Former UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero shared his extensive knowledge about the wrestling landscape in Russia, drawing from his years of international competition experience.
“I have competed in almost all cities in Russia,” Romero stated, offering a unique perspective as someone who has witnessed firsthand the country’s wrestling prowess.
According to Romero, the epicenter of Greco-Roman wrestling in Russia is Moscow. However, he points out an interesting geographic distinction when it comes to different wrestling styles within the country.
“When you look at the Olympic Greco-Roman team, possibly none of them are from Dagestan,” Romero explained. “But on Russia’s freestyle wrestling Olympic team, out of eight divisions, seven athletes are from Dagestan.”
The Cuban-born athlete spoke with particular admiration about Dagestan’s wrestling culture. “You go there and the wrestling is… I’m telling you, it’s finger-licking good,” he said, using a colorful expression to convey his admiration.
Romero highlighted the extraordinary depth of talent coming from this specific region, noting, “To give you an idea, you go to the Olympic Games and possibly the top ten are from Dagestan. Everyone is competing against ten Dagestanis.”
He further elaborated on the internal competitive structure that creates this dominance: “They hold their tournament in the Dagestan Championship of Russia. One takes first place, and nine remain outside. These nine spread throughout Europe.”
Romero concluded with a lighthearted observation about how to identify wrestlers from this region: “If you see them without a mustache but with a beard… that’s Dagestan, papa.”
His insights shed light on why MMA stars from this particular region have become so dominant in combat sports over recent years, with many becoming champions at the highest levels of competition.
