In Kyiv, within the walls of the capital's Palace of Sports, a major sporting event took place: the opening of the new fighting promotion ARENA Championship. The main event of the debut tournament, held on July 11, was the first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fight for Olympic champion and Ukrainian People's Deputy Zhan Belenyuk.
Main Event: Wrestling vs. Experience
The evening's organizers featured a clash between the titled Ukrainian wrestler and the experienced Israeli fighter Haim Gozali in the main event. For Gozali, this fight was another step in a long career: at the time of the bout, his record stood at 15 wins and 6 losses, with 21 fights behind him in the prestigious global promotion Bellator.
However, the 53-year-old veteran was set to face a powerful athlete who decided not to prolong the stand-up reconnaissance. Belenyuk literally from the first seconds of the fight implemented his signature wrestling move — he took his opponent down to the mat.
Dominance in the Grappling
Once in the grappling position, the Ukrainian began to coldly and methodically break down his opponent's defense with heavy strikes. The pressure proved too much for the Israeli. Soon, from a series of hits, Gozali suffered a serious cut, and his face began to fill with blood, which significantly hindered his ability to defend himself.
In the fourth minute of the first round, after almost two minutes of continuous dominance by the Ukrainian, the opponent's corner decided to stop the one-sided beating and threw in the white towel. The referee recorded Belenyuk's early victory by technical knockout due to the team's refusal to continue the match.
A New Chapter in the Olympic Champion's Career
This battle opened a completely new page in the sporting biography of Zhan Belenyuk, whose future plans had long been a mystery for fans. Previously, the classical wrestler officially stated that he would end his performances on the big stage immediately after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he won a bronze medal.
In the collection of the 34-year-old athlete, there is already a gold medal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a silver from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. However, completely leaving sports did not work out. Recently, Belenyuk unexpectedly for many found himself on the approved list of the Ukrainian national Greco-Roman wrestling team for 2026.
The wrestler himself later confirmed that he had resumed active training and directly hinted that he intends to compete for a spot in the next Olympics, which will take place in 2028 in Los Angeles. Now, adding an MMA victory to his resume, he demonstrates readiness for new challenges in different disciplines.