5 Things You Might Not Know about Denis Goltsov

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL playoffs live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Advertisement

Many observers now view Denis Goltsov as an odds-on favorite to procure a life-altering payday.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Russian sambo practitioner will confront Mirko Filipovic protégé Ante Delija in the 2021 Professional Fighters League heavyweight semifinals as part of the PFL 8 main card on Thursday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The winner moves on to the tournament final in October and a shot at a $1 million prize. Goltsov, 31, has momentum on his side, as he has posted eight wins over his past nine outings. He last appeared at PFL 6, where he put away Brandon Sayles with third-round punches on June 25.

As Goltsov makes final preparations for his three-round showdown with Delija, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. His quiver holds a variety of arrows.

Goltsov as a two-time combat sambo world champion poses a variety of threats to anyone he faces inside the cage. He sports 22 finishes among his 27 career victories: 10 by submission and 12 by knockout or technical knockout. Jared Rosholt, Paul Buentello, Mike Kyle, Peter Graham and Konstantin Erokhin are among the opponents he has victimized.

2. Judges admire his work.

Despite his propensity for fight-ending violence, Goltsov has never come up short on the scorecards. In fact, he owns a perfect 5-0 record in bouts that have gone the distance, as the Sambo Piter rep has beaten Satoshi Ishii, Salimgerey Rasulov, Brett Rogers, Roy Boughton and Igor Kukurudziak in route-going performances.

3. He familiarized himself with penthouse living.

Goltsov ranks as one of the better-kept secrets on the European regional scene. He has held titles in the Absolute Championship Berkut and Tech-KREP Fighting Championship organizations.

4. Ingenuity has worked in his favor.

“The Russian Bogatyr” channeled his inner Alexey Oleynik and became the first Professional Fighters League competitor to successfully execute an Ezekiel choke when he submitted Kelvin Tiller with the maneuver in the second round of their PFL 6 pairing on Aug. 8, 2019.

5. He knows how to sustain success.

Goltsov once went five years between losses. After he submitted to Akhmed Sultanov at an M-1 Global event on June 21, 2012, he proceeded to rattle off 14 consecutive victories across six different promotions. Goltsov did not lose again until he submitted to fourth-round punches from Mukhomad Vakhaev at ACB 67 on Aug. 19, 2017.