Vyacheslav Datsik’s career in mixed martial arts has been going on for more than twenty years. The red-haired Tarzan began his journey at the turn of the century – then the fighter had not yet turned his performances into frank freak shows, but showed the audience real master classes. In one of the first fights according to the rules of MMA, the Russian clearly demonstrated how to defeat a stronger opponent due to character and motivation.

Datsik destroyed the future UFC champion with a brutal knockout.

“I just came to the tournament to watch”

In 1999, Vyacheslav Datsik had his first professional fight in mixed martial arts. The rival of Red Tarzan at the M-1 MFC – World Championship 1999 tournament was Andrei Orlovsky, an experienced sambo wrestler from Belarus, for whom the duel with Vyacheslav also became his debut in MMA. Then hardly anyone imagined that Datsik’s opponent would become a UFC legend with a championship title in the near future, although he was considered a promising fighter.

Initially, Orlovsky’s opponent was not to be Datsik. At that time, Vyacheslav was listed in the Muay Thai Federation, but he was there for a little more than six months, having no experience in MMA. His coach Eric Kaibyshev did not want to organize a duel for an unprepared athlete.

Vyacheslav came to the M-1 tournament as a spectator, but fate turned this April evening to face Datsik. Orlovsky’s opponent from Brazil was unable to reach St. Petersburg for unknown reasons.

“I was supposed to fight some Brazilian who has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He didn’t get a visa or he just got lost somewhere and they gave me Datsik, ”recalls the Orlovsky battle against Red Tarzan.

But Vyacheslav was not even listed as a substitute. His famous hot temper helped Red Tarzan to make his debut in mixed martial arts. An amazing story happened at the main entrance where the event was held.

– In general, I just came to the tournament to watch Orlovsky’s fight, but I mixed up the entrances. Instead of a service one, I ended up in the central one. There I had a conflict with the guards, they did not want to let me in. I, as always, wanted to shake them. Then Nikolai Kudryashov came up and asked me: “What are you, a fighter? Are you going to fight Orlovsky? I didn’t even know who Orlovsky was. I was generally on the drum. Somehow I ended up at this tournament, – recalls getting into a fight in M-1 Datsik.

Photo: © Pavel Kashaev / Global Look Press

“I didn’t even bother”

Spontaneously organized duel between the world junior sambo champion Orlovsky and the unprepared Ryzhy Tarzan began without much buildup. Datsik immediately after the gong attacked the opponent, but Pitbull correctly parried the opponent’s attack. After that, the Belarusian athlete squeezed Vyacheslav’s head with his hand, trying to strangle him while standing.

Datsik wanted to break out of the tight grip, working Orlovsky’s legs with knees and fists and simultaneously pressing the opponent to the net. In this position, the athletes spent more than a minute, periodically changing places near the fence.

After the rivals disengaged, Orlovsky powerfully hit Vyacheslav’s body several times with his feet. Red-haired Tarzan answered with several sharp blows, but gaps in technique led to the fact that he never hit his opponent with emphasis. Then Pitbull turned the fight to the ground, where he powerfully hit Datsik on the head several times, but Vyacheslav endured this opponent’s attack.

Photo: © Icon Sports Wire / Contributeur / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

During the fight, the fighters simultaneously tried to hold the submission on Achilles, but to no avail. About a minute the initiative passed from one athlete to another. After the opponents were transferred to the rack, Datsik performed a rare technique, trying to kick the opponent with his foot, while performing a forward somersault. But the performance was not the most successful – Orlovsky hit the falling Datsik with his foot much more accurately.

After this episode, the judge allowed the opponents to stand up, after which Datsik delivered his legendary blow. Vyacheslav hit Orlovsky in the jaw with a right hook. The future UFC champion was in a deep knockout. The referee in the “cage” immediately stopped the fight.

– They gave me Datsik, and I think: “That’s it, he’s mine!”. I didn’t even tense up, I was completely relaxed. I beat him and choked him, and he just jumped from the step and hit it clearly. Well, that’s all, the light went out, ”Orlovsky spoke about the defeat.

In recent years, after Datsik’s return to MMA, fighters are often asked about a possible rematch. Easy-going Red Tarzan is ready to fight Pitbull even tomorrow. But Orlovsky, who is experiencing a second youth in the UFC, at first did not even consider participating in such a fight. But now that Vyacheslav is back in the spotlight, Andrei seems to have changed his position – for good money, judging by the latest hints, he could well clash with Datsik again.