St. Petersburg heavyweight MMA scene experiencing resurgence with strong roster

St. Petersburg has assembled its strongest heavyweight MMA team since the legendary Red Devil gym 20 years ago, according to analysis of the current roster. The city now hosts a notable collection of heavyweight fighters including Kirill Kornilov (18-3), Alexander Maslov (12-1), Anton Vinnikov (18-5), Daniil Matsola (7-0), Artem Dushenko (6-3 at 93kg), Dmitry Baboryko (2-0, young Greco-Roman wrestling master of sport), Denis Goltsov (36-9), and regular visitor Anton Vyazigin (17-6). Most compete in ACA, which means losses are inevitable given the high level of competition. However, fighters who compile good records there can be considered strong fighters at the world level. Two particularly interesting upcoming matchups are Kirill Kornilov vs Tony Johnson and Daniil Matsola vs Khadis Ibragimov, with Ibragimov also having developed as a professional athlete in St. Petersburg.