Sergei Kharitonov

Sergei Kharitonov is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist, professional boxer and former kickboxer, born on August 18, 1980 in Plesetsk. His mother coached volleyball and his father dabbled in boxing and long distance running, and he trained boxing from about age ten before studying Combat Sambo at sixteen. He attended the Ryazan Airborne Command School and served in the Russian Airborne Troops. Fighting professionally since 2000, he joined the Russian Top Team, debuted in PRIDE Fighting Championships in October 2003 and compiled an 8 to 3 record there. He later fought in DREAM, Strikeforce, Bellator, M-1 Global and GLORY, and has notable wins over Alistair Overeem, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum and Semmy Schilt.