Sergei Kharitonov: I’m currently negotiating with the UFC, Bellator and Glory

Sergei Kharitonov could be the latest Russian fighter to sign with the UFC in 2016. The veteran heavyweight fighter revealed that there is a…

By: Karim Zidan | 8 years ago
Sergei Kharitonov: I’m currently negotiating with the UFC, Bellator and Glory
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

Sergei Kharitonov could be the latest Russian fighter to sign with the UFC in 2016.

The veteran heavyweight fighter revealed that there is a current sweepstakes between the UFC, Bellator, and Glory to determine who will enlist Kharitonov’s services in 2016.

“I was contacted by three organizations: UFC, Bellator and Glory,” Kharitonov told MMABoxing.ru. “I will conduct negotiations with them and will soon will make a decision about where I will perform.”

Kharitonov is a veteran of promotions such as PRIDE Fighting Championships, DREAM and Strikeforce, where he holds wins over the likes of current UFC champion Fabricio Werdum, as well as Andrei Arlovski, Alistar Overeem and Pedro Rizzo. He is currently on a four-fight win streak dating back three years. His last loss took place under the Strikeforce banner against Josh Barnett in the heavyweight Grand Prix semi-final in 2011. His most recent win took place earlier this month in the form of a quick TKO win against Kenny Garner.

Over the past two years, Kharitonov has fought for M-1 Global, Tech-Krep Fighting Championships and even dabbled in kickboxing for Glory. Given the contractual freedom to fight wherever he pleased, Kharitonov was cautious about signing away that freedom by joining the UFC during that time.

“As for me, I am 35 years old, I am no longer a young athlete,” Kharitonov recently told MK. “If I sign a contract with the UFC, they will give me one fight a year. And now, in the previous two years, I’ve had almost seven bouts. Therefore, I believe that I chose the right position. I stand where I want and where I am given the opportunity. I fight at the same time with worthy men.”

It will be interesting to see if the UFC will be able to persuade the Russian to sign on the dotted line.

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About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

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