MMA fighter Anthony Ruiz made probably the toughest man in politics world melt with his performance. As a reward, he received a hefty pay as a surprise bonus. Back in 2012, MMA veteran Ruiz fought Alexander Shlemenko in Russia and impressed president Vladimir Putin.

During the fight, Ruiz broke his nose but showed great valor as he still completed the fight. He later accepted that Shlemenko brutalized him till the last round. 

The then-34-year-old notably only made $6000 for the loss and couldn’t arrange any of his cornermen because of passport issues. After the fight, Putin gave friendly advice to the crooked-face Ruiz.

According to Bleacher Report, he said, “You need to fix your nose” in English. After returning home to the USA, Ruiz received a phone call, understandably, from Russia. They inquired about his health and asked about his needs. They asked Ruiz about his SWIFT code- used to transfer money between banks.

Ruiz played along and provided the necessary details. Two days later, he saw $50,000 transferred to his bank account. He recalled the incident, “I couldn’t believe it, then the next day, boom, another $50,000.”

Soon after, a third wire transfer, amounting to the same figure, was also made to his account. An extravagant total of $150,000 was transferred to his account over three different transactions. Understandably, Ruiz was humbled as well as surprised by the act of generosity.

He explained the situation, “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.”

Read More: UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie – Timings, Fight Card, Live Stream & Venue

Anthony Ruiz couldn’t get lucky twice with Vladimir Putin

Ruiz later justified it and claimed that he earned the money by putting his life on the line. “Well, I offered my life. I was there. I was willing to die. And it showed on film,” he explained.

It was a life-changing gesture for Anthony Ruiz as it helped him and his family get settled, find a home, and pay off debts. However, Shlemenko’s manager Alexei Zhernakov later revealed that the sponsors representing their “special guest” Putin made the transactions, and not the Kremlin, directly.

Top Stories

Tragedy Strikes as 45-Year-Old MMA Veteran Drowns in Amazon River

Ilia Topuria’s UFC Title at Risk After Personal Break Turns Worse With “Extortion” Claim

How Much Did Conor McGregor Spend on Secret Vatican Wedding With Dee Devlin? Lavish Details Emerge

Alex Pereira’s White House Announcement Has Fans Turning On Dana White as Donald Trump’s UFC Plans Hit a Snag

UFC Rankings: Final 2025 Update Brings Major Shake-Ups as New Title Challenger Emerges

Ruiz went to fight in Russia again in 2014, however, Putin did not attend his win over Ramazan Mukailov. According to Ruiz, he didn’t get lucky twice, but still hoped for a similar treat. “I would think that I’m not going to get that lucky twice,” Ruiz said, “but you never know.”

WATCH THIS STORY: UFC 273: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns Stats: Record, Reach, Height, And More

What do you think of Vladimir Putin’s gesture towards Anthony Ruiz? Let us know in the comments.