سانتا مونیکا (فوریه 3, 2015) - سرگئی خاریتونف (23-5) is the newest free agent by Bellator MMA, with the news that the Russian heavyweight has been signed to an exclusive multi-year, قرارداد چند مبارزه. A veteran of both Strikeforce and Pride Fighting Championships, Kharitonov remains on active duty with the Russian Airborne Troops.

Doubling as a kickboxer at different points throughout his combat sports career, “The Paratrooper” has decided to parlay his recent five-fight winning streak and focus purely on mixed martial arts. Kharitonov’s resume is extensive, with the 35-year-old scoring wins against some of the sport’s most notable names including UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum, آندری آرلوفسکی, پدرو ریزو, موریلو "نینجا" روآ, و آلیستر اوریم.

“I have had the best seat in the house for some of Kharitonov’s heavyweight outings,"اسکات Coker Bellator MMA رئیس جمهور گفت:, “and I know Sergei [خاریتونف] can come in and make an immediate impact on our heavyweight division. He is an extremely skilled and experienced fighter who can end a fight in the blink of an eye, and we look forward to having him do just that inside the Bellator cage. بیش, he’s already competed at one ‘Dynamite’ event before, maybe he could do so again in the future!"

Kharitonov joins a division that is currently championed by fellow Russian fighter ویتالی Minakov, other top names include بابی لشلی, Cheick کنگو, Vinicius کیروش, Kimbo برش, تونی جانسون, جاستین رن, دن چارلز, و جیمز تامپسون.