Misha Cirkunov

Mikhail "Misha" Cirkunov (Russian: Михаил Циркунов, Latvian: Mihails Cirkunovs; born February 27, 1987) is a Latvian-Canadian professional mixed martial artist of Russian heritage, who competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He lives in and fights out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[4] As of September 29, 2020, he is #10 in the UFC Light Heavyweight rankings.[5]

Mikhail "Misha" Cirkunov
Photo by Todd Prescott
Born (1987-02-27) February 27, 1987
Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union (today Latvia)
ResidenceToronto, Ontario, Canada
NationalityLatvian
Canadian
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1]
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
DivisionLight heavyweight
Reach77 in (196 cm)
TeamXtreme Couture (2010–present)[2]
RankBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3]
Years active2010–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total20
Wins15
By knockout4
By submission9
By decision2
Losses5
By knockout3
By submission2
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's Submission Wrestling
ADCC North American Championships
2010 Wayne -99kg

Background

Son of Oleg and Olga, Misha Cirkunov was born in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union (now Latvia) in 1987.[6] In his childhood Cirkunov was active in various sports like swimming, basketball, judo and karate.[7] Growing up, Cirkunov dabbled into dubious circles which prompted the family to emigrate to Toronto, Canada, when he was 13.[6] With no skills in English, Cirkunov struggled in school but continued training judo and also picked up wrestling.[6]

Cirkunov won junior nationals in judo in 2003, Greco-Roman wrestling national championship in 2005 and national championships in freestyle wrestling in 2005 and 2006.[6] After winning the latter championship, Cirkunov became a Canadian citizen.[6][7] After graduating from high school Cirkunov found Brazilian jiu-jitsu, briefly relocating to Las Vegas to train but returned to Canada to open his own gym.[6] After the unsuccessful venture as a gym owner, he started training at recently opened Xtreme Couture satellite gym in Etobicoke.[6]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Cirkunov made his professional debut in January 2010 and amassed a record of 9–2 before signing a four-fight contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the summer of 2015.[8][7]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Cirkunov was expected to make his promotional debut against Sean O'Connell on August 23, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 74.[9] O'Connell withdrew from the bout due to injury and was replaced by Daniel Jolly.[10] Cirkunov defeated Jolly via first-round KO after achieving full mount and battering him when he turned his back.[11]

Cirkunov faced promotional newcomer Alex Nicholson on February 6, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 82.[12] Cirkunov submitted Alex Nicholson via a second-round neck crank, breaking both sides of his jaw in the process, after earlier breaking his nose.[13] At the post-fight press conference, he told reporters, "I’m just really happy with the performance and especially – not just the submission – but I was able to break his jaw. I’m impressed."[14]

Cirkunov next faced another promotional newcomer in Ion Cuțelaba on June 18, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 89.[15] He won the fight via submission in the third round.[16]

Cirkunov faced Nikita Krylov on December 10, 2016, at UFC 206.[17] He won the fight via submission in the first round.[18]

In March 2017, Cirkunov signed a new, six-fight deal with UFC and fought Volkan Oezdemir on May 28, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 109.[19][20] He lost the fight via knockout in just 28 seconds of the very first round.[21]

Cirkunov was scheduled to face Glover Teixeira on October 28, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 119.[22] However, the pairing was delayed after a recent hand surgery for Teixeira was slow to heal and the bout eventually took place on December 16, 2017, at UFC on Fox 26.[23] Cirkunov lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[24]

Cirkunov faced Patrick Cummins on October 27, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 138.[25] He won the fight by submission in the first round via an arm triangle choke.[26]

Cirkunov was expected to face Ovince Saint Preux on March 2, 2019, at UFC 235.[27] However, on February 11, it was announced that Saint Preux suffered an injury and was pulled from the fight.[28] Cirkunov instead faced Johnny Walker.[29] He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[30]

Cirkunov faced Jimmy Crute on September 14, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 16.[31] He won the back-and-forth fight via a Peruvian necktie submission in the first round.[32] The win also earned Cirkunov his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[33]

Cirkunov was expected to face Ryan Spann on December 19, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 183.[34] However, Cirkunov pulled out in early December due to an injury and the bout was postponed to a future date.[35]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
20 matches 15 wins 5 losses
By knockout 4 3
By submission 9 2
By decision 2 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 15–5 Jimmy Crute Submission (Peruvian necktie) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje September 14, 2019 1 3:38 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Performance of the Night.
Loss 14–5 Johnny Walker TKO (flying knee and punches) UFC 235 March 2, 2019 1 0:38 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 14–4 Patrick Cummins Submission (arm-triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith October 27, 2018 1 2:40 Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Loss 13–4 Glover Teixeira TKO (punches) UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos December 16, 2017 1 2:45 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Loss 13–3 Volkan Oezdemir KO (punch) UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira May 28, 2017 1 0:28 Stockholm, Sweden
Win 13–2 Nikita Krylov Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 206 December 10, 2016 1 4:38 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Win 12–2 Ion Cuțelaba Submission (arm-triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson June 18, 2016 3 1:22 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Win 11–2 Alex Nicholson Submission (neck crank) UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson February 6, 2016 2 1:28 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–2 Daniel Jolly KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Oliveira August 23, 2015 1 4:45 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Win 9–2 Shaun Asher Submission (armbar) Hard Knocks 43 May 22, 2015 1 1:20 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Defended the HKFC Light heavyweight Championship
Win 8–2 Rodney Wallace TKO (head kick) Hard Knocks 41 January 30, 2015 1 2:00 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Won HKFC Light heavyweight Championship
Win 7–2 Martin Desilets Submission (inverted triangle choke) Provincial FC 2 March 8, 2014 1 2:36 London, Ontario, Canada
Win 6–2 Jon Ganshorn Submission (armbar) Fivestar FL 9: Northern Nightmare September 7, 2013 1 1:59 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Loss 5–2 Aaron Johnson Submission (heel hook) King of the Ring VI March 17, 2012 1 2:11 Norcross, Georgia, United States
Win 5–1 Ali Mokdad Decision (unanimous) Score Fighting Series 3 December 3, 2011 3 5:00 Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Win 4–1 Ion Cherdivara Decision (unanimous) Knockout Entertainment - MMA: The Reckoning April 2, 2011 3 5:00 Orillia, Ontario, Canada
Win 3–1 Ricardeau Francois TKO (punches) Ultimate Generation Combat 26 March 4, 2011 1 0:56 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 2–1 Shawn Pauliuk Submission (punches) Armageddon FC 3: Evolution July 17, 2010 1 0:57 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Catchweight (210 lbs) bout.
Loss 1–1 Roy Boughton Submission (armbar) Warrior One MMA 5 June 19, 2010 2 2:33 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 1–0 Jeff Doyle TKO (punches) Ringside MMA 5: Triple Threat January 30, 2010 1 0:40 Montreal, Quebec, Canada

[36]

References
  1. "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson". UFC.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  2. Sean McManus (March 3, 2010). "Cirkunov Inks Two Fight Deal with Armageddon". topmmanews.com.
  3. "Misha Cirkunov - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  4. "Toronto MMA fighter Cirkunov kicks off UFC career". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on 2016-02-16. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  5. "Rankings | UFC". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  6. Arden Zwelling. "MISHA CIRKUNOV: THE HOMECOMING". sportsnet.ca.
  7. Chris Doucette (July 12, 2015). "Toronto MMA fighter Misha Cirkunov aims to take UFC by storm". torontosun.com.
  8. Simon, Zane (June 15, 2015). "Welcome to the UFC Misha Cirkunov". bloodyelbow.com.
  9. Tristen Crichfield (2015-07-06). "UFC Fight Night in Saskatoon gets Sean O'Connell-Misha Cirkunov light heavyweight bout". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  10. Tristen Crichfield (2015-08-13). "Daniel Jolly replaces Sean O'Connell, meets Misha Cirkunov at UFC Fight Night Saskatoon". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  11. Fowlkes, Ben (August 23, 2015). "UFC Fight Night 74 results: Misha Cirkunov dominates Daniel Jolly in UFC debut". MMAjunkie.
  12. Staff (2016-01-06). "Misha Cirkunov meets 205-pound newcomer Alex Nicholson at UFC Fight Night 82 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  13. "UFC Fight Night Medical Suspensions: Seven Fighters Facing Potential 6-Month Layoffs". Sherdog. February 8, 2015.
  14. Stupp, Dan (February 7, 2016). "Listen to Misha Cirkunov pop Alex Nicholson's jaw and his post-fight reaction". MMAjunkie.
  15. Staff (2016-03-29). "Multiple fight bookings made official for UFC Fight Night 89". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  16. Steven Marrocco (2016-06-18). "UFC Fight Night 89 results: Misha Cirkunov taps Ion Cutelaba with third-round arm-triangle choke". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  17. Ken Rodney (2016-10-06). "Cirkunov will battle Krylov at UFC 206". tsn.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  18. Ben Fowlkes (2016-12-10). "UFC 206 results: Misha Cirkunov stays perfect in UFC, chokes out Nikita Krylov in first". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
  19. Shaun al-Shatti (2017-03-15). "Acting as his own manager, Misha Cirkunov details roller-coaster contract negotiations with UFC". mmafighting.com.
  20. Staff (2017-03-13). "With new deal in tow, Misha Cirkunov meets Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night 109 in Stockholm". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  21. Ben Fowlkes (2017-05-28). "UFC Fight Night 109 results: Volkan Oezdemir stuns Misha Cirkunov with quick one-punch KO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  22. MMA Fighting Newswire (2017-08-05). "Glover Teixeira vs. Misha Cirkunov booked for UFC Fight Night 119 in Sao Paulo". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
  23. Guilherme Cruz (2017-09-13). "Glover Teixeira vs. Misha Cirkunov moved to UFC on FOX 26". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  24. "UFC on FOX 26 results: Glover Teixeira pounds out Misha Cirkunov in first". MMAjunkie. 2017-12-17. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  25. Aaron Bronsteter (2018-08-07). "Canadian Cirkunov to fight at UFC Fight Night in Moncton". tsn.ca.com. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  26. "UFC Moncton results: Misha Cirkunov submits Patrick Cummins in opening round". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  27. Alexander K. Lee (2019-01-03). "Ovince Saint Preux to fight Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  28. Staf (2019-02-10). "Ovince Saint Preux out of UFC 235 fight with Misha Cirkunov". mmajunkie. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
  29. Guilherme Cruz (2019-02-12). "Johnny Walker replaces Ovince Saint Preux vs. Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  30. "UFC 235 results: Johnny Walker scores quick finish of Misha Cirkunov, injures himself celebrating". MMA Junkie. 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  31. Fortune, Ryan (2019-06-17). "Misha Cirkunov vs. Jimmy Crute Added to UFC Vancouver". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  32. Martin, Damon (September 14, 2019). "UFC Vancouver results: Misha Cirkunov hands Jimmy Crute his first defeat with rare Peruvian necktie submission". MMA Fighting.com. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  33. Dan Hiergesell (2019-09-14). "Official UFC Vancouver bonuses: Tristan Connelly earns FOTN honors in upset over Michel Pereira". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  34. Adam Guillen Jr. (2020-11-17). "Cirkunov vs Spann, Eubanks vs Kianzad added to UFC Vegas 17 on Dec. 19". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  35. Staff (2020-12-05). "Updates to December 19 UFC Fight Night". ufc.com. Retrieved 2020-12-05.
  36. Sherdog.com. "Misha Cirkunov MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
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