While it has been 17 years and some change since Igor Vovchanchyn last slung leather as a mixed martial artist, he remains one of the most talked-about figures of the sport’s formative days.
Vovchanchyn carried a mean streak that belied his stoic persona and packed hellacious punching power into his 5-foot-8 frame, as he compiled a 56-10 record with one no contest—he delivered 41 of those victories by knockout—during a remarkable career that spanned two decades. The Ukrainian heavyweight was untouchable at his peak. He pieced together an unheard-of 38-fight unbeaten streak from Jan. 28, 1996 to May 1, 2000, during which he went 37-0 with one no contest and built a cult following that exists to this day.