Julia Berezikova - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Julia Berezikova is a Russian

Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

female mixed martial artist

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

and boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

Background

Berezikova was born on November 17, 1983 in Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai (at the time Chita Oblast

Chita Oblast

Chita Oblast was a federal subject of Russia in southeast Siberia, Russia. Its administrative center was the city of Chita. It had extensive international borders with China and Mongolia and internal borders with Irkutsk and Amur Oblasts, as well as with the Buryat and the Sakha Republics. Its...

), Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

.

During her childhood, Berezikova injured her back after an unsuccessful flip and her doctors thought that she would not be able to practice sport any longer, but she was able to make a complete recovery.

In 1998, Berezikova got a high place in the Asian Championships in judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

.

Berezikova arrived to Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

in 1999 and in 2001 she first met MMA.

Berezikova's brother was an acquaintance of Roman Zentsov

Roman Zentsov

Roman Zentsov is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter who has competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, a major MMA organization based in Japan, and BodogFIGHT...

, who recommend Berezikova to start training in boxing to combine it with his knowledge of judo.

Berezikova became a medalist in Wushu Sanda in 2003, from 2003 to 2005 she was the champion of Saint Petersburg in boxing, the winner of Russia's Boxing Cup in 2003, winner of the Russian boxing championship in 2004 and 2005, Saint Petersburg combat sambo champion in 2004 and Russia Jiu-jitsu champion in 2008.

While in Saint Petersburg, Berezikova met Vladislavom Lavrinovichem, who was putting together MMA events and Berezikova asked him to give her a chance, and although he refused at first, he eventually decided to allow her to compete.

Mixed martial arts career

Berezikova debuted professionally on at bodogFight
BodogFight
bodogFight was a mixed martial arts promotion founded by online gambling magnate Calvin Ayre. It was a part of Ayre's bodog.com Entertainment Group....

: USA vs. Russia in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, being defeated by then #1 female fighter Tara LaRosa

Tara LaRosa

Tara LaRosa is an American mixed martial artist who previously fought in BodogFight.She was the first and final BodogFight Women's Bantamweight Champion...

by armbar

Armlock

An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint and/or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyperflexes or hyperrotates the shoulder joint is referred to as a shoulder lock, and an armlock that hyperextends the elbow joint is called...

submission in the second round, an accomplishment, according to Berezikova, since she was a rookie

Rookie

Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...

in MMA.

Berezikova next faced South Korean MMA debutant Song Lee Jin, whom Berezikova quickly defeated by TKO in 51 seconds at M-1 Global

M-1 Global

M-1 Global is the mixed martial arts promotion based in Russia - The Netherlands which organizes between 40 and 50 competitions per year...

's event M-1 MFC: Russia vs. Korea on in South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

.

On at bodogFight: Clash of the Nations, Berezikova was defeated by American

People of the United States

The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...

Julie Kedzie

Julie Kedzie is an American female mixed martial artist. She is a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu....

in the second via TKO (referee stoppage) after Kedzie trapped Berezikova with a leg triangle from which Kedzie punched Berezikova freely, preventing her from escaping or defending.

At bodogFight: Vancouver on , Berezikova was defeated by English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

Rosi Sexton

Rosemary Ann Sexton is a British female mixed martial artist. She is also a sports therapist, osteopath, and writer for Fighters Only magazine....

via submission (armbar) in round two.

Debuting with MMA promotion FightForce, Berezikova faced the experienced Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

judoka and former Smackgirl

Smackgirl

Smackgirl was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion focused solely on female fighters. The promotion also held grappling and amateur events along with its main line of professional MMA cards. After financial difficulties throughout 2008 the promotion was sold to Marverous Japan Co.,Ltd...

open weight champion Megumi Yabushita

Megumi Yabushita

is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and judoka. She has participated in several Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotions. She is a Japanese national judo champion and a former Smackgirl open weight champion and tournament...

. Berezikova was able to defeat Yabushita by unanimous decision after a competitive match on at the event FightForce: Russia vs. The World held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Originally set to fight against French

French people

The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

Tevi Say, who had to retire from the match due to an injury, Berezikova defeated fellow Russian Milana Dudieva by submission (punches) in the second round at FightForce: Day of Anger on .

Boxing

Berezikova took part in a boxing exhibition match against the Women's International Boxing Association

Women's International Boxing Association

The Women's International Boxing Association a sanctioning body for women's professional boxing came into existence in July 2000, and quickly grew into a major force in the sport....

(WIBA) champion Emiko Raika

Emiko Raika

Emiko Raika is a Japanese female professional boxer. The former WIBA Featherweight Champion on the World, Raika is considered one of the greatest Japanese female boxers of all time....

on at the Korakuen Hall

Korakuen Hall

is an arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts matches. Part of Tokyo Dome City, it is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions. It opened on April 16, 1962 and has a capacity of approximately 1,800 people. The venue hosted the boxing...

in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. She has also participated in other exhibition matches in Japan.

Kickboxing

Berezikova was slated to compete in a K-1

K-1

K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...

rules match on in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Outside sports

Berezikova posed topless

Toplessness

Toplessness is the state in which a female's breasts are uncovered, with the areolae and nipples visible, usually in a public space. It can also refer to a female not wearing any clothing above the waist, which is the female equivalent to a male barechestedness.The history and even the present-day...

for the Russian version of Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...

in the issue of .

Berezikova has worked as consultant of fight scenes for some Russian productions.
She was a participant of Russia Channel One

Channel One (Russia)

Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...

's show Big Races.

Along with fellow MMA fighter Aleksander Emelianenko

Aleksander Emelianenko

Alexander Vladimirovich Emelianenko , more commonly known as Alexander Emelianenko or Aleksander Emelianenko, is a Russian mixed martial artist. He is a three-times Russian national Sambo champion and three-time world Sambo champion in the absolute division...

and other Russian athletes, Berezikova participated, in the 2010 Russian TV series starring Yevgeni Sidikhin

Yevgeni Sidikhin

- Biography :Yevgeni Sidikhin was born in Leningrad , Russia, in 1964. He studied martial arts and boxing since the 4th grade and was a five-time champion in the City of Leningrad. After high school he was accepted into the Leningrad State Institute of Theater, Music, and Cinematography . ...

, Olympic Village.

Mixed martial arts record

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Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

|
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|Win
|align=center|2-3-0
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Megumi Yabushita

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

|
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|align=center|1-3-0
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Rosi Sexton

Rosemary Ann Sexton is a British female mixed martial artist. She is also a sports therapist, osteopath, and writer for Fighters Only magazine....

Vancouver

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
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|Loss
|align=center|1-2-0
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Julie Kedzie

Julie Kedzie is an American female mixed martial artist. She is a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu....

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1-1-0
|

South Korea

|
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|Loss
|align=center|0-1-0
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Tara LaRosa

Tara LaRosa is an American mixed martial artist who previously fought in BodogFight.She was the first and final BodogFight Women's Bantamweight Champion...

Vancouver

, Canada

Canada

Boxing

Saint Petersburg champion 2003-2005.
Russian Cup winner in 2003.
Russia boxing championship winner 2004, 2005.

External links

Official website (old)
Official blog
Profile at Fightergirls.com
Profile at FightForce

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