Video: Kharitonov’s Orbital Broken By UFC Fighter Yandiev Over ‘Debt’

Photo by Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images

A not so friendly discussion over debt sent Sergei Kharitonov to the hospital, where he’ll remain all week with a broken nose and orbital bone.

There’s definitely some shady things going on in various corners of the Russian mixed martial arts world. Every so often you get a glimpse: messed up stuff like Blagoi Ivanov getting stabbed multiple times. Fedor Emelianenko’s daughter getting assaulted over The Last Emperor’s criticism of Ramzan Kadyrov. Rasul Mirzaev surviving a torture / murder attempt that stemmed from his friendship with Conor McGregor’s pal Artem Lobov.

Sometimes these things happen in Russian MMA.

And in that tradition, we now have legendary kickboxer and MMA fighter Sergei Kharitonov getting his orbital bone and nose broken by UFC fighter Adam Yandiev in a vicious assault caught on camera.

In a video interview from the hospital, Kharitonov explains how he lent Yandiev money multiple times, including once to escape a violent feud in Russia and train in Thailand. The violent incident outside a ’Battle of Champions’ combat sports event in Moscow occurred when Kharitonov told Yandiev he was owed money.

“I felt he hit me with something with his left hand,” Kharitonov said (translated via RT). “I know he always wore brass knuckles, he always had them with him… He broke my orbital bone.”

As for Yandiev, whose sole fight with the UFC was a 2018 submission loss to Jordan Johnson? He says there’s more to the story than what we see on the security camera footage (somehow).

“There will be a full interview, where [I will talk] from beginning to end about my relationship with this character,” Yandaev wrote on Instagram. “About the conflict that happened between us. It’s all with the facts, the evidence. You’ll find out tomorrow. Please don’t write nonsense and heresy from the words of this liar. A little patience.”