Saint Petersburg has gathered a notable heavyweight team for the first time in approximately 20 years since the legendary Red Devil team. The current roster training in Saint Petersburg includes: Kirill Kornilov (18-3), Alexander Maslov (12-1), Anton Vinnikov (18-5), Daniil Matsola (7-0), Artem Dushenko at 93 kg (6-3), Dmitry Baboryko, a young Greco-Roman wrestling master (2-0), Denis Goltsov (36-9) separately, and Anton Vyazigin (17-6) who regularly attends training camps. Most fight in ACA, which means losses are inevitable due to tough competition, but those who compile good records there can be considered world-level fighters. Two interesting upcoming matchups are highlighted: Kirill Kornilov vs Tony Johnson and Daniil Matsola vs Khadis Ibragimov, with Ibragimov also having developed as a professional in Saint Petersburg.
Saint Petersburg's combat sports scene is experiencing a notable resurgence at heavyweight, with the city assembling its most formidable collection of big men in roughly two decades — a development that draws direct comparisons to the storied Red Devil team that once produced elite fighters from the region.
The current Saint Petersburg heavyweight roster spans a wide range of experience and career stages. Kirill Kornilov carries an 18-3 record and has an upcoming matchup against Tony Johnson, who stands at six-foot-one (185 cm) and holds an 11-3-0 mark. Johnson lands two significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy and adds two takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded test. Alexander Maslov sits at 12-1, while veteran Denis Goltsov brings a wealth of experience at 36-9. Anton Vinnikov (18-5) and Anton Vyazigin (17-6), who regularly attends training camps with the group, add further depth. Unbeaten prospects Daniil Matsola (7-0) and Dmitry Baboryko (2-0), the latter a young Greco-Roman wrestling specialist, represent the next generation. Artem Dushenko competes at 93 kilograms with a 6-3 record.
Matsola's scheduled bout against Khadis Ibragimov adds an intriguing local dimension. Ibragimov, listed under Sambo Piter and himself a product of the Saint Petersburg development pipeline, is 8-4-0 at 31 years old. The six-foot-three (191 cm), 198 cm reach Russian lands 3.55 significant strikes per minute and brings takedown threat and submission activity to his fights.
Why it matters
- Most of the group competes in ACA, one of the toughest heavyweight circuits outside the UFC, lending credibility to their records
- Kornilov vs Johnson and Matsola vs Ibragimov offer immediate tests that will clarify the group's world-level standing
- Baboryko's Greco-Roman base and Matsola's unbeaten record make them the most closely watched prospects emerging from the collective
