Olympic champion and Ukrainian MP Zhan Beleniuk claimed an early victory in his first bout under MMA rules. The Ukrainian defeated Israeli fighter Haim Gozali by technical knockout in the first round.
This was reported by Champion.
The fight took place in Kyiv on Saturday, July 11, as part of the first Arena.championship event.
From the opening seconds, Beleniuk took his opponent to the ground and began landing strikes. The 53-year-old Gozali suffered a cut from the Ukrainian’s punches.
After about two minutes, the Israeli fighter’s corner refused to continue the bout. The referee stopped the contest and awarded Beleniuk a technical knockout victory.
Zhan Beleniuk announced his retirement after the 2024 Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. He also has a gold medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a silver medal from the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The 34-year-old athlete was recently included in Ukraine’s national Greco-Roman wrestling team for 2026. Beleniuk later confirmed his return to competition and hinted at a possible appearance at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
