UFC Vegas 46: Viacheslav Borshchev Promised Himself 2021 Would Be His Last Year Being Poor

By
Alex Behunin
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Las Vegas, NV — “I feel amazing, I feel super good. Too good to be real.” Those were the words of Viacheslav Borshchev after the lightweight picked up a TKO win in his promotional debut at UFC Vegas 46 on Saturday.

Borshchev (6-1) has good reason to feel that way. “Slava Claus” came to town, and put opponent Dakota Bush away with a nasty liver shot. The finish was Borshchev’s fourth in four fights, including the Contender Series win that earned him a spot in the UFC to begin with.

Post-fight, Borshchev told media outlets including Cageside Press that he was hoping to pick up a Performance of the Night bonus. In the end, he got one. And it means a lot to him, the Team Alpha Male fighter told us.

“I promised myself that last year would be the last year of me being poor. It means a lot. I can finish my document work, maybe actually UFC can help me with my green card work. And I finally will be free to travel. I would like to meet my family in Russia.”

“This can create more opportunities,” Borshchev added. “But the main thing why I need money: I can be a full time fighter.”

Borshchev’s upbeat personality and whimsical nickname help him stand out in the sea of fighters swimming in the UFC’s deep lightweight waters. The nickname, he explained, actually came from his coach.

“It came from Urijah [Faber], Urijah gave me it. Its’ funny, I still think it’s bullsh*t, I think he just mixed the two words, I think maybe Slava for him sounded like Santa,” Borshchev explained. “But he said ‘you know Slava, Santa Claus and Jesus, it’s the most recognizable names in the world. It’s perfect marketing.'”

As for his dancing, “actually I never learned to dance. It’s just who I am,” he admitted. “I’m always dancing. Being honest, I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Being part of Faber’s Team Alpha Male, “it means a lot. Now it’s just like my family,” Borschev said. “One of the greatest teams I believe. It’s kind of like Urijah’s baby, he created it, that was so cool. And now we have great coaches and great fighters. A lot of fighters that you don’t know yet. They’re such a high level, I expect them in the UFC for sure in a year or two.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 46 post-fight press scrum with Viacheslav Borshchev above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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