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Levan LagvilavaGeorgian mixed martial artist
Date of Birth: .
Country:  Georgia |
Content:
- Early Life and Training
- Early MMA Career
- Success in Russia
- Notable Fight with Fedor Emelianenko
- Post-UFC Career
- Retirement and Later Life
Early Life and Training
Levon Lagvilava, a Georgian mixed martial artist, was born and raised in the Georgian SSR. At the age of seven, under the guidance of his father, he enrolled in a wrestling section in Sukhumi. Later, he became interested in Eastern martial arts and transitioned to karate, specifically Kyokushin, where he earned a black belt.
Early MMA Career
With the rise of mixed martial arts in the mid-1990s, Lagvilava joined the first MMA section in Tbilisi. He made his professional MMA debut in May 1999 at the InterPride tournament in Kharkiv, where he faced two opponents in one night. He lost to fellow Georgian Vacho Bardanashvili but won by submission over Ukrainian Alexander Zaitsev.
Success in Russia
In April 2000, Lagvilava competed at the Pankration World Championship in Moscow, where he defeated Russian Maxim Konikov by rear-naked choke. He also faced Konikov in a tournament in Minsk, this time winning by disqualification after Konikov delivered an illegal kick to his downed opponent.
Notable Fight with Fedor Emelianenko
The pinnacle of Lagvilava's professional career came in August 2000 in Tula, where he fought legendary Russian sambo fighter Fedor Emelianenko under the Fighting Network Rings banner. Despite Emelianenko's repeated attempts at submission, Lagvilava escaped each time. Eventually, Emelianenko secured a rear-naked choke and emerged victorious.
Post-UFC Career
Following his loss to Emelianenko, Lagvilava joined the Russian national MMA team, led by actor Alexander Inshakov. He participated in international tournaments and notably defeated eccentric Russian fighter Vyacheslav Datsik. After spending a year in Moscow, Lagvilava returned to Georgia and later traveled extensively throughout Europe, fighting in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
Retirement and Later Life
Due to a neck injury, Lagvilava was forced to retire from MMA. He currently works as a security supervisor at a nightclub in France.
