Minakov Vitaly official. Minakov, Vitaly Viktorovich: biography

On June 2, at the Fight Nights Global 68 tournament, the Russian heavyweight won his 20th victory in MMA. Minakov finished the Brazilian fighter in round 2, successfully maintaining his flawless record.

At the same tournament, the first title fight Fight Nights heavyweight league. Following the results of 5 rounds, he won by unanimous decision over and became the first champion of the FN Global League in the heavyweight division.

Minakov has an 8-0 record in the Fight Nights league and theoretically has every chance to fight the winner of the upcoming championship fight between Sergei Pavlovich and.

On the air of Match TV, Vitaly shared his opinion about possible fights with Russian athletes.

“I don’t want to fight with my own people, there are people to beat anyway. Pavlovich and Mokhnatkin went out to fight for the belt, but it was clear that they did not want to beat each other. They both wanted to win, but we all know each other, we train together. Pavlovich did not even reveal himself by 40 percent in this battle, as well as Mokhnatkin. It's hard to spar with your own. That's when you leave to train in the USA, there already - walk, flaw! We work with foreigners in full force", Minakov said.

Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov - Russian sambist, four-time world champion in sports sambo, Honored Master of Sports in sambo, judo and freestyle wrestling. In 2011, he participated in the television project of the First Channel “Special Task”. Since 2014, he served as a deputy of the Bryansk Regional Duma, then he was elected deputy chairman of the regional parliament.

Childhood and youth

Vitaly Minakov was born on February 6, 1985 in Bryansk. ABOUT sports career the future world champion dreamed since childhood, which is not surprising: his father was a supporter of healthy lifestyle life and even played in the city volleyball team. The head of the family became a real example for two sons. Vitaly's younger brother, Dmitry, is the silver medalist of the Sambo World Cup.

As a child, Minakov was a lanky boy. In an interview, the athlete recalls how once, as a third grader, he suddenly realized that he needed to take care of himself. It was then that he went in search of "his" sport. It took time: in his school years, Vitaly managed to work out in almost all the sections that existed in Bryansk.

Until the age of 11, the boy was engaged in freestyle wrestling. And then his father took him to Valery Safronov, the honored coach of Russia in sambo. At first, he was skeptical about the newcomer - he seemed painfully weak against the background of other students. Today Minakov is an athlete with a height of 188 cm and a weight of 113 kg.

But in those distant school years, Vitaly had to work hard before he was allowed to fight and compete. The training was not in vain: the young man realized that this was the same, “his” sport. Already at the age of 13 he became a winner international tournament“Friendship of Slavic Peoples”, which was attended by athletes from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

At the age of 23, Minakov became the winner of the World Sambo Championship for the first time.

Sport

Vitaly received his higher education at the Bryansk branch of the National State University physical education, sports and health them. P.F. Lesgaft - a young man graduated from it in 2011. The debut at the professional level took place a year earlier: in 2010. Minakov first performed in MMA (from the English. Mixed Martial Arms - mixed martial arts) at the M-1 Selection tournament. The fight with Ruslan Kabdullin ended already at the 5th minute of the 1st round in favor of the “Bryansk hero”.

Vitaly Minakov and Alexander Volkov

By the end of 2012, Minakov already had nine unconditional victories. He signed a contract with the American sports organization Bellator, participated in the Grand Prix tournament and, having won three victories, fought with Russian Alexander Volkov for the champion belt. After receiving the Bellator heavyweight title and defending the belt against Cheick Kongo, Vitaly returned to Russia for a while. Here he performed in the organization Fight Nights.

In 2015, Vitaliy again entered the ring after a long break and already at the 20th second of the fight he knocked out his rival Adam Matsievsky. For the Polish sambist, this defeat was the first since 2009. 2015 brought Russian athlete two more victories - over the Brazilian Jerónimo dos Santos and the American Josh Copeland.

Vitaly Minakov and Adam Matsievsky

The contract with Bellator allowed Minakov to perform with other promotions, however, in 2016, the president of the organization, Scott Cocker, decided to deprive the Russian sambo wrestler of the title of champion due to long-term inactivity.

In 2017, the world champion fought with the American Dee Jay Linderman and the Brazilian. At the same time, Linderman almost spoiled the impeccable achievement list Russian sambist. The first two rounds made Vitaly's fans worried, but in the final of the third they rejoiced: the champion knocked out the American with powerful blows.

Vitaly Minakov and Antonio Silva

In December 2017, Vitaliy met in the ring with. Even before the start of the fight, the American admitted that he considers the “Bryansk hero” the most dangerous of his opponents. As a result, already in the second round, Minakov inflicted a technical knockout on the opponent.

As for Minakov's fees, they correspond to the level of his skill. Kamil Gadzhiev (head of Fight Nights Global, the largest promotional company in Russia that organizes tournaments for mixed martial arts) said that for one fight, the four-time world champion receives $ 100 thousand.

Vitaly Minakov and Tony Johnson

Vitaly became a four-time world champion, but he has another sports dream - Olympic medal. Unfortunately, sambo is not among the Olympic sports sports, so for some time the “Bryansk hero” seriously thought about going to competitions as a judoka. This idea has not yet been realized, but perhaps still ahead.

Personal life

On the “personal front”, Vitaly is doing well. The sambo wrestler met his wife in 2003 during a shift at the Bryansk sports camp - Natalia came to visit her friends. The acquaintance took place, but then the young people did not see each other for a year. A new chance meeting became fateful.

The world champion has repeatedly admitted that he had long dreamed of a big family. And this wish seems to be coming true: now Vitaly is a happy father of three children. By the way, when the eldest son Roman was born, the sambo wrestler told reporters that he considers this event (and not this or that victory in the ring) to be the main thing in his life.

Following their son, Vitaly and Natalya had a daughter, Polina. The next addition to the family took place in August 2017 - the youngest heir was named Dmitry. The world champion often shares photos of his babies in "Instagram". And in the realization of his dream he plans to go even further: five children is his “maximum program”.

Vitaly Minakov now

Vitaly's sports career is not over. In August 2018, he renewed his contract with the Bellator organization on improved terms. The sambo wrestler's official group on VKontakte reports that by the end of the year he intends to hold one "warm-up" fight.

Sports online publications are already betting on who the four-time champion will have to fight: among the alleged rivals is Mohammed Lawal. If he wins, Minakov will face the winner of the Heavyweight Grand Prix for the title.

Awards

2007 - Champion of Russia among students in weight up to 100 kg
2008 - Champion of Russia in weight over 100 kg
2009 - Gold medalist of the Absolute Russian Sambo Championship
2010 - Silver medalist of the Absolute Russian Sambo Championship
2011 - Gold medalist of the Absolute Russian Sambo Championship
Four-time world champion (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) in weight over 100 kg
Honored Master of Sports of Russia
Bellator's Champion heavyweight(1 defense)

The victory in the Grand Prix gave Minakov the right to a title fight with Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov. On November 15, Vitaly Minakov was still allowed to go under the Russian composition. He climbed into the cage in the company of his colleagues in the Fight Nights Team Kamil Gadzhiev and Batu Khasikov. Volkov, as expected, tried to keep his opponent at a distance with the help of kicks, but Minakov managed to enter the clinch on the second attempt and answer with his knees to the body. Having warmed up his opponent a little, he made a risky throw of Volkov on himself, but on the ground he easily turned him over. Alexander managed to tie the opponent on the ground and wait for the referee to return the fight to the standing position. Perhaps the return to the usual element relaxed the champion a little, or he was expecting new takedown attempts from Minakov. Instead, Vitaly carried out a swift attack, which ended with a right uppercut. Volkov was on the ground, but for some time he tried to defend himself. Minakov put all his strength into finishing blows until the fight was stopped. “My tactic for the fight was constant pressure on the opponent, and it was successful,” Minakov said after the fight. “The next challenger, Cheick Kongo, loves to knock out his opponents, just like me. Let's see whose tactics will be winning, but I will not give up my belt just like that.

On April 4, 2014, Vitaly Minakov, who competes in mixed martial arts tournaments under the auspices of Bellator, defended the heavyweight division title for the first time in his career. Experts note that Minakov moved well in the battle against the Congo, was more active and more often took good positions from above. In addition, his advantage was noticeable in the final fifth round, when it seemed that the Russian could finish off his opponent. This did not happen, and the fighters had to wait for the decision of the judges, who unanimously gave Minakov the victory with a score of 48:46. “I fought the strongest representative of the heavyweight division. I won, which means I'm a real champion, ”said the Russian on the Russia 2 channel after the fight, which extended his winning streak to 14 fights.

Title deprivation

In May 2016, Bellator President Scott Coker announced that Vitaly Minakov was no longer the Bellator MMA champion. Cocker explained that the Russian heavyweight remains on the organization's roster but will be stripped of the title due to inactivity. The last time the Russian defended the championship belt was in April 2014, defeating Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision, after which he did not appear in the cage of the American organization, but had three fights under the Fight Nights banner. On June 17, he fought against Peter Graham, winning by submission in the 1st round.

Titles and achievements

Sports sambo
- Champion of Russia among students (2007) in weight up to 100 kg
- Champion of Russia (2008) in weight over 100 kg
- Four-time world champion (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) in weight over 100 kg
- Honored Master of Sports of Russia
MMA
- Bellator Heavyweight Championship (1 defense)

Results table

Result	Record	Rival	Way	Tournament	date	Round	Time	Place	Note
Victory	19-0	DJ Linderman	KO (Punches)	EFN 59 - Minakov vs. Linderman	February 23, 2017	3	3:09	Khimki, Russia
Victory	18-0	Peter Graham	Pain hold (elbow lever)	EFN 50 - Emelianenko vs. Maldonado	June 17, 2016	1	1:01	Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Victory	17-0	Josh Copeland	Pain hold (kimura)	EFN Fight Nights - Moscow	December 11, 2015	2	2:50	Moscow, Russia
Victory	16-0	Geronimo dos Santos	Pain hold (elbow lever)	EFN Fight Nights	September 25, 2015	1	3:14	Kaspiysk, Russia
Victory	15-0	Adam Maciewski	TKO(beats)	EFN Fight Nights	July 31, 2015	1	0:20	Sochi, Russia
Victory	14-0	Cheick Kongo	unanimous decision	Bellator 115	April 4, 2014	5	5:00	Reno, Nevada, USA	Defended the Bellator Heavyweight Championship.
Victory	13-0	Alexander Volkov	TKO (punches)	Bellator 108	November 15, 2013	1	2:57	Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA	Won the Bellator Heavyweight Championship.
Victory	12-0	Ryan Martinez	TKO (punches)	Bellator 97	July 31, 2013	3	4:02	Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA	Heavyweight Grand Prix Final.
Victory	11-0	Ron Sparks	TKO (punches)	Bellator 96	June 19, 2013	1	0:32	Tuckerville, Oklahoma, USA	1/2 Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Victory	10-0	Vladimir Starchenkov	TKO (punches)	Bellator 79	November 2, 2012	2	0:27	Rama, Ontario, Canada	Debut in Bellator.
Victory	9-0	Fabian Scherner	Knockout (strike)	Fight Nights - Battle of Desne	September 17, 2012	1	3:51	Bryansk, Russia
Victory	8-0	Eddie Sanchez	Knockout (punch)	Fight Nights - Battle of Moscow 7	June 7, 2012	1	1:59	Moscow, Russia
Victory	7-0	Karol Celinski	TKO (doctor's stop)	FFC 2 - Russia vs. Latvia	April 14, 2012	1	0:55	Riga, Latvia
Victory	6-0	Ivan Frolov	Choke hold (rear)	IMMAT - International MMA Tournament	June 29, 2011	1	0:45	Bryansk, Russia
Victory	5-0	Juan Espino	Knockout (punch)	Sambo 70 vs. Spain	April 21, 2011	1	0:09	Moscow, Russia
Victory	4-0	Valery Shcherbakov	Pain hold (elbow lever)	M-1 Challenge 22: Narkun vs. Vasilevsky	December 1, 2010	1	1:05	Moscow, Russia
Victory	3-0	Vitaly Yalovenko	unanimous decision	M-1 Selection 2010: Eastern Europe Finals	July 22, 2010	3	5:00	Moscow, Russia
Victory	2-0	Alexander Zubachev	Choke hold (rear)	Sambo-70 / M-1 Global: Sochi	July 14, 2010	1	0:27	Sochi, Russia
Victory	1-0	Ruslan Kabdullin	Pain hold (elbow lever)	M-1 Selection 2010: Eastern Europe Round 2	April 10, 2010	1	4:19	Kyiv, Ukraine

Activities outside of sports

In 2011, he took part in the Channel One television project Special Task. He served as the commander of the Tiger Detachment. He rose to the rank of sergeant, after a disagreement with an officer, he voluntarily left the project.

On September 14, 2014, after the elections, he became a deputy of the Bryansk Regional Duma, and then was elected deputy chairman of the regional parliament.

Family

Married, father of two children. The younger brother Dmitry Minakov is a sambo wrestler, winner of the championships of Russia and Europe, master of sports of Russia of international class.

Photos of victories and biography of Vitaly Minakov

Vitaly Minakov was born on February 6, 1985 in Bryansk. He started playing sports at the age of 13, but closer to the end of school, he realized that wrestling and winning competitions would become the main occupation for the coming years.

While still at school, Vitaly signed up for a sambo section. Thanks to his perseverance and desire to win, at the age of twenty he already became a four-time world champion in sports sambo, then he received the title of Honored Master of Sports in judo, and since 2010 he began to compete in mixed martial arts.

Vitaly Minakov had his first fight in the ring at Crocus City during the Selection tournament. Having spent several amplitude throws and using a painful hold, he was able to defeat Ruslan Kabdullin. Then he knocked out the Pole Karol Tselinsky.

Win over enough strong opponents Vitaly is helped by his tactics of warfare. First, he sort of studies the situation and the habits of the opponent, then he lets the opponent get closer to him and attacks. As a result, a knockout and an unconditional victory for Minakov.

The most outstanding in the career of Vitaly Minakov is his fight with UFC veteran Eddie Sanchez. At the tournament Fight Nights - Battle of Moscow 7, Vitaly knocked out Eddie, and immediately fought with Fabian Scherner, whom he also successfully knocked out.

Since 2012, Minakov began to cooperate with the American organization Bellator, which organized a fight for him with Vladimir Starchenkov. And, as expected, Vitali knocked him out in the second round. After this fight, Vitaliy took a break, stopped participating in battles and began to improve his health.

But in the summer of 2013, Minakov returned to the sport for the fight with the American Ron Sparks. This fight was relatively easy for Vitali, with a quick knockout, as always. Thanks to knocking out the American in the first round, Minakov reached the final of the Bellator heavyweight grand prix, in the final of which he was to fight with an experienced fighter Ryan Martinez. But our athlete managed to knock out this opponent, although he had to "sweat" until the third round. As a result, Vitaly Minakov became the winner of the 2013 Summer Series Heavyweight Grand Prix and a contender for the Bellator Heavyweight Championship.

At the time when Vitaly claimed the title of champion, he was one. Most of Minakov's fights ended ahead of schedule. The fight with Volkov was no exception - the former sambist knocked out a formidable striker in the first round and became the Bellator heavyweight champion.