Viacheslav Datsik, also known as “Red Tarzan,” is a far-right Russian MMA fighter known for his unique and controversial persona both inside and outside the cage. Born on February 13, 1980, Russia, Datsik gained notoriety for his unorthodox fighting style and eccentric behavior. Viacheslav Datsik’s early life is marked by his interest in combat sports. He began his career in traditional wrestling and later transitioned into mixed martial arts (MMA). He competed in various regional MMA events in Russia during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Known for his raw strength and a penchant for unpredictability, Datsik quickly gained a reputation as a formidable fighter.
While Viacheslav Datsik’s MMA career was brief and unconventional, he left a mark in the sport. His record includes numerous wins, but exact statistics are hard to come by due to the underground nature of some of his fights. Datsik’s fights were characterized by his aggressive striking and grappling skills. Some notable moments in his career include a victory over former UFC fighter Andrei Orlov in 1999, which showcased his potential as a fighter with great promise. However, Datsik’s career was plagued by controversy, and he abruptly left the MMA scene. His last fight was with Jeff Monson in August 2022. Datsik won.
His personal record is 14 wins – 17 loss.
Criminal record
Datsik, as part of an organised criminal group, was involved in robbery: robbing mobile phone shops. In February 2007, he was detained by criminal investigation officers.
Datsik was found insane, and the court ordered him to undergo compulsory treatment in a specialised closed psychiatric clinic. According to Datsik himself, he specifically sought a diagnosis of “schizophrenia complicated by trauma”. In July 2010, Datsik was transferred to the Druzhnoselsky Regional Psychiatric Hospital near St. Petersburg, from where he escaped. He robbed a mobile phone shop and became famous throughout Russia. They tried to catch him, but he ended up in Norway. Far-right activist Yan Petrovsky, a future Rusich fighter, helped him. On 18 March 2011, Datsik was extradited to Russia. In Russia, Datsik was charged with a new offence of illegal border crossing in addition to the previous one of attacking telecoms shops. He was placed in solitary confinement in Kresty remand centre No. 1. On 7 December 2012, the Nevsky District Court of St. Petersburg sentenced Datsik to 5 years’ imprisonment in a general regime colony for robbing a mobile phone salon. On 17 March 2016, he was released from penal colony No. 31 in Krasnoyarsk due to the expiration of his sentence. On 18 May 2016, Datsik was detained by police in St. Petersburg. Earlier, he had conducted a so-called “anti-abortion raid”: at night, together with like-minded people, he broke into a brothel on Vasilievsky Island, where they found several prostitutes, as well as one client, allegedly a Finnish citizen. Threatening them with tire irons, they took them all naked to the police, where the prostitutes reported their personal belongings missing. On 19 March 2018, the court sentenced Vyacheslav Datsik to 3.5 years’ imprisonment in a strict regime colony. On 8 June 2020, it became known that Vyacheslav Datsik was sentenced to 1 year for illegally crossing the border with Estonia in December 2019. On 14 November 2020 he was released from the colony.
On 15 September 2023, Datsik recorded a video and said he had joined the Russian army and left to fight against Ukraine.
Far-right ties
Although Datsik openly called himself a Nazi, he was never a member of any organisation and did not take part in general actions. He was associated with Dmitry Demushkin’s Slavic Union, which supported him while Datsik was in prison. Datsik was ultra-right-wing, as this organically complemented his image as a crazy fighter. Datsik is highly respected in the ultra-right-wing milieu and is known throughout Russia, but he has made little or no mark as an activist.