Sergei Kharitonov is still representing for MMA’s old guard at age 43.
A 23-year MMA veteran whose career began more than four years before UFC prospect Raul Rosas Jr. was born, Kharitonov showed he still has some fight left in him on Saturday, demolishing 33-year-old Tiago Cardoso with a first-round knockout in the heavyweight main event of MMA Series 72 at the International Boxing Center in Moscow, Russia.
With visible grey in his beard, Kharitonov blasted his younger foe with punches before sealing the deal with a flurry of ground-and-pound at the 3:07 mark of Round 1.
Check out video of Kharitonov’s handiwork below.
Sergei Kharitonov, veterano dos pesados do MMA, aos 43 anos, nocauteou Tiago Cardoso ainda no primeiro round pela luta principal do MMA Series 72, neste sábado, na Rússia. pic.twitter.com/9BdJQR6VDR
— MMA Melotto (@MMAmelotto) September 24, 2023
Kharitonov (34-9) is one of the longest tenured MMA fighters still active in the world today. Nicknamed “The Paratrooper” for his military roots, Kharitonov was a mainstay of the Pride FC heavyweight division in the promotion’s heyday, competing 11 times for the famed Japanese organization from 2003-07.
Kharitonov also had pit stops in many of the biggest combat sport promotions of his eras, inking deals with Strikeforce, K-1, DREAM, Glory, and Bellator, among others. In that time, he’s competed against many of the most celebrated heavyweights of all-time, facing the likes of Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, Semmy Schilt, Pedro Rizzo, Rico Verhoeven, Jerome LeBanner, plus many more.
And at age 43, he’s still adding knockouts to his résumé.
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