A notable group of heavyweight fighters has gathered in Saint Petersburg, representing the strongest lineup since the legendary Red Devil team 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, young Greco-Roman wrestling master), Denis Goltsov (36-9), and Anton Vyazigin (17-6) who regularly attends training camps. Most compete in ACA, which creates a challenging environment with inevitable losses due to high competition levels. Two upcoming intriguing matchups feature Kirill Kornilov vs. Tony Johnson and Daniil Matsola vs. Khadis Ibragimov, with Ibragimov also having developed professionally in Saint Petersburg.
Saint Petersburg has quietly assembled one of the most formidable heavyweight rosters in Russian MMA, with a collection of fighters spread across multiple gyms in the city that observers are calling the strongest concentration of heavyweight talent in the region since the celebrated Red Devil team of roughly two decades ago.
The current lineup includes veterans and rising prospects alike. Kirill Kornilov carries an 18-3 record, while Alexander Maslov has gone 12-1. Anton Vinnikov brings experience at 18-5, and Denis Goltsov, one of the elder statesmen of the group, has accumulated a 36-9 mark over a long career. Anton Vyazigin, 17-6, regularly participates in training camps with the collective. On the emerging end, Daniil Matsola remains unbeaten at 7-0, Artem Dushenko competes at 93 kilograms with a 6-3 record, and Dmitry Baboryko is an undefeated prospect at 2-0 with a background in Greco-Roman wrestling.
The majority of these fighters compete under the ACA banner, where the depth of competition means losses are an accepted part of career development rather than a mark against a fighter's standing.
Two matchups on the horizon give the group added significance. Kornilov is set to face Tony Johnson, who holds an 11-3 record and lands two significant strikes per minute with a 53 percent accuracy rate. Separately, Matsola's unbeaten run will be tested against Khadis Ibragimov, a 31-year-old Russian fighter out of Sambo Piter who stands six-foot-three with a 78-inch reach. Ibragimov, 8-4, produces 3.55 significant strikes per minute and is himself a product of the Saint Petersburg fight scene, adding an extra layer of intrigue to that contest.
Why it matters
- Saint Petersburg now rivals established Russian MMA hubs in heavyweight depth
- Both Kornilov vs. Johnson and Matsola vs. Ibragimov carry regional pride alongside competitive stakes
- The cross-gym training environment raises the level for all involved despite the inevitable toll of intra-scene competition
