Vyacheslav Datsik has hardly paused between fights lately. Now the outrageous fighter almost every month holds another fight in the ring or in the octagon. In 2022, the 41-year-old athlete recorded victories over very eminent opponents.

The latest victim of Red Tarzan was the most Russian of American fighters, a former contender for the UFC belt and Russian MP Jeff Monson. Even restrictions and pity for the opponent did not prevent Datsik from defeating.

“I didn’t really prepare for this fight.”

Vladislav Datsik, despite his original career in boxing and mixed martial arts, never ceases to amaze with his attitude to fights. It is very difficult to remember fighters who, while preparing for other fights, could simultaneously enter the octagon in order to test their strength with a contender for the UFC belt, albeit with a former one.

On September 24, Datsik has a fight with Alexander Emelianenko. But this did not prevent Red Tarzan a month and a half before the fight to go into the cage against the no less famous Jeff Monson. The best years of a native of the United States, who is now a citizen of Russia, are behind him. His contender fight for the UFC title took place back in 2006.

On August 5, the fighters took part in the main fight of the martial arts evening. Before the fight, Vyacheslav in an interview once again confirmed his “special” path in mixed martial arts.

Jeff Monson / Photo: © Getty Images

“I didn’t particularly prepare for this fight, I was preparing for other fights,” Datsik frankly admitted before the fight.

Monson, on the other hand, purposefully prepared for this confrontation. He hasn’t stepped into the cage or the ring since February, when he lost to Emelianenko in a bare-knuckle fight. It’s hard to expect a 51-year-old mixed martial artist to make frequent appearances in the cage.

But you have to give credit to the Snowman. For his age, he approached the fight in excellent shape. Purely visually, Monson did not have a single gram of excess weight, unlike his opponent, which was proved by the scales. Jeff was 23 kg lighter than Vyacheslav.

Two crown kicks in somersault

The duel of these fighters took place according to non-standard rules for mixed martial arts. The athletes were supposed to spend three rounds in the octagon, but their duration was shorter than usual – only two minutes. But even during this time, the rivals managed to show a real show.

Datsik started the first round fantastically. Vyacheslav, immediately after the greeting, decided to use his signature move, with which he once knocked out UFC champion Andrei Orlovsky in his youth. The red-haired Tarzan decided to knock out Monson with a kick during a forward somersault with his head. But the trick failed, the experienced Monson bounced back. After that, Jeff seized the initiative and pressed the opponent to the net, and then landed him with a throw on the canvas, where he began to methodically hit Datsik’s body. In this position, the fighters met the first break.

Vyacheslav Datsik / Photo: © RIA Novosti / Vladimir Astapkovich

But by the second round, the forces quickly began to leave Monson. The initiative was completely owned by Vyacheslav. Datsik kept well in the center of the octagon, chasing the opponent near the net. At the same time, Red Tarzan was so confident in himself that he provoked Jeff into attacks, completely opening his face for the opponent’s blows. But even this did not help Monson. He conceded this segment outright.

For the decisive round, Datsik prepared for his opponent a repetition of his signature blow, from which he began the third two-minute period. This time, Jeff was not as far-sighted as at the beginning of the duel, after all, there were already too many forces left. Only the hand located near the head saved the Snowman from an exact hit in the jaw with his foot. Vyacheslav kept the shock pace until the very end of the fight. He again attacked more often and even demonstrated that he was good at throwing an opponent to the canvas.

As a result, the judges appreciated the pressure of the Red Tarzan, giving him a unanimous victory with the same score. All three referees put 29-28 in favor of Vyacheslav.

“What’s to mess around with?”

After the fight, the winner was awarded the championship belt, but even here Datsik decided to behave in an extremely original way. He immediately hung the title on his opponent’s shoulder and showed him respect in every possible way. After the announcement of the winner, Vyacheslav explained why he did not beat his opponent hard.

– What to mess with? He’s kind of older. And where can you hit? You can’t hit the leg, there is a hammer and sickle, you can’t hit the right side, there is Che Guevara. Your fighter! – said the winner after the fight.

Later, in an interview with Match TV, Datsik spoke in more detail about his mood for the fight.

Jeff is a good and respected fighter. I have no aggression towards him. We went out and had a great fight. I remembered my signature moves – to fight with a kettlebell, flips. Like even hit, but not in the jaw. And why should the deputy be beaten in the face, he still has to speak, – Vyacheslav shared the details of the tactics for the battle.

Now Datsik has a long-awaited fight according to the rules of boxing with Alexander Emelianenko, which many fans of mixed martial arts in our country are waiting for.