---
title: "Zhan Belenyuk made his MMA debut and explained why he won't fight MP Tyshchenko"
description: "Zhan Belenyuk successfully made his MMA debut, defeating Haim Gozali. After the fight, he challenged MP Nikolai Tyshchenko to a bout, but the deputy declined the offer. The athlete himself has not yet decided whether he will build a career in mixed martial arts 🥋🥊"
date: 2026-07-21T08:56:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zhan-belenyuk-mma-debut-and-challenge-to-tyshchenko
tags: [zhan-belenyuk, mma, nikolay-tishchenko, olympic-games]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Zhan Belenyuk made his MMA debut and explained why he won't fight MP Tyshchenko

![Zhan Belenyuk after his MMA debut explains why he won't fight with MP Tishchenko](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/21/zhan-belenyuk-debyut-v-mma-i-vyzov-tishhenko/zhan-belenyuk-debyut-v-mma-i-vyzov-tishhenko-1.webp)

Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Zhan Belenyuk has officially transitioned to the world of mixed martial arts. His debut MMA fight ended with a confident victory over Israeli representative Haim Gozali. However, after the fight, the athlete made a bold statement that turned out to be merely a talking point rather than a real event.

### Challenge to the MP: why the fight won't happen

In an exclusive interview with Sport RBC.UA, Belenyuk revealed details of his post-fight plan. Immediately after his victory, he challenged People's Deputy Nikolai Tyshchenko, inviting him to step into the octagon. However, the politician did not accept this challenge.

'As far as I know, he did not accept this challenge, so the question of our fight is currently not relevant,' stated the Olympic champion, clarifying the situation regarding the potential bout.

### New challenge or temporary experiment?

The 35-year-old athlete himself has not yet decided whether he will build a full-fledged career in MMA. For him, this transition became an opportunity to step out of his comfort zone and gain new experience in martial arts techniques.

'For me, MMA is a new sports challenge and an opportunity to test myself in this context,' Belenyuk explained his motives.

### Legendary wrestling career

The transition to a new sport for Zhan Belenyuk looks like a logical step for an athlete of his level. He is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the Ukrainian Olympic movement:

    - Gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

    - Silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

    - Bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

    - Two-time World Champion (2015, 2019).

    - Three-time European Champion (2014, 2016, 2019).

Now the entire sports world is waiting to see whether the Olympic champion will decide on a full transition to MMA or if this debut will remain a bright episode in his career.