Valentin Moldavsky: Combat Sambo Superior Base for MMA Than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Valentin Moldavsky seconds Khabib Nurmagomedov’s past claim that combat sambo is a better base for mixed martial arts than Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Moldavsky (12-3) is scheduled to headline PFL 1 against Ante Delija (24-5) at the Boeing Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday.

A former European and Russian combat sambo champion, Moldavsky shares his combat roots with the former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Nurmagomedov.

Combat sambo has proven to be one of the best bases for MMA throughout history, with fighters transitioning extremely well. Moldavsky believes combat sambo is the more well-rounded discipline than Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“So when I was in school I was attending different classes, I was doing some wrestling, sambo, judo. And then when I was progressing I realized that fight sambo was something that I really liked and as I was improving, I went all the way to become a medalist. And yeah, I think it's one of the best base techniques for me to start at MMA because you get to get good defense and that would be I think a great start,” Moldavsky said during a PFL media session.

“I think that Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a great sport, they have great techniques, but for myself I wouldn’t compare it to fight sambo cause they lack certain techniques that they're using, they [have] less punches, they mostly use throws. So I myself personally, I mean, I understand that for him it was more about his opponent and there was a conflict of their styles. But for myself, I think that actual combat sambo is the best technique out there if you want to be an MMA fighter, because it encompasses a lot of different striking and throwing and grappling, a little bit of everything.”

Moldavsky and his upcoming opponent, Delija, train with heavyweight legends and former rivals Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Filipovic, respectively. Emelianenko defeated “Cro Cop” via unanimous decision during their Pride: Final Conflict clash in 2005. While there is some talk of Moldavsky and Delija carrying over the rivalry, the Russian isn’t interested in such narratives.

"So of course we represent our gyms, there are people we train with and I'm thankful to all my team. But after everything, I'm the one who is fighting,” Moldavsky said. “I never try to think about anybody else. I'm responsible for myself, for my previous experience. So I know that he, trained with Mirko and obviously, [there are] people I represent. But once we're there, people like to bring this up just maybe to have some extra to discuss. What were there? Just two of us. So I don't get attached to that part.”