St. Petersburg has assembled its strongest heavyweight MMA team in 20 years, potentially the most powerful lineup since the legendary Red Devil team. The current roster training in the city includes Kirill Kornilov (18-3), Alexander Maslov (12-1), Anton Vinnikov (18-5), Daniil Matsola (7-0), Artem Dushenko at 93kg (6-3), Dmitry Baboryko, a young master of sport in Greco-Roman wrestling (2-0), Denis Goltsov (36-9), and Anton Vyazigin (17-6) who regularly attends training camps there. Most of these fighters compete in ACA, where the high level of competition means losses are inevitable, but those who succeed can legitimately be considered world-class fighters. Two upcoming interesting matchups feature members of this group: Kirill Kornilov vs. Tony Johnson and Daniil Matsola vs. Khadis Ibragimov, with Ibragimov also having developed as a professional athlete in St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg's heavyweight MMA scene has quietly assembled one of its deepest rosters in two decades, with a group of fighters training together in the city that observers are comparing to the legendary Red Devil team of an earlier era.
The roster includes Kirill Kornilov (18-3), Alexander Maslov (12-1), Anton Vinnikov (18-5), the unbeaten Daniil Matsola (7-0), Artem Dushenko competing at 93 kilograms (6-3), young Greco-Roman wrestling master of sport Dmitry Baboryko (2-0), veteran Denis Goltsov (36-9), and Anton Vyazigin (17-6), who regularly attends training camps in the city. The majority compete in ACA, a promotion known for its competitive heavyweight division where losses are harder to avoid and victories carry genuine weight.
Two matchups on the horizon will test members of this group against credible opposition. Kornilov is set to face Tony Johnson, an 11-3 heavyweight who lands two significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy and adds two takedowns per 15 minutes. Matsola, still undefeated at seven fights, will meet Khadis Ibragimov, a 31-year-old Russian standing six-foot-three with a 78-inch reach and an 8-4 record. Ibragimov, who trains with Sambo Piter, himself developed as a professional in St. Petersburg, giving that contest an added local dimension. He lands 3.55 significant strikes per minute and has shown a well-rounded game with nearly one takedown per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Matsola's unbeaten record meets a serious test in Ibragimov, a veteran with UFC and ACA experience
- Kornilov's result against Johnson will signal how close the group's top names are to elite international level
- The depth of the roster suggests St. Petersburg could become a consistent pipeline for high-level heavyweight talent in European MMA
