سانتا مونیکا (فروری 3, 2015) - سرگئی خریتونوف (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, کثیر جنگ کا معاہدہ. 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, آندرے Arlovski, پیڈرو رزو, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and Alistair Overeem.

“I have had the best seat in the house for some of Kharitonov’s heavyweight outings,"Bellator متحدہ مجلس عمل کے صدر اسکاٹ Coker اس نے کہا, “and I know Sergei [خریتونوف] 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. زیادہ, 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 Lashley, Cheick کانگو, Vinicius کی Queiroz, Kimbo سلائس, ٹونی جانسن, جسٹن Wren نے, دان چارلس, اور جیمز تھامسن.