Sergei Kharitonov: A Bellator MMA Introduction

Sergei Kharitonov was cleaning house in Pride Fighting Championships a decade ago, leading some to label him a potential all-time great. Wins over Fabricio Werdum, Pedro Rizzo and Semmy Schilt raised the expectations, but the monstrous Russian fell short in battles with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Alistair Overeem before the Ultimate Fighting Championship purchased Pride and dispersed much of the talent. Kharitonov moved on to Dream and Strikeforce, but losses to Josh Barnett and Jeff Monson left him in something of a career purgatory, at least in the eyes of the American MMA audience. Kharitonov will make his Bellator MMA debut against Javy Ayala in a Bellator 163 heavyweight showcase on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. There, he plans to rekindle the intrigue that once surrounded him.“If anybody has forgotten about me or thinks that I am under the radar, with this next fight I’ll make sure they remember me again,” Kharitonov told Sherdog.com. “Nobody wins without losses. I’ve thought a lot about the mistakes I’ve made. I’ve worked very hard on those, and I’ve improved a lot. I am ready for the next chapter of my career.” Kharitonov has rattled off five straight victories, all of them finishes. He last fought under the M-1 Global banner in July 2015, when he cut down Kenny Garner with punches 4:11 into the first round of their rematch in Kazakhstan. Kharitonov credits a smarter approach, inside and outside the cage, for his resurgence. “I am so much more experienced now, and I’ve changed the way I prepare for …

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