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‘The Russian Bear’ Dances Again
The Russian Bear
A takedown and pivot, the leg was secured. Moments later, after the
proper pressure was applied, Moti Horenstein had no choice
but to tapout from the excruciating pain of a kneebar.
That's how Oleg Taktarov triumphantly ended his first stint as a professional mixed martial artist.
Four months ago against John Marsh (Pictures), Taktarov similarly jump-started his second foray into the sport via the leg lock that threatens to pop kneecaps like those little plastic confetti champagne bottles on New Year's.
After nearly a full decade away from the trade that allowed him to legally remove another man from consciousness, it's hard to argue the 39-year-old Russian forgot how to perform his trademark sambo submissions.
One of the pioneers of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Taktarov (15-5-2) embarked on a fighting career that elicited loyalty from a legion of hardcore fans. Though he toppled quite a few popular fighters in his day and captured the UFC 6 title, Taktarov's time as an active mixed martial artist lasted just more than four years before he walked away.
"I went into a very successful business career in Russia: acting," said Taktarov, who headlines Friday's Yamma Pit Fighting pay-per-view card from Atlantic City. "Right now you can say my acting career is a bit shaky. In the United States it's a nice place to live but in Russia, it's a whole different story right now. I just finished a movie called ‘Montana' and I have some other things in the works, too. I'm confident that I will be able to accomplish some very nice things and I'm sure they will be mostly in United States."
Though he may not be in high demand in Tinseltown, Taktarov, with his piercing grayish-blue eyes and heavy Russian inflection, appeared in dozens of movies with varying measures of camera time. The fighter has graced the silver screen alongside many of Hollywood's giants in such works as "Air Force One," "15 Minutes," "National Treasure" and "Miami Vice," though most know him as the man who liked to choke out his opponents in the UFC's infancy.
Taktarov decided to put the gloves back on and put his script reading and retakes on hold. But unlike many a fighter who climbs back into the realm of combat after having been away from a lengthy duration, Taktarov said he's not doing it because he needs to.
"I don't like to do things for money or because I have to do them," he stated while trying to warm up from the lingering New Jersey winter. "I like to do things that I love to do and when I do things, I want to go for the biggest, most exciting things. Right now, I don't have to work for money and I don't have to take parts in movie because I have to. I can take a year [off] from movies, so right now I have some free time on my hands.
"I don't want to work on some cheesy B movie," the fighter-turned-actor-turned-fighter continued. "I want to be here in the United States and I want to do something big. Right now, Yamma Pit Fighting with their different game plan and their arena, it's never been done before. Their cage, how you call it, it's really something to look at."
That's how Oleg Taktarov triumphantly ended his first stint as a professional mixed martial artist.
Four months ago against John Marsh (Pictures), Taktarov similarly jump-started his second foray into the sport via the leg lock that threatens to pop kneecaps like those little plastic confetti champagne bottles on New Year's.
After nearly a full decade away from the trade that allowed him to legally remove another man from consciousness, it's hard to argue the 39-year-old Russian forgot how to perform his trademark sambo submissions.
One of the pioneers of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Taktarov (15-5-2) embarked on a fighting career that elicited loyalty from a legion of hardcore fans. Though he toppled quite a few popular fighters in his day and captured the UFC 6 title, Taktarov's time as an active mixed martial artist lasted just more than four years before he walked away.
"I went into a very successful business career in Russia: acting," said Taktarov, who headlines Friday's Yamma Pit Fighting pay-per-view card from Atlantic City. "Right now you can say my acting career is a bit shaky. In the United States it's a nice place to live but in Russia, it's a whole different story right now. I just finished a movie called ‘Montana' and I have some other things in the works, too. I'm confident that I will be able to accomplish some very nice things and I'm sure they will be mostly in United States."
Though he may not be in high demand in Tinseltown, Taktarov, with his piercing grayish-blue eyes and heavy Russian inflection, appeared in dozens of movies with varying measures of camera time. The fighter has graced the silver screen alongside many of Hollywood's giants in such works as "Air Force One," "15 Minutes," "National Treasure" and "Miami Vice," though most know him as the man who liked to choke out his opponents in the UFC's infancy.
Taktarov decided to put the gloves back on and put his script reading and retakes on hold. But unlike many a fighter who climbs back into the realm of combat after having been away from a lengthy duration, Taktarov said he's not doing it because he needs to.
"I don't like to do things for money or because I have to do them," he stated while trying to warm up from the lingering New Jersey winter. "I like to do things that I love to do and when I do things, I want to go for the biggest, most exciting things. Right now, I don't have to work for money and I don't have to take parts in movie because I have to. I can take a year [off] from movies, so right now I have some free time on my hands.
"I don't want to work on some cheesy B movie," the fighter-turned-actor-turned-fighter continued. "I want to be here in the United States and I want to do something big. Right now, Yamma Pit Fighting with their different game plan and their arena, it's never been done before. Their cage, how you call it, it's really something to look at."
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