Saint Petersburg heavyweight MMA team sees resurgence with top talent

Saint Petersburg has assembled its strongest heavyweight roster in 20 years, since the legendary Red Devil team era. The current lineup 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, Greco-Roman wrestling master of sport), Denis Goltsov (36-9), and regular training camp participant Anton Vyazigin (17-6). Most compete in ACA, creating intense internal competition. Two notable upcoming matchups feature Kirill Kornilov vs. Tony Johnson and Daniil Matsola vs. Khadis Ibragimov, with Ibragimov also having developed as a professional in Saint Petersburg.