Vitaly Minakov also great Judoka: RUS JR National Champion & he defeated Teddy Riner

I knew that Vitaly Minakov also had a good Judo background but I didn't quite realize how good. I found a Russian interview of him in which he makes a few pretty impressive revelations.

Minakov was the top Jr. Judoka (under 23) in Russia winning a national championship. The interview was from 2010 when Vitaly was considering a return to competitive Judo in an attempt to make the 2012 Russian Olympic Judo team.

Vitaly states in the interview that he has previously beaten all of the top current Russian HW Judo players. That could then include 2012 Silver Medalist Alexander Mikhaylin.

Here's where it gets even more interesting. Vitaly stated that he beat 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Teddy Riner when they both fought at an International Judo training camp in 2006. Wo!

In another interview he said prior to 2004 he was a high-level freestyle wrestler before ever coming to Judo and the Sambo before his current MMA career. And all by 27. 8)

Vitaly Minakov decided to return to JUDO
02:12:2010 city

After winning the World Sambo Championship, the third in a row, Bryansk athlete intends to return to the mat, not just to perform at the national championships in judo, and win a ticket to the London Olympics.

This he told the "Soviet Sport" on his return from the World Sambo Championship, which was held in Tashkent. In the words of Vitaly Minakov, at a tournament in Uzbekistan was the most difficult is the final battle with Iliev from Bulgaria: "Power off scale. Everybody understands that this is it, the gold! Reach Out - get one. Forget and fight for the finals with Belarus Yury Rybak . calmly led 8:1 and probably sooner relieved. I stopped and the opponent went all-in. Finally I finished a whisker - 8:7. This was a good lesson, I analyzed, drew conclusions. "

Now we can say that the "hero of Bryansk," so dubbed by Vitaly Minakov journalists, although he does not consider himself as such in Sambo to almost all: "Here Rienner judoka from France - a real hero. Such rock rise more than two meters. He is now the strongest in the heavyweight category. We fought with him at the training camp in 2006. then it has not been a world champion in judo, and I beat him.'d like to meet with Rienner again, but this time on the Olympic mat. "

Vitaly Minakov no secret of its serious intent to gather on the mat. "I will try to break into the 2012 Olympics in London in judo. Dream of Olympic gold. I will try my best. I already won the Russian championship in judo, was a prize-winner, fought with all our strongest judo. And beat them. Had fight at Euro 2006, but somehow I did not take. three years I went from judo in Sambo and won three world championships. in December strongest wrestlers meet in Yekaterinburg. This will be the first phase of the Olympic selection. need to start to get to the team with the opportunity to speak at international tournaments and compete for Olympic licenses. carpet of judge. "

Despite the fact that now between judo and sambo, once allied arts, it is much more different, Vitaly Minakov confident in his abilities, "It used to be twins. But now removed judo throws and grabs the legs - was a completely different fight . We will use all the nuances. I do not get used to, because I started in wrestling section of society "Locomotive", which gave more than half of his sporting life. A Sambo, or, as we call it, the struggle in jackets carried away only six years ago. By the way, the coach with both hands. This is our joint decision. "

Source: IA "Events"

http://www.aerocomfort.su/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4603&Itemid=36

That's interesting. He does have about 4 years on Riner though. However, I do believe that Riner won his first world championship in 2007 or so.

amazing talent right there.

nodogoshi wrote:That's interesting. He does have about 4 years on Riner though. However, I do believe that Riner won his first world championship in 2007 or so.

At the time he had won the world and european junior titles. I don't follow much Judo and don't know how he was compared to today, but this is a legit win anyway.

Any news on the next Minakov fight yet?

Wolfman wrote:

nodogoshi wrote:That's interesting. He does have about 4 years on Riner though. However, I do believe that Riner won his first world championship in 2007 or so.

At the time he had won the world and european junior titles. I don't follow much Judo and don't know how he was compared to today, but this is a legit win anyway.

Any news on the next Minakov fight yet?

On wiki it says Riner won the HW world championships for the first time at 18. This was 2007 the next year after Vitaly beat him. They both were juniors. Riner beat the 2000 gold medalist to win the worlds the first time in 2007.

In my experience most black (even other) basketball players/tall athletes are at or near their end height in around 18. So it's safe to assume Teddy was not too far from the physical size he is now. Vitaly is 6'2" or 6'3" so that kinda knocks out the age difference especially when Riner wins the worlds the next year.

Vitaly has been a world-class Judoka and Olympic-level it would seem at some point. This sounds like a lot like the pudgy on from Stary Oskol and then Sambo (sport) world championships.

I've watch quite a few of Vitality's Sambo matches. He demonstrates some things I have not seen yet from any top Russians with Combat Sambo backgrounds. His wrestling, I mean like freestyle, is really really good. His hip control and top control is really exceptional. He has the most solid base from the top I've ever seen from a Russian in MMA (yes I know he slipped of the top of Starcencov). In fact it's top notch for any wrestler out there. I mean great.

Here's the not so good part for me in my take on Minakow... I don't think Schlemenko's RusFighters Sport Club is the right fit for him if he is there. He needs a wrestling strong team that can show him how to take advantage of the cage & the rules here. I can't believe I'm saying. Sad but true. He needs to be able to use his huge advantage wrestling/judo-wise and then start to bring in more striking skills. The worst thing is to have him turn into a Demian Maia and forget that he's a world champion grappler.

Schlemenko is not a wrestler, nor Judoka, nor Sambo grappling specialist. Vitaly needs a coach/team that can show him how to best use his already great wrestling/grappling skills to his advantage over here. After that he should simply focus enough on striking training to not go backwards from where he is now.

If Greg Jackson had Vitaly... you would see the first HW forever that would TD anybody with regularity at HW and spend a lot of time on top of them. Hurting them with GnP too if he wants. If Jackson is super impressed with Adam Amagov and his potential... think how much he'd like to get a hold of Vitaly.

This is the only time I have ever thought that any non-American wrestler should go to Jackson's. Vitaly 'could' be on a fast track to a UFC HW championship if he did though.

I agree that this is considerable news. Just pointing out something. Also, you said that he beat him in a camp. That's not the same as beating him in competition. I'm speaking now about judo.

All of these things speak very considerably about him as an MMA fighter as far as his credentials go. It is extremely impressive, and I quite frankly had no idea. Looking at his physique, and watching his performances, I am almost not even surprised. I knew he was a top notch sambo guy, and therefore a worldclass combat sports athlete. The wrestling experience is also good and significant.

I would say the guy is one of the best prospects in all of MMA in any weight class. Just watching the guy fight, you can see he is something special, and the sort of guy that doesn't come along very often.

Regarding the judo comments, Riner is already the most decorated judoka of all time at only 23. That includes open weight medals, which the lower weights don't have the luxury of earning, so there is that as well. I think that a competition win would be considerable, but nevertheless that they were in the same class and that he was one of the top judoka in Russia is a very big deal.

Fedor was also one of the top judoka in Russia. He claimed he was robbed of the #1 spot.

Starcencov (his last opponent) is a judoka as well, but is only 2-1 at MMA.

Vitaly needs a coach/team that can show him how to best use his already great wrestling/grappling skills to his advantage over here. After that he should simply focus enough on striking training to not go backwards from where he is now.

I agree completly, he needs a different training now and also needs to improve at lot his striking. IMO he has what it takes to get much better on both areas, and i hope he does, but it's better to slow down the hype. I'll be cheering for him but i'll hold my judgement for when he faces the best HWs Bellator has to offer.