Putin’s arrival, Basta’s performance and new rules: what did the first championship of the Combat Sambo League remember

The first championship of the new Combat Sambo League (CSL, Combat Sambo League) was held in Sochi. The tournament was attended by representatives of the junior national team of Russia, who shared champion titles in seven weight categories. The competition was remembered for its colorful and uncompromising battles, and Russian President Vladimir Putin became an honored guest of the event.

The first tournament in history preceded the international forum of the Combat Sambo League. It was attended by representatives of the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) and national organizations, as well as the head of CSL Arkady Rotenberg. During the meeting, the reasons for the creation of the championship were announced, as well as the goals that it will pursue.

According to the president of FIAS Vasily Shestakov, one of the reasons for the establishment of the league was the difficulty in including combat sambo in the program of the Olympic Games. According to him, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is wary of assigning this status to those sports that it considers aggressive, which is why the creation of CSL was the only possible step for the development of martial arts.

The forum participants enthusiastically welcomed the news about the formation of CSL, and also noted that they intend to make every effort to achieve combat sambo status “the most effective and spectacular martial arts” and rival MMA. According to the head of the All-Russian Sambo Federation (VFS) Sergey Eliseev, the creation of the league will help the best representatives of this kind to continue to compete according to its rules.

“70% of the world champions in MMA are from Sambo. The MMA system in Russia is supported by combat sambo ... The goals of CSL are to promote sambo as a popular Russian product. Creating a spectacular television model of sambo. Popularization of athletes in society. Commercialization of professional sambo as an effective model for making a profit, ”Eliseev said.

In turn, Arkady Rotenberg assured that CSL does not aim to oust MMA from the Russian market, and also did not rule out the possibility that in the future the league will invite famous mixed martial arts fighters to participate.

The tournament was preceded by the performance of the participants “Voice. Children ”, as well as a show program designed to demonstrate the entertainment of combat sambo. During it, a group of young athletes practiced in shock technique and performed signature throws, and the brightest representatives of this sport were shown on the screen. Among them are the famous MMA fighters Fedor Emelianenko, Vyacheslav Vasilevsky and Denis Goltsov, and the last two were present in the arena. The championship was closed by the performance of the famous rapper Basta.

The first to go to the floor were representatives of the weight category up to 57 kilograms - Nurulo Makhmadov and Ali Ismailov. The fighters showed a rather spectacular duel, replete with both double-edged blows and spectacular sweeps. And this despite the fact that it was certainly not easy for young athletes to cope with excitement, because their performance from the stands was monitored by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is worth noting that the fights within the CSL were very different from the traditional ones in combat sambo. The duration of the bout was two rounds of three minutes. The fighters fought without helmets, and also had the recommendation not to strike on the ground, which confirmed the slogan of the organization "they don’t hit the bed." In addition, it was forbidden to keep the opponent in the stalls, which was supposed to increase the pace and entertainment.

In general, these innovations had a positive effect on the quality of battles. Athletes tried mainly to work in the stance, as well as to perform takedowns, which are very much appreciated in combat sambo, in mixed martial arts. However, the time for pain and asphyxiation was seriously limited. That is what allowed Makhmadov to gain the upper hand in the category up to 57 kilograms, and Armen Tadevosyan - in the division up to 62 kilograms. At the same time, both fights lasted all two rounds, and the triumph was determined by the decision of the judges.

As a result, the remaining fights also did not end ahead of schedule, and only in one of them the judicial verdict was not unanimous. The success of Dmitry Sirenko was ensured thanks to the estimates of the majority of referees, while Mikhail Konovalov, Zalim Kerimov, Temirlan Myakiev and Evgeny Dubina won more confidently.

The result of the competition was summed up by Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader noted the importance and cultural value of Sambo for the country, and also thanked the fighters for their performance.

“Sambo is self-defense without weapons. This is a martial art, which has become bright, understandable for hundreds of thousands of people, and maybe even for millions of people, the hallmark of our national physical culture and sports. This is a national sport - spectacular, beautiful, dynamic. And it is no coincidence that experts know that it was created, woven from the best movements, catchy of the national types of struggle of the peoples of the Soviet Union. Today, sambo has crossed our national borders, it is cultivated in 84 countries on all continents, ”Putin concluded.