Issue 055
October 2009
The majority of well-known fighters tend to come from the USA, UK, Brazil or Japan, but there is a host of fighters from continental Europe who are worth following. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the notable scrappers currently competing on the international stage.
Joachim Hansen
19-7-1, lightweight
Gegard Mousasi
25-2-1, light heavyweight
Zelg Galesic
9-4-0, middleweight
Dennis Siver
14-6-0, lightweight
Melvin Manhoef
30-6-1, middleweight
Alessio Sakara
14-7-0, middleweight
David Bielkheden
13-7-0, middleweight
COUNTRY
Joachim Hansen
‘Hellboy’ is Norway’s best MMA fighter.
Gegard Mousasi
Armenian by birth, Mousasi lives in, and represents, the Netherlands.
Zelg Galesic
Galesic is Croatian but has spent long periods of time training in England.
Dennis Siver
Born in Russia, Siver lives and fights out of Mannheim, Germany.
Melvin Manhoef
Born in Surinam, a Dutch-speaking country in South America, but based in the Netherlands.
Alessio Sakara
Sakara is one of only two Italian fighters to ever make it into the UFC.
David Bielkheden
Bielkheden is the most successful MMA fighter to come out of Sweden.
IN BRIEF
Joachim Hansen
Probably the top lightweight fighter in Europe, Hansen has competed exclusively in Japan since 2007.
Gegard Mousasi
Mousasi made his MMA debut at 17 years of age, and has fought in K-1 as well as MMA.
Zelg Galesic
A former taekwondo champ, Galesic brings an explosive and high-kicking approach to MMA.
Dennis Siver
A heavy-handed slugger, Siver is somewhere between prospect and gatekeeper.
Melvin Manhoef
Ferocious, frightening and freakishly fast, Manhoef is a destructive ball of energy.
Alessio Sakara
He’s got great hands but has never managed to string together enough wins to go anywhere in the UFC.
David Bielkheden
A tough all-rounder, Bielkheden is a BJJ black belt and regularly trains in Brazil.
KNOWN FOR
Joachim Hansen
His vicious ability to finish fights. Hansen is tough in every range.
Gegard Mousasi
Winning the DREAM middleweight Grand Prix, being a regular training partner of Fedor Emelianenko.
Zelg Galesic
Finishing fights in style – Galesic has never left it to the judges to decide.
Dennis Siver
Big punches, big kicks, big throws – but all from a short and stocky guy.
Melvin Manhoef
Blasting his opponents with devastating flurries of kicks and punches,
but notoriously has a lack of staying power in longer fights.
Alessio Sakara
His extensive tattoos, Sparta-style beard and incredible striking ability.
David Bielkheden
Strong ground ‘n pound and powerful grappling ability.
MUST-SEE FIGHT
Joachim Hansen
His 2008 war with Eddie Alvarez was a contender for Fight of the Year. It showcased the best of both men.
Gegard Mousasi
His run through the competition in DREAM was something spectacular.
Zelg Galesic
His early Cage Rage fights show him at his destructive best – check out his fights with Stout, Weir and Nichols.
Dennis Siver
His fight with Nate Mohr from UFC 93, which he won with a combination of a spinning kick and punches.
Melvin Manhoef
His 2006 fight with Cyborg Santos was one of the best to ever take place on UK soil.
Alessio Sakara
Check his brutal head kick KO of Joe Vedepo on Ultimate Fight Night 15.
David Bielkheden
If you can find it, his drubbing of Charles McCarthy from 2004 was particularly impressive.
WHAT NEXT?
Joachim Hansen
Hansen returns in October for a third match with Shinya Aoki (they have one win apiece).
Gegard Mousasi
Mousasi is moving up through the weight classes and has said he will eventually fight at heavyweight.
Zelg Galesic
Galesic continues to fight in Japan. Next appearing on the Japanese promotion, DREAM.
Dennis Siver
Siver will continue to fight on the undercard of European UFC events.
Melvin Manhoef
Manhoef’s place as a regular on Japanese events such as DREAM is secure despite a recent loss to Paulo Filho.
Alessio Sakara
Sakara seems to have cemented himself a position as one of the UFC’s middleweight gatekeepers – he’ll be around for plenty of time yet.
David Bielkheden
He was dropped by the UFC earlier this year but is working to get back into the organization.
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