Vladimir Putin Gifted MMA Fighter Anthony Ruiz $150,000 After A Violent Bout

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave Anthony Ruiz $150K after a fight left him with a brutally broken nose.

Ruiz went to Russia to fight against Alexander Shlemenko with Putin in attendance for the fight. Ruiz fought Shlemenko two years ago and only made $6,000 for the bout. He had been a veteran of many fights by that time and was already 34 years of age. Ruiz had none of his cornermen for the fight, as none of them had passports. He had to bring a friend to corner him for the fight.

Ruiz went on to say that Shlemenko had been brutalizing him up until the last round, which included a nasty broken nose.

“My nose was broken all the way to the side in the last round. It was brutal.” Ruiz said (Transcribed by Bleacher Report)

Ruiz was resilient though and kept coming forward despite the countless times he was rocked and knocked down.

Vladimir Putin had seen Ruiz’s nose and gave him some advice

Immediately after the fight was over, Putin went up to Ruiz to tell him to get his nose fixed. Although, it didn’t stop there. Over the next few days Ruiz was wired $50,000 dollars intervals ver three days. Putin sent him $150,000 in total after the fight.

“I couldn’t believe it. Then the next day, boom, another $50,000. The bank was telling me there’s some people who aren’t all that straight doing transfers and stuff like that,” he said. “I also knew it was coming from Putin, and he’s one of the wealthiest persons in the world. So, really, $150,000 ain’t that much to him. That’s what I’m telling myself to justify it. Sure enough, I kept it in there and left it alone. It was real. It really happened.”

Putin was last seen at Fedor Emelianenko’s last Bellator fight in Russia.

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