Igor Vovchanchyn
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Name | Igor Vovchanchyn |
| Nickname | Ice Cold | |
| Association | Team Vovchanchyn | |
| Weight Class | Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.) | |
| Height | 5' 8" (173 cm) | |
| Style | Kickboxing, Sambo | |
| Birth Date | August 6, 1973 | |
| Fighting Out Of | Kharkov, Ukraine | |
| Country | Ukraine | |
| Igor Vovchanchyn Pictures | Official Website |
Igor Yaroslavovich "Ice Cold" Vovchanchyn is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist. He holds notable wins over Mark Kerr, Yuki Kondo, Gilbert Yvel, Kazushi Sakuraba, Valentijn Overeem, and Gary Goodridge.
Contents |
[edit] Professional Record
| Record | 49 - 10 - 1 (Win – Loss – Draw) (1 NC) |
| Wins | 26 (T)KOs 15 Submissions 7 Decisions 1 Other |
| Losses | 1 (T)KOs 6 Submissions 3 Decisions |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event Title | Date | Round | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | Kazuhiro Nakamura | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE: Final Conflict 2005 | 8/28/2005 | 2 | 5:00 | |
| Loss | Alistair Overeem | Submission (Guillotine Choke) | PRIDE: Critical Countdown 2005 | 6/26/2005 | 1 | 1:20 | |
| Win | Yuki Kondo | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE: Total Elimination 2005 | 4/23/2005 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Kazuo Takahashi | KO (Punch) | PRIDE 29: Fists of Fire | 2/20/2005 | 1 | 1:10 | |
| Win | Sergey Terezimov | Submission (Heel Hook) | WOP: Water of Peresvit | 12/04/2004 | N/A | N/A | |
| Win | Katsuhisa Fujii | KO (Punches) | PRIDE Bushido 5 | 10/14/2004 | 1 | 4:02 | |
| Win | Dan Bobish | TKO (Punches) | PRIDE 27: Inferno | 2/01/2004 | 2 | 1:45 | |
| Loss | Mirko Filipovic | KO (Head Kick) | PRIDE: Total Elimination 2003 | 8/10/2003 | 1 | 1:29 | |
| Win | Bob Schrijber | Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | It's Showtime: Amsterdam Arena | 6/08/2003 | 2 | 4:05 | |
| Loss | Quinton Jackson | Submission (Injury) | PRIDE 22: Beats from the East 2 | 9/29/2002 | 1 | 7:17 | |
| Loss | Heath Herring | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE 19: Bad Blood | 2/24/2002 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Valentijn Overeem | Submission (Heel Hook) | PRIDE 18: Cold Fury 2 | 12/23/2001 | 1 | 4:35 | |
| Win | Ricardas Rocevicius | TKO (Leg Kicks) | Rings Lithuania: Bushido Rings 3 | 11/10/2001 | 2 | N/A | |
| Loss | Mario Sperry | Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) | PRIDE 17: Championship Chaos | 11/03/2001 | 1 | 2:52 | |
| Win | Masaaki Satake | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE 15: Raging Rumble | 7/29/2001 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Gilbert Yvel | Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | PRIDE 14: Clash of the Titans | 5/27/2001 | 1 | 1:52 | |
| Loss | Tra Telligman | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE 13: Collision Course | 3/25/2001 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Mark Kerr | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE 12: Cold Fury | 12/09/2000 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Nobuhiko Takada | Submission (Punches) | PRIDE 11: Battle of the Rising Sun | 10/31/2000 | 2 | 3:17 | |
| Win | Enson Inoue | TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | PRIDE 10: Return of the Warrior | 8/27/2000 | 1 | 10:00 | |
| Win | Daijiro Matsui | TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | PRIDE 9: New Blood | 6/04/2000 | 1 | 5:03 | |
| Loss | Mark Coleman | Submission (Knees) | PRIDE Grand Prix 2000: Finals | 5/01/2000 | 2 | 3:09 | PRIDE 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Finals |
| Win | Kazushi Sakuraba | TKO (Corner Stoppage) | PRIDE Grand Prix 2000: Finals | 5/01/2001 | 1 | 15:00 | PRIDE 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Semi-finals |
| Win | Gary Goodridge | TKO (Punches) | PRIDE Grand Prix 2000: Finals | 5/01/2000 | 1 | 10:14 | PRIDE 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Quarter Finals |
| Win | Alexander Otsuka | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE Grand Prix 2000: Opening Round | 1/30/2000 | 1 | 15:00 | PRIDE 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Opening Round |
| Win | Francisco Bueno | KO (Punches) | PRIDE 8 | 11/21/1999 | 1 | 1:23 | |
| NC | Mark Kerr | No Contest | PRIDE 7 | 9/12/1999 | 2 | N/A | |
| Win | Carlos Barreto | Decision (Unanimous) | PRIDE 6 | 7/04/1999 | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Win | Vepcho Bardanashvilli | Submission (Choke) | InterPride 1999: Heavyweight Final | 5/08/1999 | N/A | N/A | |
| Win | Akira Shoji | PRIDE 5 | Decision (Unanimous) | 4/29/1999 | 2 | 10:00 | |
| Win | Edson Carvalho | TKO (Strikes) | WVC 7: World Vale Tudo Championship 7 | 2/02/1999 | 1 | 3:16 | |
| Win | Aloisio Freitas Neto | Submission (Strikes) | WVC 6: World Vale Tudo Championship 6 | 11/01/1998 | 1 | 7:26 | |
| Win | Gary Goodridge | TKO (Punches) | PRIDE 4 | 10/11/1998 | 1 | 5:58 | |
| Win | Nick Nutter | KO (Knee) | WVC 5: World Vale Tudo Championship 5 | 2/03/1998 | 1 | 0:14 | |
| Win | Elias Rodrigues | Submission (Punches) | WVC 5: World Vale Tudo Championship 5 | 2/03/1998 | 1 | 10:35 | |
| Win | Tulio Palhares | Submission (Punches) | WVC 5: World Vale Tudo Championship 5 | 2/03/1998 | 1 | 5:35 | |
| Win | Nick Nutter | Submission (Headbutts) | IAFC: 1st Absolute Fighting World Cup Pankration | 11/12/1997 | 1 | 24:42 | |
| Win | Mikhail Avetisyan | Decision | IAFC: 1st Absolute Fighting World Cup Pankrations | 11/12/1997 | 1 | 35:00 | |
| Win | Valery Pliev | Submission (Punches) | IAFC: 1st Absolute Fighting World Cup Pankration | 11/12/1997 | 1 | 7:13 | |
| Win | Yuri Mildzikhov | TKO (Forfeit) | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Russian Open Cup 3 | 8/29/1997 | N/A | 0:00 | |
| Win | Igor Guerus | TKO | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Russian Open Cup 3 | 8/29/1997 | 1 | N/A | |
| Win | Vasily Kudin | Submission (Leg Kicks) | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Russian Open Cup 3 | 8/29/1997 | 1 | N/A | |
| Win | Dimitry Panfilov | TKO | COS: Cup of Stars | 5/23/1997 | N/A | N/A | |
| Win | Aslan Hamza | N/A | COS: Cup of Stars | 5/23/1997 | N/A | N/A | |
| Draw | Leonardo Castello Branco | Draw | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Championship 2 (Day 2) | 5/02/1997 | 1 | 35:00 | |
| Win | John Dixon | Submission (Exhaustion) | IFC 1: Kombat in Kiev | 3/30/1996 | 1 | 9:10 | |
| Win | Paul Varelans | TKO | IFC 1: Kombat in Kiev | 3/30/1996 | 1 | 6:20 | |
| Win | Fred Floyd | Submission (Strikes) | IFC 1: Kombat in Kiev | 3/30/1996 | 1 | 13:14 | |
| Win | Igor Guerus | TKO (Punches) | DNRF: Ukranian Octagon | 3/01/1996 | 1 | 1:41 | |
| Win | Sergey Sheremet | KO (Punch) | DNRF: Ukranian Octagon | 3/01/1996 | 1 | 1:27 | |
| Win | Oleg Tischenko | KO (Punch) | DNRF: Ukranian Octagon | 3/01/1996 | 1 | 0:05 | |
| Win | Roman Tikunov | KO | MPS: Mr. Powerman Sekai 1996 | 1/28/1996 | 1 | N/A | |
| Win | Sergei Bondarovich | KO | MPS: Mr. Powerman Sekai 1996 | 1/28/1996 | 1 | N/A | |
| Win | Nikolai Yatsuk | KO | MPS: Mr. Powerman Sekai 1996 | 1/28/1996 | 1 | N/A | |
| Loss | Mikhail Illoukhine | Submission (Chin to the Eye) | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Championship 1 | 11/25/1995 | 1 | 6:30 | |
| Win | Adilson Lima | TKO (Broken Nose) | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Championship 1 | 11/25/1995 | 1 | 1:51 | |
| Win | Adilson Lima | KO (Kicks and Punches) | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Championship 1 | 11/25/1995 | 1 | 0:56 | |
| Win | Sergei Akinen | TKO (Broken Arm) | IAFC: Absolute Fighting Championship 1 | 11/25/1995 | 1 | 2:40 | |
| Loss | Andrei Besedin | Submission (Kneebar) | UCMAL: Warrior's Honour 1 | 10/14/1995 | 1 | 1:12 | |
| Win | Sergei Bondarovich | TKO (Punches) | UCMAL: Warrior's Honour 1 | 10/14/1995 | 1 | 0:18 | |
| Win | Alexander Madrik | Submission (Punches) | UCMAL: Warrior's Honour 1 | 10/14/1995 | 1 | 3:06 | |
[edit] Biography
Vovchanchyn was born in Zolochiv, Ukraine on August 6, 1973. Igor had an infamous temper among the people in his village. So much so that a rumor started that they would ring the town's church bell every time he was in a bad mood so the townspeople would know.
[edit] Mixed Martial Arts Career
[edit] Early MMA Career
Igor Vovchanchyn transitioned from a successful Kickboxing career to MMA in 1995. He competed primarily in tournament-style events across the Ukraine, often fighting three or four times in one day. Often he is famed for being one of the few strictly stand-up fighters to successfully overcome grappling opponents, as on Mr. Powerman Sekai in Minsk, Belarus, on January 23, 1996. This was seen in the very first IAFC event in which he managed to defeat Adilson Lima; a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt who trained with Ryan Gracie. First ending the fight with a knockout 56 seconds into the fight, however, Relson Gracie was on Lima's corner, argued to the tournament organizers that the kicks to a downed opponent were unfair and demanded an immediate rematch. Strangely enough the rematch was granted, and the fight began again with Lima being a more cautious fighter this time around. However the fight was stopped a second time as a result of a broken nose from a punch thrown by Vovchanchyn; ultimately ending the fight.
[edit] Pride FC
In his PRIDE debut, Vovchanchyn fought Canadian kickboxer and arm-wrestling champion Gary Goodridge. Igor showed a lack of experience in takedown defense and was twice taken down by Goodridge, who was not known for his grappling prowess. After a short period of ground work the fighters returned to the standing phase of combat. Igor, obviously behind on points, attacked Goodridge and knocked him out with two left hooks.
He then fought Japanese ju-jitsu fighter Akira Shoji. The fight stayed in the standing position for most of the two ten-minute rounds, and Vovchanchyn won the judges decision by badly damaging Shoji with strikes.
He then fought Carlos Barreto, a Carlson Gracie team member and Vale Tudo champion. Igor shut down the takedown attempts of Barreto and won the decision by out striking him.
He was next matched up with American wrestler Mark Kerr for the unofficial title of #1 Heavyweight in the world. Kerr secured several takedows early, but was unable to pass Vovchanchyn's guard or do any significant damage. In the last round Igor pounced on the exhausted Kerr dominating him with strikes. When Kerr shot in for a takedown to avoid the barrage of strikes Vovchanchyn sprawled, leaving Kerr in a four points position facing down. Vovchanchyn then knocked Kerr out with a series of knees, but the fight was ruled a no contest because knees to the head of a grounded opponent in the four points position were at that time illegal.
In his next fight Igor fought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Francisco Bueno, who was fresh off a knockout victory. After a brief feeling out process Igor scored a brilliant one-punch knockout with what become his signature strike; the overhand right. Igor was a favorite going in to the Pride grand prix. In the openining round he defeated Japanese pro wrestler Alexander Otsuka easily by decision. His next fight was a rematch with Gary Goodridge, and Igor quickly erased the memory of his lackluster performance in the first fight with a KO that Gary would go on to say was the hardest punch he'd ever felt.
He then faced Japanese hero Kazushi Sakuraba, coming off of the longest fight in recent history, a 90 minute battle with UFC champion Royce Gracie. Igor scored well in the first round but Sakuraba did not return for the next round because of exhaustion.
He then faced another powerhouse American wrestler in Mark Coleman. Coleman took Igor down and was able to injure Vovchanchyn with knees from the north-south position, forcing Igor to submit.
Vovchanchyn's next fight was a TKO destruction of Daijiro Matsui. In his next fight Igor laid the groundwork for the way of defeating the guard later made famous by Fedor Emelianenko.
He fought Enson Inoue, a ju-jitsu fighter from Hawaii. After briefly exchanging punches, the fight went to the ground and Enson attempted to exploite Igor's lack of submissions training, but was instead pounded so badly that he could not return for the second round.
[edit] Comeback
In July 2009, the Korean MMA organization Fighting Mixed Combative announced that Vovchanchyn was scheduled to fight an unnamed opponent at an event to be held in September, during the Chungju World Martial Arts Festival.
[edit] Personal Life
Igor is married and has one daughter, named Zlatta.
In a 2008 interview, Igor stated that he was retired from martial arts competition and is now a businessman. He mentions accumulated injuries as the cause of his retirement.
[edit] Championships and Accomplishments
- PRIDE World Grand Prix 2000 Runner-up
- Mr. Powerman SEKAI 1996 (Mr. Strong Guy 1996) Winner
- Ukrainian Octagon Winner (1996)
- International Fighting Championship 1 Winner (1996)
- AROC 3 Winner (1997)
- Absolute Fighting Championship 3 Winner (1997)
- World Vale Tudo Championship 5 Winner (1998)
[edit] Kickboxing Record
Russian Kick Boxing Champion: 60 Fights, 58 Wins, 2 Losses
Won World Kick Boxing/Martial Arts Championship in Moscow (1995)
