Kovalev defeated Shlemenko in a rematch at the RCC 23 tournament in Chelyabinsk.

Belarusian mixed martial artist Vladislav Kovalev defeated Russian mixed martial artist Alexander Shlemenko in a rematch held on September 12 in Chelyabinsk as part of the Russian Cagefighting Championship 23 (RCC-23) tournament.

Shlemenko, who had already met Kovalev at the RCC 22 tournament in Yekaterinburg in May, started the fight actively. However, in the first round, Kovalev quickly seized the initiative, confidently counterattacking in the stalls, where Shlemenko was forced to move.

The second round was also slow and difficult: the Russian confidently moved forward, delivering successful blows, at one point almost knocking down the Belarusian. However, Kovalev managed to resist oncoming traffic, and at the end of the fight, he completely transferred Shlemenko to canvas. This technique allowed Kovalev to apply a stranglehold, which brought him victory in this fight and the title of the holder of the RCC middleweight belt.

In his speech after the tournament, he addressed the famous fighter Magomed Ismailov, whom he invited to enter the ring in December 2025, expressing the hope that he would be able to "knock him out."

On July 12, Shlemenko was able to knock out Spaniard Guillermo Cadena, speaking at the SFC 11 tournament, which took place in Omsk. The Russian won in the first round, entering the octagon with a broken arm. Thus, the 33-year-old Kadena suffered the 25th defeat of his career, with 37 wins to his credit.

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