Mixed martial arts 

HÀ NỘI  Zakhar Dzmitrychenka will be a tough challenger for Phạm Công Minh in their main card fight at the renowned mixed martial arts event, the LION Championship (LC) 22, on May 10 in Hà Nội.

Minh, a master of wushu, will defend his title in the men's 84kg category at the Tây Hồ District Gymnasium. He took the belt after knocking out Trần Quốc Toản at the LC11 in December 2023. 

Since then, he has recorded a streak of four wins in a row in this competition.

Minh won eight national titles before earning a world silver with the national team in 2019.

After joining the MMA community, he immediately proved his ability by winning the LION Championship belt in its debut season.

Minh also holds the record for the fastest knock-out win, defeating his opponent in just 15 seconds at the LC9 in September 2023.

With a ferocious fighting style and wushu background, Minh typically applies mid-range and high kicks to attack. Meanwhile, his height and long arm span help him maintain a good distance, which often saves him from being hit. 

The Belarusian Dzmitrychenka is known for his mastery of grappling, which is totally opposite to Minh's striking style.

As he is known online, 'Thor' became a phenomenon on social media earlier this year, when he swept several village wrestling competitions in the Northern provinces. Dzmitrychenka became a Master of Sport Wrestling after winning many titles in his hometown before coming to Việt Nam.

The International Belt Wrestling Association bronze medallist was named in the top 10 at the U23 World Wrestling Championship 2018.

In his first LC season last year, Dzmitrychenka secured two wins over Lê Hồng Giang and Trần Quốc Toản, earning the right to challenge Minh for the championship belt.

 

In the second LION Championship series this season, organisers will introduce a new format: the MMA Trio.

Six martial artists will compete in pairs with each other — simultaneously — in a fight that will last 10 minutes.

Nguyễn Nguyên Chương, Nguyễn Quốc Bảo and Luiz Finocchio of C88 Club will face Bạch Văn Nghĩa, Lê Quang Minh and Mahmoud Aboelkheir of The Champ MMA in the inaugural Trio bout.

LC22 will also feature other fights in traditional formats, including MMA Pro, MMA Striking and MMA Ground Fight, with the latter two receiving positive feedback after their debut last month.

Among these, the highlights are bouts between Phan Huy Hoàng and Nguyễn Mạnh Hải in the men's 60kg class; Trịnh Đình Đức and Nguyễn Thành Quân in the men's 65kg; and Nguyễn Thành Thoan and Trần Huy Hải in the men's 56kg.

The LION Championship is the largest mixed martial arts tournament in Việt Nam, organised by the Việt Nam Mixed Martial Arts Federation.

After three seasons, it has made a big splash in the country's martial arts and sports community, creating a competitive environment for many professional fighters from Việt Nam and abroad. VNS