BORETSKostya’s five-belt gauntlet: the submission-only test
July 12, 2026Sport sambo athlete Kostya Zhyvanov, introduced at 74 kg, faces five fresh BJJ opponents in ascending belt order. The challenge removes points and judges’ decisions: a round can end only by submission. That format gives the episode its central tension. Reaching a strong position or landing a throw is useful only if the exchange can be continued towards a finish.
The sequence becomes harder
The rounds move through white, blue, purple, brown and black belt. Zhyvanov gets past the first four, but his own debrief does not describe all of those wins as comfortable. He identifies the purple- and brown-belt exchanges as increasingly demanding.
Against brown belt Vlad, he says that he used a late mistake rather than controlling the whole match. That detail matters: winning by submission does not mean the winner dominated every preceding position. The episode gives space to the athlete’s account of the difficulty, not only the outcome.
A fresh black belt ends the run
Oleksandr Oliinyk enters as the final fresh opponent and submits Zhyvanov. The meeting follows four earlier matches for the sambo athlete, so accumulated work is part of its context. It is also the result of this particular pairing and exchange, not a measurement of belt colour in isolation.
The finish becomes the starting point for their later one-on-one rematch, where the athletes meet fresh. Keeping that sequence clear helps explain why the channel returns to the same matchup under revised conditions instead of treating the gauntlet as the last word.
Follow the work between the finishes
On a second viewing, follow the transition from the standing phase to the first stable ground exchange. Then compare what Zhyvanov says afterwards with what happened before the finish. His account of the brown-belt round is a useful reminder to watch the contested middle of a match.
The film’s strongest question is how a sambo base continues through BJJ positions under submission-only conditions. The answer is found in the individual exchanges and the athletes’ reactions, rather than in a universal claim that one sport can clear every belt.
From the YouTube description
BJJ vs Sambo gets BRUTAL. One Sambo fighter takes on five Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes — from white belt all the way to black belt — in a submission-only grappling challenge. Kostya weighs just 74 kg. His opponents have different sizes, styles and levels of experience. Every fight gets harder, every submission matters, and the final opponent is a BJJ black belt. Can one Sambo fighter defeat EVERY BJJ belt? No points. No decisions. Victory by submission only. THE FIGHTERS: 🔴 Sambo — Kostya (74 kg) ⚪ BJJ White Belt — Mykhailo (73 kg) 🔵 BJJ Blue Belt — Artem (80 kg) 🟣 BJJ Purple Belt — Andrii (75 kg) 🟤 BJJ Brown Belt — Vlad (70 kg) ⚫ BJJ Black Belt — Sanya (75 kg) CHAPTERS: 0:00 BJJ vs Sambo Challenge 0:14 Brutal Submission Preview 0:44 Kostya and the Rules 0:56 Sambo vs BJJ White Belt 1:34 Sambo vs BJJ Blue Belt 2:16 Sambo vs BJJ Purple Belt 3:36 Sambo vs BJJ Brown Belt 5:05 Sambo vs BJJ Black Belt 5:55 Final Reactions 6:28 The Next Challenge Which BJJ belt gave Kostya the toughest fight? Write your answer in the comments 👇 And tell us what martial art Sambo should face next. All participants are trained athletes. The fights were filmed in a controlled gym under agreed submission-only rules. Do not attempt these techniques without professional supervision. Subscribe to BORETS LAB for real fights, insane physical challenges, elite athletes and unforgettable adventures. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ievgen_skyrda/ #Sambo #BJJ #Grappling #Wrestling #MMA
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