A joint bareknuckle MMA event from RCC and Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA promotion is set for September 13 in Chelyabinsk, coinciding with the city's Day of the City celebration. Ivan Shtyrkov revealed the plans in an interview.
RCC and Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA are teaming up to stage a joint bareknuckle MMA event in Chelyabinsk, Russia, on September 13, timed to coincide with the city's annual Day of the City celebration. Ivan Shtyrkov disclosed the plans in a recent interview.
Shtyrkov, known as the "Ural Hulk," is a 38-year-old Russian heavyweight who carries an impressive 15-0-1 record and trains out of the Archangel Michael Club. Standing six feet tall with a 74-inch reach, the Chelyabinsk native has been one of the more prominent figures in Russian MMA and bareknuckle competition, making his home city a fitting backdrop for an event of this kind.
The promotion's American co-organizer is Jorge Masvidal, the 41-year-old Miami-born fighter nicknamed "Gamebred," who holds a professional record of 35-17. A veteran of American Top Team standing five-foot-eleven with a 74-inch reach, Masvidal has built the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA brand as a platform for the sport's growth in the United States and beyond. He averages 4.05 significant strikes per minute over his career with a 47 percent striking accuracy, and the hard-nosed, pressure-heavy style that defined his fighting reputation has shaped the identity of his promotion.
Why it matters
- The partnership links one of Russia's leading MMA organizations with a high-profile American bareknuckle brand, expanding the sport's international footprint.
- Holding the event on Chelyabinsk's Day of the City gives it a festival atmosphere and a ready-made local audience.
- Shtyrkov's local standing in Chelyabinsk adds a hometown draw that could generate significant regional attention for the card.
