Alexander Sarnavskiy
# Alexander Sarnavskiy

Alexander Sarnavskiy (Russian: Александр Сарнавский, born January 17, 1989) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Sarnavskiy has mostly competed in his native Russia, where he is an M-1 Global veteran and former lightweight division in the Bellator Fighting Championships.

## Mixed martial arts career

### Background

Alexander Sarnavsky was born in 1989 in the village. Gorky (Kazakhstan). In 1998 he moved with his family to Omsk, where his sports career began. The first discipline was kickboxing, which the young man mastered for 2 years at the Lokomotiv club and achieved success in regional competitions. Later, he was attracted by pankration and Alexander switched to hand-to-hand combat and combat sambo at the Saturn-Profi martial arts school. Hobbies grew into a professional approach at the age of 18, when Sarnavsky decided to try his hand at mixed martial arts. He was led to this step by the example of a coach, Alexander Shlemenko.

### M-1 Global

After compiling a record of 8–0 (3 submission, 4 KO/TKOs), Sarnavskiy joined M-1 Global to enter their selection tournament. His opening round fight was against Maxim Kuptsov. Midway through the first round, Sarnavskiy caught his opponent in a body triangle and peppered him with punches from behind. He soon went for a rear naked choke, which forced the tapout from Kuptsov.

Sarnavskiy then faced Karen Grigoryan in the next round, defeating him by split decision, advancing him to the final.

Following the win over Grigoryan, Sherdog ranked him as the number one undefeated European prospect in the sport. Around the same time, Sarnavskiy was scheduled to face Artiom Damkovsky at the M-1 Eastern European Finals. The bout was cancelled however and Damkovsky faced a replacement opponent in the final.

Appearing at M-1 Challenge XXI: Guram vs. Garner, Sarnavskiy faced Victor Kuku. Immediately, Sarnavskiy went after Kuku and went for a flying knee. Sarnavskiy's spinning back fist knocked Kuku down, before he hit Kuku with a barrage of punches to claim the knockout win.

Sarnavskiy made his U.S. MMA debut in Norfolk, Virginia on March 25, 2011, on the televised portion of M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa. He faced late replacement Beau Baker and won the fight via submission in the second round.

### Bellator MMA

On June 19, 2012, Sarnavskiy signed with Bellator, thus terminating the contract with M-1 Global.

Sarnavskiy entered as a participant in the Bellator season seven lightweight tournament. In the opening round, he faced Rich Clementi on October 19, 2012, at Bellator 77. He lost the fight via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 30–26).

Sarnavskiy defeated Tony Hervey on November 30, 2012, at Bellator 82 via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

In 2013, Sarnavskiy entered as a participant in the Bellator Season 8 Lightweight tournament. He faced Brazilian Kickboxer Thiago Michel in the quarter-finals on January 31, 2013, at Bellator 87 and won via submission in the second round.

Sarnavskiy was originally scheduled to face David Rickels in the semifinals. However, Sarnavskiy fractured his hand during his first fight and had to withdraw from the tournament.

In the fall of 2013, Sarnavskiy entered the next Lightweight tournament. He faced Marcus Davis on September 27, 2013, at Bellator 101 in the quarterfinals of Bellator's Season Nine Lightweight Tournament. After knocking Davis down with a punch, he took his back and eventually won via a rear naked choke submission.

Sarnavskiy faced Ricardo Tirloni in the semifinals and won via triangle choke in the first round.

Sarnavskiy faced Will Brooks in the finals and lost via unanimous decision.

After nearly a year away from the Bellator cage, Sarnavskiy was expected to face John Gunderson on October 10, 2014, at Bellator 128. However, Gunderson withdrew from the bout and retired from MMA fighting. Derek Campos stepped in as a replacement. An injury forced Campos out of the fight, Sarnavskiy eventually faced promotional newcomer Dakota Cochrane. He won the fight by submission in the first round.

Sarnavskiy faced Marcin Held on April 10, 2015, at Bellator 136. He lost the fight via verbal submission in the third round and was subsequently released from the promotion.

### Post-Bellator MMA

Sarnavskiy faced Jesse Ronson on October 3, 2015, at Abu Dhabi Warriors 3. He won via unanimous decision.

### Eurasia Fight Nights Global (EFN)

Sarnavskiy faced Murad Machaev on February 26, 2016, at Fight Nights: Battle of Moscow 21. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Sarnavskiy faced Dmitry Bikrev on April 29, 2016, at Fight Nights Global 46. He won the fight via submission in the second round.

### Absolute Championship Berkut

Sarnavskiy faced Ustarmagomed Gadzhidaudov on September 17, 2016, at ACB 45: Silva vs. Magomedsharipov. He lost the fight by knockout in the second round.

Sarnavskiy faced Ramazan Esenbaev on December 18, 2016, at ACB 50: Rasulov vs. Goltsov. He won thefight via TKO in the third round.

Sarnavskiy faced Eduard Vartanyan on April 15, 2017, at ACB 57: Payback. He lost the fight via submission in the second round.

Sarnavskiy faced Shamil Nikaev at ACB 80 on February 16, 2018. He lost the bout via split decision.

Bouncing back from the loss, Sarnavskiy knocked out Herdeson Batista on November 10, 2018 at ACB 90.

Sarnavskiy faced Aurel Pirtea on December 14, 2019 at ACA 103. He won the bout, knocking out Aurel in the third round.

In the title fight at ACA 111 on September 29, 2020 for the ACA Lightweight Championship, he lost to the champion Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov by unanimous decision, breaking his arm during the bout.

In his first bout post recovery and title bout loss, Sarnavskiy faced Artem Damkovskiy at ACA 118 on February 26, 2021. He won the bout via rear-naked choke at the end of the first round.

Sarnavskiy faced Rashid Magomedov on September 24, 2021 at ACA 129: Sarnavskiy vs. Magomedov. He won the close bout via split decision.

Sarnavskiy faced Herdeson Batista on May 21, 2022 at ACA 139. He won the bout via TKO stoppage under a minute into the bout.

## Championships and accomplishments

* M-1 Global
   * М-1 Selection Eastern Europe Championship 2010.
* Bellator Fighting Championships
   * Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Runner-up

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :

| 48 matches | 40 wins | 8 losses |
| - | - | - |
| By knockout | 12 | 1 |
| By submission | 20 | 2 |
| By decision | 8 | 5 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Win | 40–8 | Herdeson Batista | TKO (punches) | ACA 139: Vartanyan vs. Ilunga | May 21, 2022 | 1 | 0:42 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 39–8 | Rashid Magomedov | Decision (split) | ACA 129: Sarnavskiy vs. Magomedov | September 24, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 38–8 | Artem Damkovskiy | Submission (rear-naked choke) | ACA 118: Abdulaev vs. Vagaev 2 | February 26, 2021 | 1 | 4:55 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Loss | 37–8 | Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov | Decision (unanimous) | ACA 111: Sarnavsky vs. Abdulvakhabov | September 19, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Moscow, Russia | For the ACA Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 37–7 | Aurel Pirtea | KO (punch) | ACA 103: Yagshimuradov vs. Butorin | December 14, 2019 | 3 | 0:39 | St. Petersburg, Russia | |
| Win | 36–7 | Herdeson Batista | KO (knee) | ACB 90: Vakhaev vs. Bilostenniy | November 10, 2018 | 1 | 2:11 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Loss | 35–7 | Shamil Nikaev | Decision (split) | ACB 80: Tumenov vs. Burrell | February 16, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Krasnodar, Russia | |
| Loss | 35–6 | Eduard Vartanyan | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | ACB 57: Payback | April 15, 2017 | 2 | 4:47 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 35–5 | Ramazan Esenbaev | TKO (corner stoppage) | ACB 50: Stormbringer | December 18, 2016 | 3 | 3:49 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |
| Loss | 34–5 | Ustarmagomed Gadzhidaudov | KO (punch) | ACB 45: Magomedsharipov vs. Silva | September 17, 2016 | 2 | 4:19 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |
| Win | 34–4 | Jorge Patino | Decision (unanimous) | Abu Dhabi Warriors 4 | May 24, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 33–4 | Dmitry Bikrev | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Fight Nights Global 46: Mokhnatkin vs. Kudin | April 29, 2016 | 2 | 2:35 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Loss | 32–4 | Murad Machaev | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Nights Global 44: Machaev vs. Sarnavskiy | February 26, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 32–3 | Leandro Rodrigues Pontes | KO (punch) | FEFoMP: International Tournament in Pankration | November 28, 2015 | 1 | 1:58 | Vladivostok, Russia | |
| Win | 31–3 | Jesse Ronson | Decision (unanimous) | Abu Dhabi Warriors 3 | October 3, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 30–3 | Marcin Held | Submission (kneebar) | Bellator 136 | April 10, 2015 | 3 | 1:11 | Irvine, California, United States | |
| Win | 30–2 | Artak Nazaryan | KO (flying knee) | FEFoMP: Cup of Friendship | November 8, 2014 | 1 | 4:09 | Novosibirsk, Russia | |
| Win | 29–2 | Dakota Cochrane | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 128 | October 10, 2014 | 1 | 2:32 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | 160 lb. catchweight bout. |
| Win | 28–2 | Drew Brokenshire | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Plotforma S-70: 5 | August 9, 2014 | 2 | 4:08 | Sochi, Russia | |
| Win | 27–2 | Yukinari Tamura | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Ural Fight League: Resurrection | May 24, 2014 | 3 | 4:54 | Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk, Russia | |
| Win | 26–2 | Alexander Butenko | Decision (unanimous) | Union of Veterans of Sport: Cup of Champions | December 21, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Novosibirsk, Russia | |
| Loss | 25–2 | Will Brooks | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 109 | November 22, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States | Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Final |
| Win | 25–1 | Ricardo Tirloni | Submission (triangle choke) | Bellator 105 | October 25, 2013 | 1 | 1:08 | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Semifinal |
| Win | 24–1 | Marcus Davis | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 101 | September 27, 2013 | 1 | 1:40 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal |
| Win | 23–1 | Atchin Chaoshen Ne | Submission (armbar) | FEFoMP: Mayor Cup 2013 | May 25, 2013 | 1 | 1:35 | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| Win | 22–1 | Thiago Michel | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 87 | January 31, 2013 | 2 | 3:43 | Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States | Bellator Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal |
| Win | 21–1 | Tony Hervey | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 82 | November 30, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States | |
| Loss | 20–1 | Rich Clementi | Decision (split) | Bellator 77 | October 19, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Reading, Pennsylvania, United States | Bellator Season 7 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal |
| Win | 20–0 | Maykel Becerra | KO (knee) | FEFoMP: Mayor Cup 2012 | May 26, 2012 | 1 | 1:24 | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| Win | 19–0 | Len Bentley | Submission (triangle choke) | Saturn: Martial Arts Festival | February 11, 2012 | 1 | 1:50 | Omsk, Russia | |
| Win | 18–0 | Sergio Cortez | Submission (rear-naked choke) | M-1 Challenge 30: Zavurov vs. Enomoto | December 9, 2011 | 1 | 1:46 | Costa Mesa, California, United States | |
| Win | 17–0 | Thomas Deak | Decision (unanimous) | Union of Veterans of Sport: Russia vs. Europe | November 19, 2011 | 2 | 5:00 | Novosibirsk, Russia | |
| Win | 16–0 | Marcio Cesar | Submission (rear-naked choke) | League S-70: Russia vs. Brazil | August 5, 2011 | 1 | 1:04 | Sochi, Russia | |
| Win | 15–0 | Doug Evans | Submission (triangle choke) | FEFoMP: Mayor's Cup 2011 | May 7, 2011 | 1 | 2:40 | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| Win | 14–0 | Beau Baker | Submission (rear-naked choke) | M-1 Challenge 24: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa | March 25, 2011 | 2 | 2:32 | Norfolk, Virginia, United States | |
| Win | 13–0 | Arsen Ubaidulaev | Submission (rear-naked choke) | M-1 Challenge 22: Narkun vs. Vasilevsky | December 10, 2010 | 1 | 0:43 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 12–0 | Victor Kuku | KO (spinning back fist and punches) | M-1 Challenge 21: Guram vs. Garner | October 28, 2010 | 1 | 0:13 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |
| Win | 11–0 | Aleksey Ershik | Submission (rear-naked choke) | FEFoMP: Open Championship of Vladivostok | October 23, 2010 | 1 | 0:30 | Vladivostok, Russia | |
| Win | 10–0 | Karen Grigoryan | Decision (split) | M-1 Selection 2010: Eastern Europe Round 3 | May 28, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Kyiv, Ukraine | M-1 Eastern European Championship Semi-Final. |
| Win | 9–0 | Maxim Kuptsov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | M-1 Selection 2010: Eastern Europe Round 1 | February 26, 2010 | 1 | 4:03 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | M-1 Eastern European Championship Quarterfinals. |
| Win | 8–0 | Mamour Fall | Submission (triangle choke) | Saturn & RusFighters: Battle of Gladiators | February 13, 2010 | 2 | 1:50 | Omsk, Russia | World Championship Final. |
| Win | 7–0 | Timur Daurenuly | KO (punches) | Saturn & RusFighters: Battle of Gladiators | February 13, 2010 | 1 | 0:35 | Omsk, Russia | World Championship Semi-Final. |
| Win | 6–0 | Maratbek Kalabekov | Decision (split) | ProFC: Union Nation Cup 4 | December 19, 2009 | 3 | 3:00 | Rostov-on-Don, Russia | |
| Win | 5–0 | Vladimir Simonyan | KO (punches) | ProFC: Union Nation Cup 3 | October 30, 2009 | 1 | 0:17 | Rostov-on-Don, Russia | |
| Win | 4–0 | Kardash Fatakhov | TKO (punches) | Siberian League: Tomsk Challenge | July 2, 2009 | 1 | 8:40 | Tomsk, Russia | Russian Championship Final. |
| Win | 3–0 | Islam Mamedov | KO (punches) | Siberian League: Tomsk Challenge | July 2, 2009 | 1 | 5:34 | Tomsk, Russia | Russian Championship Semi-Final. |
| Win | 2–0 | Andrei Koshkin | Submission (triangle choke) | Siberian League: New Hopes | April 27, 2009 | 1 | 2:15 | Novokuznetsk, Russia | |
| Win | 1–0 | Rishat Gilmitdinov | Submission (triangle choke) | Universal Fighter | December 12, 2008 | 1 | 2:00 | Ufa, Russia | |
