Undefeated Sambo Champ, Vitaly Minakov, signs with Bellator

Bellator Fighting Championships has just announced the addition of a new heavyweight fighter to their roster: Vitaly Minakov (8-0). Minakov is a four-time World Sambo Champion and comes into the promotion with an unblemished record and a recent knockout victory of Bellator veteran Eddie Sanchez; his third knockout win in his last four victories.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said today via press release: “There has been tremendous buzz about Vitaly worldwide. He has an incredible Sambo background and a very solid stand up game.  His potential after just eight fights is very high and we are excited to have him joining Bellator.”

Minakov is thankful for the opportunity to fight for Bellator and said earlier: “Becoming a Bellator fighter means that all my hard work in the gym and training has all paid off. It means myself and my entire team were working in the right direction, and we did everything right. With my current training regimen, I feel like I am fully prepared for a future Bellator Tournament. I want everyone to know that I’m not here just to ‘take part’ in a Bellator Tournament, but to win it all and become a Bellator Champion.”

Minakov is set to make his Bellator debut shortly and has his sights set on a future Bellator Heavyweight Tournament.