Jean Claude Van Damme at the Ambassador Hotel

On 13 April, the Ambassador Hotel hosted a press conference for the upcoming Russia vs. America Mixed Fights tournament.

The tournament will for the first time pit two legends, the Russian world champ Feodor Emelyanenko and America’s national treasure Matt Lindland. Along with the athletes, the press event was attended by Calvin Aire, CEO of the US Bodog Entertainment Group, which organized the tournament, and the tournament’s guest of honor Jean-Claude Van Damme, who said he would be rooting for his pal Fiodor Yemelianchenko. “I’m happy to be here, in St. Petersburg,” Van Damme said. “I met Feodor in Paris two years ago. I would like to see him in action again: I’m his biggest fan. The thing about Feodor is he’s a really laid-back guy. He’s like a diesel-powered car in daily life, but turns into a Ferrari on the ring.” The Russia vs. America tournament promises to become a major sports highlight for St. Petersburg. Bodog intends to run more similar events in Russia in the future via its St. Petersburg rep office, which the company plans to open soon. A percentage of the proceeds from this tournament will be donated towards renovating the Lomonosov Orphanage for children with mental and neurological problems.

Background

Jean-Claude Van Damme stayed in the custom-designed Rimsky-Korsakov Suite, where the ceilings and the walls are hand-painted with scenes from the fairy tales that inspired the composer to write his great music. The suite is on the 8th floor, facing south in the direction of the St. Nicholas and Trinity Church domes in the distance, sharing the skyline with other historical buildings on Voznesensky Prospekt.

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