Vesnenok has dominated regional promotions like King of Kings and LNK Fight Night, with 9 of his 11 wins coming by submission. In 2020, he handed Ukraine’s Aleksandr Kolontay his first career loss by split decision. He also ventured into bare-knuckle fighting — in 2021 Vesņenoks won a bout at Russia’s Top Dog FC bare-knuckle event, defeating Daniil Utenkov by decision.
Vesnenok has openly aspired to break into the UFC. In March 2020, Vesnenok survived a life-threatening incident — he was shot five times in the stomach during a conflict at a gathering. After multiple surgeries (including one to repair an eye socket) and two weeks in intensive care, he amazed doctors by walking out of the hospital and resuming training within weeks. Vesnenok’s resilience is legendary in Latvian fight circles — surviving gunshot wounds mid-career is a jaw-dropping story that fans rally behind.
Despite his ferocity in combat, he’s charismatic and jovial in person — appearing on podcasts, at live events and local TV with a smile. Few fighters can say they’ve come back stronger after literally staring down death. Vesnenok leverages social media to engage fans and promote combat sports and entertainment in Latvia. He has a strong Instagram presence with over 25,000 followers.
