Vitaly Minakov enters mixed martial arts a very accomplished sambo practitioner. He’s a three time world champion in the discipline, and with experience could enjoy a successful career in professional fighting.

A dangerous grappler, Minakov attempts to get the fight to the ground by shooting in off his striking. Given his background it’s not surprising to learn that he’s quite effective in the clinch, showing a strong takedown arsenal made up of a variety of trips and throws. Minakov’s combination of technique and power is prevalent in the more forceful takedowns he’s secured (see his Ura Nage against Ruslan Kabdulin). Working well from the top, Minakov shows quick transitions and great submissions awareness. Though his approach is technical, Minakov will aggressively pursue a ground and pound strategy in order to open up grappling opportunities on the mat. At times Minakov still rushes himself, but his pedigree suggests that with maturity and experience those issues should iron themselves out. One area of his grappling arsenal that will require work is his guard. Though he is quite proficient defensively, Minakov is not terribly active off his back and should continue working on that aspect of his ground game.

Minakov’s standup is developing as a complimentary skill set to his ground fighting. Naturally, he has shown impressive punching power and decent hand speed. Minakov bounces around the ring looking to land wide, powerful hooks and a big right hand. Technically, Minakov will need to continue progressing as a standup artist He still appears off balance when throwing his kicks/punches, and does have a tendency to telegraph his strikes. His range and defensive techniques including footwork, hand positioning, countering/slipping – all require significant overhauls if Minakov is to find success at the higher levels.