Sergei Kharitonov was cleaning house in Pride Fighting Championships a decade ago, leading some to label him a potential all-time great. Wins over Fabricio Werdum, Pedro Rizzo and Semmy Schilt raised the expectations, but the monstrous Russian fell short in battles with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Alistair Overeem before the Ultimate Fighting Championship purchased Pride and dispersed much of the talent. Kharitonov moved on to Dream and Strikeforce, but losses to Josh Barnett and Jeff Monson left him in something of a career purgatory, at least in the eyes of the American MMA audience.
Sergei Kharitonov: A Bellator MMA Introduction
