Oleg Taktarov World champion in martial arts, actor, director Date of Birth: 25.06.1968 Country: USA

Biography of Oleg Taktarov

Introduction

Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a Russian and American athlete, actor, and director. He is best known as the world champion of mixed martial arts (MMA) and for his roles in films such as "Predators," "Temporarily Unavailable," and "The Maltese Cross."

Early Life

Oleg Taktarov was born in the Nizhny Novgorod region, in the city of Arzamas-16, which was later renamed Sarov. His father, a Mari by nationality, was a military officer who achieved a high rank in boxing. Seeing that Oleg spent his days reading adventure books and daydreaming but couldn't stand up for himself against his classmates, his father enrolled him in a sports section. There, Oleg studied sambo under the guidance of experienced coach Vitaly Mikhailov. Soon, the instructor saw potential in the young boy and made a prophetic remark that he had the ability to become a world champion. This belief in his protégé's abilities prevented Oleg from giving up sports, even though he wanted to be an actor. In 1990, Oleg achieved the title of master of sports.

Sporting Career

Three years later, Oleg Taktarov won the amateur division at the "White Dragon" tournament in Riga, Latvia, and became the world champion of mixed martial arts. This caught the attention of American scouts, who invited him to participate in professional fights. After moving to the United States, Oleg Taktarov began competing in MMA and gained widespread recognition as one of the calmest and most balanced athletes in the sport. He fought under the pseudonym "Russian Bear," a nickname that suited him due to his physical characteristics (height - 183 cm, weight - 95 kg). In the early days of MMA, competitions were held between athletes of the same style, and Oleg chose sambo as his category. His first fights did not bring him fame, but at the UFC 6 tournament, he defeated American David "Tank" Abbott and won the championship title. From 2001 to 2007, Taktarov did not compete, but he returned for a few tournaments. In total, Oleg had 24 fights, of which he only lost five. He also won a showcase boxing match against Dolph Lundgren, which became a significant achievement in his athletic career. In 2003, UFC fans voted him one of the top 10 most popular athletes in the history of martial arts, making him the only representative from the post-Soviet space. In addition to his sporting career, Taktarov tried his hand at being a commentator for "M-1 - Russia vs. Europe" but was not successful in this role. In 2009, he organized the show "Men's Games," featuring former fighters competing for a second chance in their careers. Although the show did not air on Russian channels, Taktarov appeared as a television host on the program "Special Assignment" on the First Channel two years later.

Film Career

Oleg Taktarov always had a dream of acting in Hollywood films. After gaining fame as a fighter, his dream came true. He was invited to star in the science fiction action film "Total Force" and the thriller "Air Force One." This was followed by the crime drama "15 Minutes of Fame," the action film "Red Serpent," the science fiction movie "Rollerball," and the action-comedy "Agent Red." In all these films, Taktarov played a Russian character, either an agent or a criminal. He gained popularity with his roles in the adventure film "National Treasure," the thriller "Bad Boys II," and the crime drama "Miami Vice." Later, Taktarov worked with Adrian Brody in the science fiction action film "Predators" and with Sylvester Stallone in the comedy-thriller "Get Me If You Can." After achieving success in Hollywood, Oleg began accepting invitations from Russian productions. He appeared in films such as the oligarch saga "Hunting for the Boar," the adaptation of Gogol's "Viy," the comedy "Ticket to Vegas," the phantasmagoric "Generation P," and the crime drama "Let's Do It Fast." His most significant works in Russian cinema were the action films "The Maltese Cross" and "The Guardian." Oleg works in both Russia and the United States, appearing in action films like "Cornered" and "Brotherhood Reloaded" in the USA, and the comedy "Portrait in Oil" in Russia. He has also appeared in the TV series "Fights" and "Ex-Wife."

Personal Life

Oleg Taktarov has been married three times. His first wife was Milena, and they were together for five years, during which they had a son named Sergey. However, their marriage ended in divorce. His second wife, Kathleen, an American, helped Oleg overcome a psychological crisis after a defeat in the ring. They fell in love, got married, and had a son named Kiton. However, their marriage also ended in divorce due to their incompatible personalities. Oleg's third wife is Maria, a Russian woman who gave birth to their third son, Nikita. Rumors circulated about the end of their marriage after five years, but it was later revealed that Oleg was falsely linked to a businesswoman named Evgeniya, who was actually his mother-in-law. Oleg is an active user of social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, where he frequently shares photos and videos from local and international competitions. He also conducts seminars in various cities in Russia.

Recent Projects

In 2019, Oleg Taktarov played the lead role of Haron, a criminal authority, in the thriller film "Desperate." He also appeared in the detective film "Hero on Call" and the romantic drama "See You Soon" that same year. In 2020, he starred in the film "Predators" as Vena. This year, the TV series "Legend" will be released, in which Taktarov is featured alongside Roman Kurtyn. It is known that he is currently involved in several projects set to be released in 2021, including "The Little Humpbacked Horse," "The Techie," "The Survivors," and "I'm Alive."

Despite retiring from his sports career, Oleg Taktarov remains actively involved in the world of sports. In April, he engaged in a social media dispute with Alexander Emelianenko regarding their views on the Caucasus.

Fighting

Dave Legeno	James (Jim) Duggan	Oleg Taktarov