A notable heavyweight team has assembled in Saint Petersburg, potentially the strongest lineup since the legendary Red Devil gym 20 years ago. The current 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, a young Greco-Roman wrestling master), Denis Goltsov (36-9), and Anton Vyazigin (17-6) who regularly attends training camps. Most of these fighters compete in ACA, where the high level of competition makes it difficult to maintain winning records, but those who succeed can be considered world-class fighters. Two upcoming interesting matchups feature Kirill Kornilov vs. Tony Johnson and Daniil Matsola vs. Khadis Ibragimov, with Ibragimov also having developed as a professional fighter in Saint Petersburg.
Saint Petersburg's heavyweight scene has emerged as one of the most formidable regional rosters in European MMA, with a cluster of notable fighters training together under what some are calling the strongest collective the city has produced since the legendary Red Devil gym was at its peak roughly two decades ago.
The group competing primarily in ACA — one of the world's most competitive regional promotions — includes Kirill Kornilov (18-3), Alexander Maslov (12-1), Anton Vinnikov (18-5), and undefeated prospect Daniil Matsola (7-0). Rounding out the roster are Artem Dushenko (6-3 at 93 kilograms), young Greco-Roman wrestling specialist Dmitry Baboryko (2-0), and veteran Denis Goltsov (36-9), with Anton Vyazigin (17-6) regularly joining training camps. Maintaining a winning record in ACA heavyweight competition is widely regarded as a genuine mark of world-class ability, given the depth of the field.
Two upcoming matchups put the group in the spotlight. Kornilov faces Tony Johnson, an 11-3 heavyweight who stands 185 centimeters tall and lands two significant strikes per minute at a 53 percent accuracy rate, also contributing two takedowns per 15 minutes.
Matsola's unbeaten record will be tested against Khadis Ibragimov, an 8-4 orthodox heavyweight from Russia who himself developed as a professional in the Saint Petersburg scene. Now representing Sambo Piter, the 31-year-old stands six-foot-three with a 78-inch reach and produces an active 3.55 significant strikes per minute, giving him meaningful offensive output on the feet.
Why it matters
- ACA heavyweight competition is regarded as among the toughest outside the UFC, lending credibility to the entire roster's records
- Matsola's undefeated run faces its most recognizable test yet in Ibragimov, a seasoned opponent with shared regional roots
- The depth of the Saint Petersburg group — ranging from untested prospects like Baboryko to the decorated veteran Goltsov — suggests a sustainable pipeline rather than a one-generation story
