MMA Champ Headlines Russia’s War

Russia’s invasion in the Ukraine doesn’t stop attracting headlines.

Now it seems like many sporting celebrities are getting involved in this conflict and Vladimir Mineev is one of them.

The AMC Fight Nights middleweight title holder has taken a break from MMA as he joins Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian middleweight boxer is currently in Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine under the custody of Russian forces.

The news was confirmed by AMC Fight Nights president Kamil Ghadjiev, who claimed that the Russian is part of a “humanitarian mission” and is set to become a fully-fledged soldier in this current war.

“It was such a difficult year for me. You all understand what I mean,” Mineev told the crowd in Moscow following his win. “And it is, in fact, just the beginning for me. I want to take a break in my sports life. You know that I received a summons, I have objective reasons not to go there. But for myself, I have already made a decision and I am going to fulfill it.”

Mineev is not the first Russian boxer to join Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Bellator’s Yaroslav Amosov withdrew from his title bout to join Russia’s war in the initial phase whereas Poland’s Tomasz Walentek, an amateur MMA fighter, was killed during his campaign in the war effort against Russia.