mahal
Introduction
Mar 11, 2004
Friday night the Red Devil Sports Club will unleash their team
against 10 of America’s up-n-coming MMA fighters on the Russia vs.
USA Mixed Fighting Championship card also known as the “Russian
Invasion” show.
However aside from UFC veterans Andre Semenov and Amar Suloev (Suloev is not on the card), Pride heavyweights Fedor and Alexander Emelianenko (also not on the card) and maybe even Sergei Bytchkov (fought Hayato Sakurai on the Vale Tudo Japan ’98 card and also not on the card), most MMA fans likely don’t know who these guys are.
They may also be wondering what is “mixed fighting”, when did it
start and has anybody we would know fought in this event? And of
course, one has to ask “are these guys they are sending over any
good?” Well, some of these questions are easier to answer than
others.
Mix-Fight Events
Although the Mix-Fight events didn’t start international tournaments until 1997, the “mix-fight” style bouts have taken place on military installations since 1979. These were more of the secretive, “closed door” matches and not held for public view. In 1981, the Russian military began holding hand-to-hand fighting championship tournaments twice a year and then in 1992 they openly accepted this style of fighting in the armed forces.
The St. Petersburg Mix Fight Federation was founded in 1996 and quickly became a member of the I.M.A. or International Mix Fight Association, a ruling body comprised of 14 countries and the organization by which the M-1 and mix fight bouts are governed. Since 1997, tournaments have been held twice a year at the Jubileini Sports Complex and the events adopted the theme “Russia vs. The World”. Then in 2002, the theme and semi-annual tournament format were sold and the Mix Fight Championship or M.F.C. was born.
The Mixed Fight Championships are promoted by Vadim Finkelchtein, presided over by Viktor Lamonov and directed by Stanislav Khramov. They also receive considerable media coverage from Igor Khlystoun, Chief Editor of Combat Sport magazine (also the Mix Fight designer), Public Relations Director Vlad Korolev and from a weekly MMA television show presented on a major Russian TV channel. Eleven M-1 events are currently available on video including events with Gilbert Yvel, Andrei Semenov and Amar Suloev.
However aside from UFC veterans Andre Semenov and Amar Suloev (Suloev is not on the card), Pride heavyweights Fedor and Alexander Emelianenko (also not on the card) and maybe even Sergei Bytchkov (fought Hayato Sakurai on the Vale Tudo Japan ’98 card and also not on the card), most MMA fans likely don’t know who these guys are.
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Mix-Fight Events
Although the Mix-Fight events didn’t start international tournaments until 1997, the “mix-fight” style bouts have taken place on military installations since 1979. These were more of the secretive, “closed door” matches and not held for public view. In 1981, the Russian military began holding hand-to-hand fighting championship tournaments twice a year and then in 1992 they openly accepted this style of fighting in the armed forces.
The St. Petersburg Mix Fight Federation was founded in 1996 and quickly became a member of the I.M.A. or International Mix Fight Association, a ruling body comprised of 14 countries and the organization by which the M-1 and mix fight bouts are governed. Since 1997, tournaments have been held twice a year at the Jubileini Sports Complex and the events adopted the theme “Russia vs. The World”. Then in 2002, the theme and semi-annual tournament format were sold and the Mix Fight Championship or M.F.C. was born.
The Mixed Fight Championships are promoted by Vadim Finkelchtein, presided over by Viktor Lamonov and directed by Stanislav Khramov. They also receive considerable media coverage from Igor Khlystoun, Chief Editor of Combat Sport magazine (also the Mix Fight designer), Public Relations Director Vlad Korolev and from a weekly MMA television show presented on a major Russian TV channel. Eleven M-1 events are currently available on video including events with Gilbert Yvel, Andrei Semenov and Amar Suloev.
