Denis Alexandrovich Goltsov (russian: Денис Александрович Гольцов; born 10 June 1990) is a Russian

sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , oly ...

competitor and mixed martial artist. As a sambist, Goltsov is a two-time world champion, two-time European champion, and three-time Russian champion. As a mixed martial artist, he is currently signed to the MMA promotion Professional Fighters League (PFL) in the heavyweight division.

Sambo career

Originally from St. Petersburg, Denis Goltsov was raised in an athletic family alongside his older brother, Sergei. The family's sports background, particularly in basketball, initially shaped Denis's early years. However, team sports failed to capture his interest, leading him to spend his free time at home. A pivotal moment came when a call from Sergei's boxing trainer prompted Denis to explore boxing himself. Despite his impressive size for a 15-year-old, Denis faced challenges sparring with seniors due to his height. Nevertheless, he continued learning the fundamentals of boxing. After three and a half years of training, he earned a Master of Sport in boxing and finished 2nd at the national youth championship. Goltsov attended St. Petersburg State University, where he studied geology. His growing disillusionment with the politics of boxing led him to shift his focus to combat sambo. Leveraging his contacts, he joined a new gym that catered to various martial arts disciplines, marking the beginning of his journey into mixed martial arts (MMA). His transition to MMA proved successful, and within three and a half years of joining the sambo gym, Goltsov became the European champion. Notably, he continued to make waves in the MMA scene, securing victories on both national and international platforms. By 2021, MMA had become not only his passion but also his primary source of income. During his sambo career, Goltsov won 10 medals in the Russian championship, including three gold. He won gold medals at the

European Sambo Championships The European Sambo Championships is the main sambo championships in Europe, organized by European Sambo Federation. The first championship was held in 1972 in Riga. Ukraine plans to boycott the 2022 European Sambo Championships because Russia ...

in 2012 and 2017. At the

World Sambo Championships The World Sambo Championships are the main championships in Sambo and Combat Sambo, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Sambo (FIAS). History The first World Sambo Cup took place in 1977 in Oviedo, Spain. Two years later, the first Y ...

, Goltsov won the gold medal in 2016 and 2017 and the silver medal in 2021.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In 2010, Denis made his debut in M-1 Global, later moving to ProFC. Although facing the first defeat of his career, he continued to persevere, maintaining a 5-4 record across both leagues. His journey took him through various organizations until he found success in Tech-Krep FC, where he scored four consecutive victories. These wins positioned him as the top contender for the championship belt. Denis's pinnacle moment came on December 18, 2016, when he secured the ACA Heavyweight Championship by defeating Salimgerey Rasulov. However, his reign was short-lived, as he lost the title in the following match against Mukhumat Vakhaev. Despite setbacks, Denis rebounded, participating in fights in organizations such as RCC and League S-70. Eventually, he received an invitation to join the Professional Fighters League (PFL), signaling a new chapter in his MMA journey.

Professional Fighters League

2019 season

Goltsov made his PFL debut against

Jared Rosholt Jared Daniel Rosholt (born August 4, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, Rosholt has competed for the UFC, Titan FC, Professional Fighters League, and L ...

on June 6, 2019, at PFL 3. He won the bout via TKO stoppage in the first round. Goltsov faced Kelvin Tiller at PFL 6 on August 8, 2019, in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

. He won the bout via ezekiel choke in the second round. Goltsov faced Satoshi Ishii in the 2019 heavyweight quarterfinal bout at PFL 9 on October 31, 2019. He won the fight by majority decision. Heading into the semifinals, Goltsov faced

Ali Isaev Ali Isaevich Isaev (russian: Али Исаевич Исаев; born 18 December 1983 in Makhachkala, Soviet Union) is a Dagestani-Azerbaijani professional mixed martial artist and former amateur wrestler. He currently competes in the Heavyweigh ...

later in the night. He lost the bout in the third round by technical knockout.

2021 season

Goltsov faced Muhammed DeReese at PFL 3 on May 6, 2021. He had originally been scheduled to face Justin Willis on the card, but Willis was pulled from the bout after the weigh-ins due to being not medically cleared and replaced by DeReese. Goltsov won the bout via first-round technical knockout. Goltsov faced Brandon Sayles on June 25, 2021, at PFL 6. He won the bout by first-round technical knockout. Goltsov faced Ante Delija on August 19, 2021, at PFL 8. He lost the belt by unanimous decision.

2022 season

Goltsov was scheduled to face Sam Kei on April 28, 2022, at PFL 2. However, Kei would later pull out of the bout and was replaced by Cody Goodale. Goltsov won the bout via first-round TKO. Goltsov faced Maurice Greene on June 24, 2022, at PFL 5. He won the bout via unanimous decision, having out-wrestled Greene throughout the bout. Goltsov was scheduled to face on 2021 PFL Champion Bruno Cappelozza on August 13, 2022, at PFL 8. However, after picking up an injury, Cappelozza was unable to continue in the tournament and replaced by Matheus Scheffel. After visa issues forced Goltsov to pull out of his bout due to visa issues, he was replaced by

Juan Adams Juan Alejandro Arcienego-Adams (born January 16, 1992) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and currently competes in the heavyweight division of the PFL. Adams formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background ...

2023 season

Ante Delija was scheduled to face

Yorgan De Castro Yorgan De Castro (born December 19, 1987) is a Cape Verdean professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). He is most notable for fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U ...

on April 7, 2023, at PFL 2. However, Delija pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Goltsov. In turn, Goltsov withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Danilo Marques. Goltsov faced Cezar Ferreira on April 14, 2023, at PFL 3. He won the bout in the first round by knockout via ground and pound. Goltsov faced Yorgan De Castro on June 16, 2023, at PFL 5. He won the bout by knockout just 18 seconds into the first round. In the semi-finals, Goltsov faced Jordan Heiderman on August 18, 2023, at PFL 8. He won the fight by arm-triangle choke in the first round. In the final, Goltsov faced Renan Ferreira on November 24, 2023, at PFL 10. He lost the bout by second-round TKO.

2024 season

Goltsov faced Linton Vassell at PFL 1 on April 4, 2024 and won the fight by technical knockout.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

* Absolute Championship Akhmat ** ACA Heavyweight Championship (One time) * Tech-KREP FC ** Tech-KREP FC Heavyweight Championship (One time) *** Three Successful title defenses

Sambo

* Fédération Internationale de Sambo (FIAS) ** Sambo World Champion (2 times) ** Sambo European Champion (2 times) ** Russian National Champion (3 times)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 33–8 , Linton Vassell , TKO (punches) , PFL 1 (2024) , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:11 ,

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 32–8 , Renan Ferreira , TKO (punches) , PFL 10 (2023) , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:26 ,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 32–7 , Jordan Heiderman , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , PFL 8 (2023) , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:16 ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 31–7 ,

, KO (punch) , PFL 5 (2023) , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:18 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 30–7 , Cezar Ferreira , KO (punches) , PFL 3 (2023) , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:07 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 29–7 , Maurice Greene , Decision (unanimous) , PFL 5 (2022) , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 28–7 , Cody Goodale , TKO (punches) , PFL 2 (2022) , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:20 ,

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 27–7 , Ante Delija , Decision (unanimous) , PFL 8 (2021) , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 27–6 , Brandon Sayles , TKO (punches) , PFL 6 (2021) , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:24 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 26–6 , Muhammed DeReese , TKO (punches) , PFL 3 (2021) , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:21 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–6 ,

, TKO (punches) , rowspan=2, PFL 9 (2019) , rowspan=2, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:59 , rowspan=2,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–5 , Satoshi Ishii , Decision (majority) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 24–5 , Kelvin Tiller , Submission (Ezekiel choke) , PFL 6 (2019) , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 3:40 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–5 ,

, TKO (punches) , PFL 3 (2019) , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 2:03 ,

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–5 , Ednaldo Oliveira , Submission (brabo choke) , S-70: Plotforma Cup 2018 , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 4:51 ,

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 21–5 , Atanas Djambazov , Submission (Ezekiel choke) , Russian Cagefighting Championship , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 4:59 ,

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 20–5 , Chase Gormley , KO (punch) , ACB 77 , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 2:16 ,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–5 , Mukhomad Vakhaev , TKO (submission to punches) , ACB 67 , , align="center", 4 , align="center", 1:57 ,

Grozny Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 19–4 , Salimgerey Rasulov , Decision (unanimous) , ACB 50 , , align="center", 5 , align="center", 5:00 ,

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 18–4 , Paul Buentello , KO (head kick) , ACB 41 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 3:07 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 ,

Mike Kyle Michael Andrew Kyle (born March 31, 1980) is an American professional mixed martial artist and boxer currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2001, Kyle has competed for the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce, the ...

, Technical Submission (triangle choke) , ACB 32 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 2:18 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 , John Hawk , TKO (punches) , Tech-Krep FC: Prime Selection 7 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 2:14 ,

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 , James McSweeney , TKO (head kick and punches) , Tech-Krep FC: Prime Selection 4 , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 0:46 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 , Peter Graham , Submission (kimura) , Tech-Krep FC: Ermak Prime Challenge , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 3:23 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Zoumana Cisse , Submission (armbar) , Tech-Krep FC: Battle of Heroes , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 4:04 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 ,

Brett Rogers Brett Charles Rogers (born February 17, 1981) is an American former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Rogers has fought in EliteXC, Strikeforce, and Bellator. Ba ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Tech-Krep FC: Prime 3 , , align="center", 3 , align="center", 5:00 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 , Roy Boughton , Decision (unanimous) , Tech-Krep FC: Prime Crimea , , align="center", 3 , align="center", 5:00 ,

Simferopol Simferopol () is the second-largest city in the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, and is considered the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. However, ...

, Crimea , , - , Win , align=center, 10–4 , Ivo Skopljak , Submission (armbar) , Tech-Krep FC: Prime 1 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:50 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 9–4 , Szymon Bajor , KO (punch) , Union of Veterans: Cup Of Champions 2013 , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 4:07 ,

Novosibirsk Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the Russian Census ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 8–4 , Dritan Barjamaj , Submission (guillotine choke) , S-70: Plotforma Cup 2013 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:00 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 7–4 , Tadas Rimkevičius , TKO (punches) , Global Fight Club 1 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:25 ,

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 , Yuri Gorbenko , KO (head kick) , Lion's Fights 2 , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 0:58 , Kolpino, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–4 , Akhmed Sultanov , Submission (heel hook) , M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rizzo , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:28 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3 , Konstantin Erokhin , KO (backfist) , League S-70: Russian Championship Third Round , , align="center", 3 , align="center", 1:40 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 4–3 , Teymur Aslanov , Submission (triangle choke) , M-1 Challenge 29 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:55 , Ufa, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–3 , Alexander Volkov , TKO (punches) , M-1 Challenge 25 , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 3:05 ,

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 , Dmitry Poberezhets , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ProFC 26: Union Nation Cup 14 , , align="center", 2 , align="center", 1:54 ,

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Ilya Dzhadugishvili , TKO (punches) , ProFC 25: Union Nation Cup 13 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:26 ,

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Babruysk, Belarus , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Marat Aliaskhabov , Submission (straight armbar) , M-1 Challenge 21 , , align="center", 1 , align="center", 4:56 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Igor Kukurudziak , Decision (unanimous) , M-1: Battle On The Neva 4 , , align="center", 3 , align="center", 5:00 ,

, Russia ,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goltsov, Denis 1990 births Living people Sportspeople from Saint Petersburg Russian male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Russian sambo practitioners Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo