He grew up in Omsk, the kind of place where winters are brutal and the only thing that keeps you warm is a good fight. Started training at 8 then lost his coach at 16 – that’s when Alexander Shlemenko stepped in. Shlemenko was a legend and Andrey stuck with him, eventually becoming a world champ in pankration. He made the leap to MMA at 20, fighting in Vladivostok. One of those first pro fights, he almost missed a knee but recovered with an elbow lever – knock‑out highlight reel vibes
Quick side‑note: my uncle once tried a spinning kick in a gym and broke his phone on the impact. He swears it’s the best way to test phone durability. Classic.
After Vladivostok, he bounced to Finland, then to a Brazilian jiu‑jitsu heavyweight who actually had a black belt. He got knocked out in 11 seconds – that’s a story that still makes us laugh around chai. He kept moving: from Khabarovsk to the Far East, taking on Israeli and Russian fighters, dropping them with ground‑and‑pound finishes that made the crowd roar.
He never stopped grinding. He broke a 21‑year‑old record by joining Bellator, fighting in a 77‑kg bout against Ivan Khovar. He landed a right cross and a sweet uppercut combo then moved on to Derrick Kranz – a guy with 12 wins under his belt. Kranz tried wrestling but Andrey avoided takedowns and finished with a knockout. That set the tone for his Bellator journey: hard, relentless and with a knack for finishing fights.
He entered the Grand Prix, fighting Am Jordan Smith, a grappler with 17 wins. In the first round, Smith tried a guillotine but Andrey slipped out and slammed him with ground‑and‑pound. The fight went to the judges and Andrey won by decision. He then faced Marius Zhar, a former Dream champ, and came out with a 11‑punch finish. Not a title yet but the crowd was hyped.
Then came Lyman “Cyborg” Good. Lyman had 7 Bellator wins and a reputation for brutal finishes. He tried to go all out but Andrey switched to a wrestling strategy, took control and won in the third round. He earned a 100,000‑rupee check and a shot at the title.
The title fight was against a young, undefeated champion, a guy named B. Crane. Crane had an immaculate record but Andrey landed a series of punches and a big roundhouse where the champion got floored. Crane tried to fight back but the Russians’ power was just too much. Andrey won by unanimous decision and became the Bellator welterweight champion. We were all like “Yes we did it!”
He defended the title against Branson Henderson, a former champion who had just beaten Masvidal. Andrey dominated, using his punches and takedown skills. He won again by unanimous decision. The crowd went wild but the headlines started to say “Andrey’s reign is in danger.” He did a rematch with B. Crane and this time Crane landed a low kick and a big roundhouse, knocking Andrey out in the third round. The champ lost his title and got a knockout – the first time he’d ever been knocked out.
After that, Andrey took a break for nine months then returned in August to face a rising prospect, Chadin Dzhakku. He dropped him with a powerful elbow and came out with another victory. He also faced a guy nicknamed “Psychopath” in his first Bellator match, landing a helicopter kick that knocked him out. He was back on the map.
He entered a new Grand Prix, facing a former champion, Michael Jasper, and won by unanimous decision. Then he fought Larkin, a former fighter, and lost by split decision. He decided to fight in Russia again – a first in seven years – and faced a Brazilian, Adriano Rodriguez, finishing him in the first round. He also beat a former UFC contestant, Sabah, with a series of knees.
Ten years in Bellator, a ton of knockouts and still no championship title. That’s the paradox. He’s a knockout machine, but the title eludes him. The fans love his style, his raw power, and his willingness to go all out. He’s still got time to chase the title again and who knows maybe the next fight will be the one that finally cracks the crown.
Side note: I remember once buying a new phone and my friend tried a spinning kick on the screen and shattered it. He swore it was the best way to test a phone’s durability. Classic and then there’s that time I saw a street fight in Mumbai where a guy took down a three‑meter‑tall man with a single judo throw – that’s the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’re in a movie.
The story of Koreshkov is like a chaotic playlist: some tracks hit hard some drop unexpectedly and you’re left wondering what’s next. No neat summary just the raw unpredictable grind that keeps us talking after chai on a noisy corner.