Vyacheslav Vasilevsky
Six combat sambo world titles, strikes and all
- Born
- June 16, 1988, Zelenogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia
- Nationality
Russia- Height
- 178 cm (5′10″)
- Reach
- 188 cm (6′2″)
- Style
- Judo-and-boxing all-rounder
- Weight
- 90 kg, Middleweight (MMA), Light Heavyweight (MMA)
- Active
- 2007–present
- Status
- Active · age 38
The medals
6 combat sambo world titles at 90 kg (2009–2017); MMA record 35-11 (Sherdog)
The story
yacheslav Vasilevsky grew up in Zelenogorsk, a closed town in Siberia, and spent ten years in judo before adding boxing in 2007. His coach then entered him in the Siberian combat sambo championships; he won, and the sport became his. Combat sambo adds punches and kicks to the throws and holds, and Vasilevsky ruled its 90 kg class, winning six world titles between 2009 and 2017 plus two European titles. He ran an MMA career alongside it from 2008, winning the first M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title in 2010 and the M-1 middleweight title in 2014, and reaching the semi-finals of Bellator's 2012 middleweight tournament. Sherdog lists his MMA record at 35-11. Asked which sport mattered most to him, his answer was simple: combat sambo.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- World combat sambo champion, 90 kg (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017)
- European combat sambo champion (2008, 2014)
- Russian combat sambo champion (five or more times, 2009–2017)
- M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion (2010, inaugural) and middleweight champion (2014)
- Honoured Master of Sports of Russia (combat sambo)
Defining matches
- 2009WINvs Boris Velichkov (World Combat Sambo Championships 90 kg final, Thessaloniki; first world title)
- 2010WINvs Tomasz Narkun (MMA, TKO in round 2; inaugural M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title)
- 2012WINvs Sultan Aliev (Russian combat sambo championship 90 kg final, decision)
- 2014WINvs Ramazan Emeev (MMA, TKO in round 4; M-1 Challenge middleweight title)
- 2017WINvs Louis Laurent (World Combat Sambo Championships 90 kg final, Sochi; sixth world title)
Link your striking to the back take: when punches make an opponent turn away or cover up, get to the back and finish with the rear-naked choke. Most of Vasilevsky's MMA submission wins came by that choke.
