On Saturday, Greek mixed martial artist and former UFC competitor Andreas Michailidis claimed victory in his debut fight for OKTAGON MMA.
Michailidis overcame tough competition from Brazilian fighter Leandro “Apollo” Silva to secure the win by unanimous decision.
Michailidis’ win on Saturday will ensure that he progresses to the next round of the Tipsport Gamechanger welterweight division tournament, where he will face off against German competitor Marcel Grabinski.
Andreas Michailidis vs. Leandro “Apollo” Silva
The fight was held in the Ostravar Aréna in Czechia as part of OKTAGON MMA’s Trisport Gamechanger tournament, a European competition pitting some of Europe’s best MMA fighters in the welterweight division against each other.
The 37-year-old Brazilian fighter, Leandro “Apollo” Silva was a slight favorite amongst the bookies ahead of the bout.
However, Michailidis, with a height of 183cm (6’0″) and a reach of 191cm (75.0″) went into the fight with a height and reach advantage over Silva, who stands at 175cm (5’9″) and has a reach of 72.0″ 183cm. The Greek fighter was also the younger athlete, at 34 years of age.
🇬🇷 Greece, you have a representative in the quarter-finals of the €1 million Tipsport Gamechanger welterweight tournament.
Andreas Michailidis advances in the Champions League of MMA after defeating ‘Apollo’ Silva.
📺 https://t.co/TVP7NaDRbZ & DAZN pic.twitter.com/owmFeb0Aj1
— OKTAGON MMA (@OktagonOfficial) March 4, 2023
Fight breakdown
Both athletes were tentative in round one and fought mostly at long and mid-range, using the round to try and gauge their opponent’s rhythm and timing. Both men clearly respected the other’s finishing power and were careful not to walk into a fight-ending punch or kick.
Michailidis enjoyed some early success landing calf and leg kicks. Silva produced some traction with boxing combinations toward the end of the round.
The most eye-catching moment of round one was a spinning head kick thrown by Michailidis. The Greek fighter managed to land the strike but it only clipped Silva’s chin and was not enough to put him on the canvas.
Overall, Michailidis did well to land with his kicks and edged the first round.
The €1 million Tipsport Gamechanger welterweight tournament continues next on the main card!
‘Apollo’ Silva (26-10-1, 1NC) 🇧🇷 meets Andreas Michailidis (13-6) 🇬🇷 in the Champions League of MMA.
Brazil vs. Greece!
Who takes advances?
📺 https://t.co/TVP7NaDRbZ & DAZN pic.twitter.com/L7bJdnUVMP
— OKTAGON MMA (@OktagonOfficial) March 4, 2023
Silva came out strong in the second round. Fighting on the front foot, he pressured Michailidis with three and four-punch boxing combinations allowing him to command the central space in the cage.
Michailidis performed a successful takedown and applied top pressure but Silva managed to get back up. Standing in the southpaw stance, Silva then delivered an impressive kick to the body, which was the most eye-catching moment of the second round.
In the closing moments of the round Silva had success with a takedown of his own and established a dominant position. Michailidis looked to be in trouble but the bell sounded signaling the end of the round.
Round 3 began with Silva again pressuring Michailidis with boxing combinations. Michailidis again had some success with calf kicks.
The striking exchanges were interspersed with moments of grappling and wrestling. Silva managed to take down Michailidis but the latter was able to secure a more dominant wrestling position by taking Silva’s back.
In the standing clinch, both fighters also attempted to land knees, with Michailidis edging this exchange.
In the end, Michailidis won with a unanimous decision from the judges in what was a close, technical, and entertaining three-round fight.
Michailidis was the more accurate fighter, having landed 79 punches, 58 of which were deemed significant. Silva landed 67, with 45 being significant. Silva managed two takedowns, whereas Michailidis performed one.
Life and career
Andreas Michailidis is of Pontic Greek origin and was born in Kirovski, Kazakhstan on July 18, 1998. He started training in wrestling and kickboxing with Mallios team at the age of eight when he moved to Greece.
He continued to broaden his martial arts knowledge by training in mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Gracie Barra in Greece.
As a professional mixed martial artist, Michailidis now trains with Head Coach Dimitris “Mohou” Papakonstantinou at the EFL Martial Arts Academy. His strength and conditioning coach is Stamatis Lenis at the Olympic Weight Lifting Center.
His professional record stands at 14 wins and six losses. With seven knockouts and technical knockouts, he has a KO ratio of 50 percent. Four of his wins have been by submission (29 percent) and three by decision (21 percent).
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
