Igor Vovchanchyn

At 51 years old, Igor Vovchanchyn has this physical status:

Igor Yaroslavovych Vovchanchyn (born August 6, 1973) is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in early no holds barred MMA tournaments.

He won nine openweight mixed martial arts tournaments (back when the tournament format permitted 3 to four consecutive bare-knuckle fights on the same night) and is the second most popular MMA fighter in the country by number of victories won by way of knockout, rising from three to four consecutive bare-knuckle fights in a row.

Throughout his career, he was regarded as one of the top MMA players, and Ukrainian officials created the Igor Vovchanchyn Cup in honor of him.

Personal life

Vovchanchyn is married and has one child, named Zlata. He identifies himself as neither Russian nor Ukrainian, but rather as a Slav. Fedor Emelianenko is close friends of Fedor Emelianenko.

In a 2008 interview, Vovchanchyn claimed that since being banned from action, he runs a local café-bar named 'Champion'.

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Mixed martial arts career

After being invited to compete at Honour of the Warrior in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in late 1995, Vovchanchyn transitioned from a lucrative kickboxing career to MMA. Vovchanchyn knocked out his first two opponents before losing via submission to Ukrainian sambist Andrey Besedin in the final.

He then competed in a 32-man tournament hosted at the Luzhniki Palace of Sports in Moscow, where he TKO'd Sergei Akinen before he defeated Adilson Lima, a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt who trained with Ryan Gracie, a month later. Vovchanchyn was defeated by a soccer kick 56 seconds into the match, but Lima's cornerman Renzo Gracie argued to the tournament's administrators, alleging that kicks to a downed opponent were unfair and demanded an instant replay. Unusually, an immediate rematch was granted, but the match was delayed for a second time after Lima's nose was broken by a punch, winning Vovchanchyn by TKO. Vovchanchyn advanced to the quarterfinals, where he was introduced by Russian sambo champion Mikhail Ilyukhin.

Vovchanchyn's legendary kickboxing style made him one of the few truly stand-up fighters to beat grappling-based opponents, exemplified in his victory in the 8-man Mr. Strongman Sekai tournament in Minsk, Belarus, where he knocked out three opponents.

Vovchanchyn competed in and lifted three tournaments in March 1996: the DNRF: Ukraine's No Rules Championship, the Ukrainian No. 1st Championship, and the first ever IFC event: IFC 1: Kombat in Kyiv. He had 9 fights (7 KO/TKO's and 2 submissions), none of which had to advance to the first round in these three tournaments. All three men he faced in the IFC tournament (Fred Floyd, Paul Varelans, and John Dixon) weighed over 300 pounds/136 kilograms. The war against Paul Varelans was rated as one of the best fights in European MMA history. Leon Spinks, the former heavyweight boxing champion who was a 'guest of honor,' was among those in attendance at the festival.

Vovchanchyn was allowed to compete at UFC 11 in September 1996, but the fighter was unable to attend due to visa issues as well as dissatisfaction with the offer.

Vovchanchyn later won the 1st Absolute Fighting World Cup Pankration tournament in Tel Aviv, Israel, after having enjoyed a lot of success in the former Soviet Union. Vovchanchyn met Nick Nutter, an NCAA All-American wrestler from Ohio State and a protégé of Mark Coleman, in the tournament final. For about 25 minutes, Nutter dominated the fight until he was stunned by a headbutt from Vovchanchyn. Nutter wrote a long letter of bleeding.

Vovchanchyn was invited to participate in the fifth edition of the World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), organized by Brazilian promoter Frederico Lapenda and hosted by the Fun House Night Club in Recife, northeast Brazil, on February 3, 1998. He was a seven-time champion of many tournaments. The tournament featured eight fighters, three Americans, four Brazilians, and Vovchanchyn as the sole Ukrainian representative – without gloves and in 10-minute rounds. Vovchanchyn was supposed to face Patrick Smith in the semifinals after coercing Chinese boxing stylist Tulio Palhares to go on strike in the quarterfinals. Smith drew his hand against Marco Selva, but was replaced by local fighter Elias Rodrigues, also known as Demonio Negro ("Black Devil")). Vovchanchyn and Rodrigues traded strikes for more than ten minutes, but the Ukrainian was able to score four takedowns in a back-and-forth match that lasted over ten minutes. Vovchanchyn mounted Rodrigues and compelled his Brazilian adversary to submit to a barrage of punches in one of these opportunities. He was advancing to the final and met American wrestler Nick Nutter in a rematch and suffered a brutal 14-second defeat as he attempted to break a takedown attempt with a well-timed knee strike.

During this period of his career, Vovchanchyn was arguably the best heavyweight in the world for many years to come. Edson Carvalho, a Brazilian national judo team member, and a Carlson Gracie black belt were among the WVC's finalists the following year. Carvalho was a disciple of Sebastio "Master of Death" Lacerda, a wealthy man from Brazil who appeared in Rio de Janeiro in 1996 and said to have spent a long time in Japan learning "the deadly art of yawara." Despite his ostensible reputation, Lacerda was able to recruit some well-known celebrities into his sect, including Carvalho and Marco Ruas. Although Ruas eventually departed from Lacerda, Carvalho's Carvalho continued to criticize Lacerda's "deadly technique" of yawara.

Vovchanchyn was admitted to Japanese promotion PRIDE after winning the World Vale Tudo Championship 5 years ago, defying Gary Goodridge on his debut in his debut. Vovchanchyn was knocked out twice by the bigger Goodridge, who was left behind on points, but he controlled Goodridge during the stand-up exchanges and knocked him out with two left hooks, 5:58 into the first round.

Vovchanchyn won two superfights against Aloisio Freitas Neto and Edson Carvalho, who defeated them both in the World Valu Tudo Championship.

Vovchanchyn then defeated Japanese fighter Akira Shoji once more in PRIDE. The majority of the battle remained in standing order, with Vovchanchanchyn destroying a wary Shoji and throwing him down, while the Japanese circled him and lied on the mat to prevent his hits. Vovchanchyn won the judges' decision by damaging Shoji badly with strikes at the end of the proceedings.

In what was Vovchanchyn's last time outside of PRIDE, he took part in another 4-man tournament named 'Interpride' in Ukraine's home country of Ukraine, winning the first by submission and TKO.

Carlos "Carlo" Barlo Barlo, a Carlson Gracie team member and the reigning IVC Heavyweight Champion, was resurgent to PRIDE. Despite the greater success of Bart, Vovchanchyn fought him with punches and leg kicks, ultimately ending his takedown attempts for the first two rounds, but Bart was still the most effective fighter and saw Bardugo as the most adamant fighter. They traded hits and Barton managed to knock Vovchanchyn down, effectively ending the war working ground and the pound on the war. Vovchanchyn's decision was made in the midst of a certain mystery.

After the Bart match, Vovchanchyn made a special appearance in K-1 for a kickboxing rules match, taking on multiple champion and established celebrity Ernesto Hoost. Vovchanchyn, who often went for takedowns, was dissatisfied with the style, while Hoost maintained his left leg with low kicks. The Ukrainian fighter collapsed down thrice due to leg injury, which cost him the game by knockout.

Vovchanchyn was up next to face American wrestler Mark Kerr for the unofficial title of world number one. Nearly all outlets that covered mixed martial arts featured either Vovchanchyn or Mark Kerr, the undefeated two-time UFC Champion and ADCC Champion, as the best heavyweight fighter in the country. Kerr took a knee strike in the right eye and obtained several takedowns early in the game, but he was unable to reach Vovchanchyn's guard or do any more harm. Vovchanchyn pounced on the now-exhausted Kerr and dominated him with strikes, eventually knocking him out of a series of knees. Vovchanchyn was proclaimed the winner, but the decision was later reversed and the result declared a no contest. Knees to the head of a grounded opponent in the four points position had been barred right away, long before the tournament. Eugenia Borschevskaya, Vovchanchyn's boss, was also seen in his corner during the show.

Vovchanchyn defeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Francisco Bueno in his upcoming fight. Bueno was knocked out by Vovchanchyn's combination, with Bueno literally falling face first as he was being struck in the chest. This knockout is now one of the most brutal knockouts in MMA history, even causing the promoters of K-1 to offer him $1,000 in the locker room and state that he defeated K-1 Champion Ernesto Hoost. Vovchanchyn emerged as a favorite going into the Pride Grand Prix 2000 after a string of victories.

For several years, Vovchanchyn had been regarded as the best fighter in the sport, and as commentators Stephen Quadros and Bas Rutten noted, he was certainly the favourite to win the tournament. In the first round, he defeated Japanese professional wrestler Alexander Otsuka by decision and threw out a tepid match with Gary Goodridge that was purely stand-up. He made it to the final of the PRIDE 2000 Openweight Grand Prix.

Vovchanchyn then met with Kazushi Sakuraba of Japan, the world's top pound fighter, who had defeated Royce Gracie earlier this night in a 90-minute match, the longest in recent competitive combat history. Despite Sakuraba's takedown and smacking him, Vovchanchyn later grabbed a waist lock takedown and led the Japanese with strikes, although Sakuraba covered up. After the match was declared a draw and needed a second round to determine a finalist, Sakuraba's corner threw in the towel as he had just fought for 105 minutes and could not physically continue. Vovchanchyn won the battle via TKO (corner stoppage) and advanced to the last round.

In the final, Vovchanchyn met powerhouse American wrestler Mark Coleman. Coleman had the advantage going into the final match as he skipped the semi finals after his opponent, Kazuyuki Fujita, was forced to withdraw due to injury. Coleman kept the physically drained Ihor on the ground, and after the second 20-minute round, won the tie by gaining a north-south position and repeatedly kneed Vovchanchyn the head, causing Vovchanchyn to call out. Coleman was the most threatening competitor he encountered up to that point, according to Ihor.

At PRIDE 9, Facing Japanese gatekeeper Daijiro Matsui, Vovchanchyn orchestrated the match by sprawling and walking ground and pound until the bout was interrupted by eye injury on Matsui.

Vovchanchyn then met Enson Inoue at PRIDE 10, one of the most one-sided combats in MMA history, resulting in a doctor suspension after the 1st round's conclusion. "I suffered a broken jaw, fractured finger, swollen brain, a swollen skull, a normal body, and two days in intensive care," Inoue related to the fight. Vovchanchyn then met Nobuhiko Takada, the son of Sakuraba and Matsui, at PRIDE 11. Vovchanchyn was taken down and met leg kicks and some resistance, but he was finished in the second round by ground and pound.

Vovchanchyn earned a rematch with Mark Kerr at PRIDE 12, after three straight victories. Vovchanchyn's tenacity in the stand-up war was shattered by Kerr's superior grappling and takedowns, and the contest was declared a draw after two rounds. Vovchanchyn was awarded the victory by unanimous decision after an extra third round. Both of Ihor's battles against Mark Kerr were the most difficult victories of his career, according to Ihor.

Despite being scheduled to face Ken Shamrock at Pride 13, Vovchancyn faced Tra Telligman as Shamrock had sustained a neck injury 2 weeks before the match. Despite Ihor's ability to strike, Telligman shocked him with a left straight that knocked Vovchanchyn down, allowing Tra to command the rest of the fight and win the decision. It was the first time Vovchanchyn had been outraged.

Gilbert Yvel, the former RINGS Openweight champion, met him later on PRIDE 14. However, since Gilbert was smaller on the ground, Vovchanchyn took him down, putting his sambo skills to use and chewing Yvel out.

Vovchanchyn will face another striker in the world karate championship Masaaki Satake by vote at PRIDE 15.

Vovchanchyn suffered another surprise when he was delivered in under three minutes by Brazilian Top Team coach Mario Sperry. He was invited to fight in Lithuania at the RINGS promotion after this fight. Vovchanchyn's original adversary suffered from an injury and was replaced by a fighter who "hadn't played for a long time." This fighter requested that no punches be allowed in the fight, which Ihor said was impossible to prevent, but the second round was won by leg kicks.

He closed the year on a high note, demonstrating his exceptional grappling experience against Valentijn Overeem at PRIDE 18, escaping from heel hooks and slipping his own heel hook for the tap out, and ending 2001 with a mixed record in PRIDE.

Vovchanchyn considered going down to the Middleweight (205lb) division at the start of 2002, saying he had a great chance to become a champion in that weight class. This move didn't happen, and Heath Herring and Ida were both struggling and striking against him at PRIDE 19, but the two men were dominated by him, and judges approved Heath. It would be similar to Quinton Jackson's as the American fighter slammed him twice, causing him to be withheld due to a fractured skull at PRIDE 22.

Vovchanchyn took on Mirko Cro Cop in August 2003 after beating Bob Schrijber by submission in a Dutch promotion. Ihor was knocked out by a left head kick. This bout is considered a "passing of the torch" by Vovchanchyn, who had split his last 8 fights in Pride with a record of 3–3 (1–3) in his last four fights, as it elevated the younger striking sensation Cro Cop to an Interim Heavyweight Championship match with Antônio Rodrigo No. 1.

Vovchanchyn began losing streaks at the start of 2004 and was named one of the participants of PRIDE's forthcoming 16-man heavyweight Grand Prix, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. At the end of the year, Vovchanchyn moved to combat Katsuhisa Fujii.

Vovchanchyn beat former Pancrase Heavyweight champion Yoshiki Takahashi in 2005, breaking a weight division. "I've never been knocked out by a single punch until today," Takahashi said after the match, "I'm still dizzy and have [a] headache." He qualified for the 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix after his triumph. Bas Rutten, a PRIDE commentator, believed that Vovchanchyn was a favorite to win the tournament.

In PRIDE Total Elimination 2005, Vovchanchyn was matched against Yuki Kondo, the reigning Pancrase Light Heavyweight champion and former Pancrase Openweight champion. The vote was decided by a unanimous vote, but it was not a military one.

He then met Alistair Overeem in the quarter finals and lost by submission. When being offered a match against Kazuhiro Nakamura in PRIDE Final Conflict 2005, the winner was granted the opportunity to be an alternate in the tournament's finals. Vovchanchyn lost a unanimous judge's decision in what was supposed to be his last competitive MMA match after 15 minutes.

Vovchanchyn said, "It's all about preparation." When they introduced weight divisions, I was 93 kg only for the last two years in PRIDE. However, my natural weight is around 103-104 kilograms. I didn't feel as strong as before when losing weight. But 104 kilograms is the right weight for me, and I am very comfortable with it. I felt strong, able, and full of energy. I was feeling a lack of self-confidence as a result of losing weight. Fedor (Emelianenko), by the same token, felt out of his comfort zone when he lost the weight. It's not about the shape and physical appearance, but it wasn't about his style." Vovchanchyn's weight was a mystery to many, according to popular nutritionist Mike Dolce, who said he wished he'd have helped Vovchanchyn lose 170 lb weight class and make him the 'welterweight Fedor'. According to several experts, Vovchanchyn should have fought at the Welterweight (183) divide that PRIDE did not have hoped for and that he was an undersized heavyweight.

Despite being expected to compete at PRIDE 34 against Wanderlei Silva, Vovchanchyn retired at the age 32, citing multiple injuries, including a right hand that was still severely injured as of 2008. His last few appearances in his career were expected due to this injury, according to reports. He finished his PRIDE career with a record of 18–8 with 1 no contest, his second most victories in PRIDE history (27), second most wins in PRIDE history (27), and third most victories via KO/TKO (10). Vovchanchyn is one of the best mixed martial artists of the 1990s, and one of the best mixed martial artists in history to have never competed in the UFC. According to FightMatrix, he was a top ten heavyweight from April 1996 to January 2001. Many votes on Sherdog's 'All-Time Heavyweights' list were cast in 2011 and 2017.

Vovchanchyn was expected to return to MMA at the Battle Mixed Combative exhibition in South Korea in July 2009, which was originally scheduled for September 29, 2009. Despite the fact that Jan Nortje was expected to be his opponent, Vovchanchyn had just announced that he had no intention in fighting due to his injuries one year ago. The festival took place, but Ihor did not turn up.

Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the founder of Rizin Fighting Federation, shared several photos on his Instagram account in September 2016, including Vovchanchyn training in his gym back in Ukraine, as well as hinting that Rizor can invite Ihor back to fight in Japan.

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