Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov (russian: Виталий Викторович Минаков; born February 6, 1985,

Bryansk Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population: Geography Urban layout The location of the settlement was originally ass ...

) is a

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, sambist and

judoka is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

currently competing in the

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

division of

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

, where he is the former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion. A professional competitor since 2010, he has also competed for

M-1 Global M-1 Global (Mixfight-1) or MMA-1 (Mixed martial arts-1) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia which organizes between 10 and 20 competitions per year. It hosted its first major show (rather than co-promoting with othe ...

and

Fight Nights Global AMC Fight Nights (or Fight Nights Global before 2021) is a Russian mixed martial arts organization that previously hosted K-1 and other martial arts events. It is one of the largest promotion companies in the world and features some of the top-ra ...

2012 Olympics

Because Vitaly is a numerous Sambo World Champion and a Junior Russian National Champion in Judo, he considered competing at the 2012 Olympics in London. It is unknown why he didn't make the team.

Mixed martial arts career

MMA career

Minakov made his professional MMA debut in November 2010. He is a Sambo World Champion, (2008–2011). Minakov defeated

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

and

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

veteran

Eddie Sanchez Eduardo Arturo Sanchez (born November 4, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional since 2004, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, Titan FC, Final Fight Championship, ...

on June 7, 2012 at Fight Nights - Battle of Moscow 7. He won via KO in the first round. Minakov defeated

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

World Champion and

veteran

Fabiano Scherner Fabiano Scherner (born June 30, 1972) is a German-Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He has fought in Cage Rage, IFL and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Scherner is a Brazi ...

on September 17, 2012 at Fight Nights - Battle of Desne. He won via KO in the first round.

Bellator MMA

In June 2012, Minakov was signed in Bellator. He made his debut the following fall at

Bellator 79 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so i ...

on November 2, 2012. He defeated a Moldavian National Champion & Judo Black Belt Vladimir Starcencov via TKO in the second round to win his Bellator and North American debut. Minakov faced Ron Sparks on June 19, 2013 in the Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal. He won in the first round by technical knockout. Minakov faced

Ryan Martinez Ryan Martinez (born August 27, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2009 until 2014, he competed for Bellator and ProElite. Background Martinez was born in Greeley, Colorado. He grew up wrestling and had a promi ...

Bellator 97 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

in the finals on July 31, 2013. He got the TKO victory via punches in the third round, after he took Martinez down and secured full mount. Minakov faced and defeated Alexander Volkov on November 15, 2013 at

Bellator 108 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

to win the Bellator Heavyweight Championship. Minakov faced Bellator Season 9 Heavyweight Tournament winner

Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo is a French heavyweight Mixed Martial artist and former Kickboxer who fights in Bellator MMA. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of May 10, 2022, he is #4 in the ...

Bellator 115 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight, ...

on April 4, 2014. He won via unanimous decision to retain the Bellator Heavyweight Championship. Minakov was stripped of his Bellator MMA title on May 14, 2016 due to inactivity.

Post-Bellator

After leaving Bellator MMA, Minakov returned to fight in his native Russia, under

promotion. He fought seven times since July 2015 and won all seven of his bouts by finishes.

Return to Bellator

On August 23, 2018 it was revealed that Minakov and his management team had reconciled with Bellator and reached an agreement for a new contract. The new contract was for 6 bouts at $300,000 per fight, with his win bonuses applied on top of that fee. On January 16, 2019, RusFighters LLC, Minakov's agent and manager, filed a lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court against Minakov and Ali Abdelaziz, claiming Minakov breached the agreement with RusFighters when he used Abdelaziz to sign the new contract with Bellator. On February 28, 2020, the courts agreed that RusFighters LLC is owed 20% of any gross performance compensation of any bout during the term of his 6 bout Bellator contract. In his return, Minakov faced

in a rematch at Bellator 216 on February 16, 2019. He lost the fight via unanimous decision, marking his first professional loss in MMA. Minakov was to face

Javy Ayala Javier "Javy" Ayala (born August 22, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for Tachi Palace Fights. Background Born and raise ...

at Bellator 225 on August 24, 2019. However, on the day of the fight, it was announced that Ayala was pulled from the bout due to undisclosed medical reasons. Minakov instead faced Tim Johnson. Minakov won the bout via first round knockout. Minakov was re-scheduled to meet Ayala at Bellator 232 on October 26, 2019. However, Minakov was unable to obtain visa for the bout, leading to Ayala being pulled from the card also. Minakov was scheduled to face Tyrell Fortune on October 23, 2021 at

Bellator 269 ''Bellator 269: Fedor vs. Johnson'' (also known as ''Bellator Moscow'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on October 23, 2021 at VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. Background On the second last bout of his cont ...

. However in August, it was announced that Fortune pulled out due to unknown reasons and was replaced by Said Sowma. He lost the bout after it was stopped due to a broken finger.

Championships and accomplishments

Martial arts

Bellator Heavyweight World Championship Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...

(One time) ** One Successful Title Defense. ** Bellator 2013 Summer Series Heavyweight Tournament Championship. ** Tied (with Tyrell Fortune) for most knockout victories in Bellator Heavyweight division (five) *

** Undefeated in Fight Nights (9-0) * Global-MMA ** Global-MMA Fighter of the Year 2013.

Sambo

Fédération Internationale de Sambo International Federation of Amateur SAMBO (Fédération Internationale de SAMBO) is the world governing body for the sport of Sambo. History 1984 - the FILA Assembly decided to create an independent federation of SAMBO (FIAS). The president of ...

(FIAS) ** Sambo World Champion (4 time) ** Russian National Champion (4 time) ** Russian Presidential Cup Sambo Champion (3 time - 2008, 2009, 2010)

Judo

* Russian Judo Federation **2006 Russian U23 Championships: 1st place **2005 Russian U23 Championships: 3rd place **2004 Russian U20 Championships: 2nd place

Mixed martial arts record

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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 ...

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St. 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 ...

Leningrad oblast Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...

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Khimki Khimki ( rus, Химки, p=ˈxʲimkʲɪ) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, 18.25 kilometres northwest of central Moscow, and immediately beyond the Moscow city boundary. History Origins and formation Khimki was initially a railway station tha ...

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Kaspiysk Kaspiysk (russian: Каспи́йск; lbe, Ккасппи; av, Каспиялъухъ) is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, southeast of Makhachkala. The 2010 Russian census recorded the city as being the f ...

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...

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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 ...

Krasnodar krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of t ...

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Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

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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.

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Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, New Mexico, Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into north ...

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Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

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Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast (russian: Бря́нская о́бласть, ''Bryanskaya oblast''), also known as Bryanshchina (russian: Брянщина, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is th ...

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Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...

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Vidzeme Vidzeme (; Old Latvian orthography: ''Widda-semme'', liv, Vidūmō) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. The capital of Latvia, Riga, is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in n ...

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Juan Espino Juan Espino (born 9 October 1980) is a Spanish retired mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Grappling Juan Espino started in Canarian wrestling where he reached the level of ''p ...

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Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of t ...

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Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

Kyiv Oblast Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Ки́ївська о́бласть, translit=Kyïvska oblast), also called Kyivshchyna ( uk, Ки́ївщина), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, w ...

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Minakov, Vitaly Living people 1985 births Heavyweight mixed martial artists Russian sambo practitioners Russian male sport wrestlers Russian male judoka Sportspeople from Bryansk Russian expatriates in the United States Russian male mixed martial artists Bellator MMA champions Bellator male fighters Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing judo