RCC has launched the second season of its one-round knockout show, featuring a lightweight grand prix in which fighters compete for contracts with RCC Hard. RCC Hard champion Ivan Mastak faced former title contender Maxim Sulgin in a featured bout of the new season. Heavyweights Ivan Shtyrkov and Gadzhi Avtomat serve as celebrity judges, with their appearance on the show marking their first meeting ahead of RCC 25.
RCC launched the second season of its One Round knockout format on July 3, 2026, anchoring the new run with a lightweight grand prix in which competitors fight for contracts with RCC Hard.
The season opener featured RCC Hard champion Ivan Mastak against former title contender Maxim Sulgin in a marquee bout, with the lightweight grand prix serving as the structural spine of the show. Winners across the bracket are competing for spots on the RCC Hard roster.
Adding star power to the broadcast, heavyweights Ivan Shtyrkov and Gadzhi Avtomat appear as celebrity judges. For Shtyrkov, the role carries extra significance: the unbeaten Russian contender — nicknamed "Ural Hulk" and currently 15-0-1 — is facing Avtomat for the first time, and the two are slated to meet competitively at RCC 25. The 38-year-old orthodox fighter out of Archangel Michael Club stands six feet tall with a 74-inch reach, and his presence at the judges' table means the two men will share the same stage before their eventual fight.
Why it matters
- The lightweight grand prix gives RCC Hard a built-in pipeline for new contract signings, raising the competitive stakes beyond a single night.
- Shtyrkov and Avtomat appearing together as judges turns a regular broadcast into an early chapter of their RCC 25 rivalry, generating attention for both the show and the upcoming heavyweight clash.
- Mastak defending his RCC Hard status against a former title challenger signals the promotion is using the new season to test its champion against credible opposition from the opening round.
