Saint Petersburg has gathered a notable heavyweight team, potentially the strongest since the legendary Red Devil team twenty years ago. The roster includes 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), Denis Goltsov (36-9), and Anton Vyazigin (17-6) who trains there regularly. Most of these fighters compete in ACA, which means they will face tough competition and likely some losses. Two upcoming fights highlighted are Kirill Kornilov vs Tony Johnson and Daniil Matsola vs Khadis Ibragimov at ACA 202.
Saint Petersburg has assembled what is being described as one of its strongest heavyweight rosters in two decades, with a squad of fighters set to compete under the ACA banner headlined by a pair of marquee matchups at ACA 202.
The group draws comparisons to the legendary Red Devil team that dominated combat sports from the region roughly twenty years ago. The current roster brings together Kirill Kornilov (18-3), Alexander Maslov (12-1), Anton Vinnikov (18-5), Daniil Matsola (7-0 and unbeaten), Artem Dushenko (6-3, competing at 93 kg), Dmitry Baboryko (2-0), the veteran Denis Goltsov (36-9), and Anton Vyazigin (17-6), who trains with the group on a regular basis. The depth and collective experience across that roster is considerable, though competing regularly in ACA means the fighters will encounter stiff opposition and some defeats are inevitable.
Two bouts from ACA 202 stand out as early tests for the group. Kornilov meets Tony Johnson, who carries an 11-3-0 record. Johnson lands two significant strikes per minute at a 53 percent accuracy rate and also contributes two takedowns per fifteen minutes, making him a well-rounded threat on the feet and on the mat.
Matsola's undefeated run will be tested against Khadis Ibragimov, a 31-year-old Russian out of Sambo Piter. Standing six-foot-three with a 78-inch reach, Ibragimov is an orthodox striker who lands 3.55 significant strikes per minute and has shown a willingness to mix in takedowns at just under one per fifteen minutes.
Why it matters
- Matsola's perfect 7-0 record is directly on the line against the experienced Ibragimov
- Kornilov's bout with Johnson pits two fighters with winning records, carrying divisional weight inside ACA's heavyweight picture
- The Saint Petersburg collective's performance in ACA will signal whether the region can reclaim the heavyweight prestige it last held under the Red Devil era
