Just 18 months after his professional debut, Denis Lavrentyev (6-0) already boasts six wins, including two victories over a pair of UFC veterans. Now he’s hoping to become Russia’s next breakout star.

At 30, Lavrentyev boasts a lifetime of training in judo, enjoying success not just in his native country but on the international stage, as well. While he enjoyed the competition, Lavrentyev always believed MMA would be his ultimate home.

“For eight years straight, I was in Russia’s national Olympic judo team,” Lavrentyev told MMAjunkie in his native Russian. “Through that period of my life, I had thoughts of going into MMA, but I just couldn’t get out of my comfort zone. In 2016 I made my mind up, packed my bags and left for a training camp in the U.S.”

“A training camp” is putting it a little mildly. Lavrentyev set up shop at one of the top training camps in the world, studying MMA to make it his new craft.

“I trained two years in Jackson Wink MMA before going inside the cage,” Lavrentyev said. “My debut was on April 29, 2017.”

Lavrentyev scored a second-round TKO victory in his debut and has followed that up with five more wins, including three fights already this year. That run includes recent decision victories over four-time UFC veteran Taylor Lapilus and three-time UFC fighter Reginaldo Vieira.

The dream has become reality, and Lavrentyev is now focused solely on rising the MMA ranks.

“I give myself to sports,” Lavrentyev said. “When I was a judoka, it was judo only. Now it’s MMA only.”

Lavrentyev expects to compete again once more this year for his current promotional home, Russian Cagefighting Championship (RCC), though his opponent has yet to be determined. If victorious there, Lavrentyev has similar plans for 2019, which he hopes proves to be a breakout year in his new field.

“I want to fight three or four times a year,” Lavrentyev said. “It’s the right amount of fighting if you want your body to recover fully and stay healthy.”