3/5/1993
Vs Andrei Kopilov
The bulk of the match is controlled by Han going for submissions but in a manner in which Kopilov is making him work for it. They both make use of rope escapes and Kopilov comes off as very credible. They work in some nice strike exchanges toward the end and Han catches Kopilov in a toe-hook for the submission. Nice stuff.
4/24/1993
Vs Mitsuya Nagai (1st fight)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOI1Jk_h-Tw
Nagai comes flying out of the gate with strikes to start. Han goes for the leg-lock but Nagai makes him struggle for it before getting a rope escape. Han is doing a lot of arm work in this match while Nagai is throwing strikes on his feet and also trying to tie up Han’s legs. Nagai gets Han down with a nice head-kick for a strong crowd reaction. Nagai actually hits a spinning backfist and then a jumping knee at one point. A little past the halfway point Han ties up Nagai’s legs and the fans go nuts for Nagai who gets the rope escape. Nagai gets a headlock spot. They tease a finish by Han but Nagai gets out and applies an ankle-lock forcing a rope escape by Han. Nagai gets hope spots with a headlock and an ankle-lock but Han ties up his legs and cranks until Nagai gets the ropes. Han then gets a nasty-looking armbar and Nagai struggles for the ropes but has to tap. Tremendous stuff here.
5/29/1993
Vs Willie Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_1MLH99CNA
Williams was a karate star who was banned from competition after working against Antonio Inoki in 1980. He is also famous for fighting a presumably sedated bear in a karate documentary as seen here
Williams is quite vocal here in his match with Han. Williams has a lot of size on him and wears away at him. Williams downs Han with a punch to the side at one point. Han starts working the arm and has Williams on the mat. It’s cool to see these guys working for guard and mount positions a few months before UFC existed. Han gets the full cross armbreaker and grabs the leg leading to them standing up. Williams hits a big punch to Han’s left pectoral muscle and downs him. Han gets to his feet but Williams continues to bear him and downs him with another chest-punch in the corner. Williams hits some knees but Han gets a leglock. Williams hangs in there for a while but ends up submitting. Williams was fun to watch but might not have had a good match against a lot of people. Thankfully, Volk Han is not like a lot of people.
7/13/1993
Vs Dick Leon-Vrij
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K18B3Js2JI
Han starts this rematch by flying in with a punch to Vrij’s face and going for an armbreaker. Han goes Dutch with some kickboxing and tries for the arm again. He then takes Vrij to the mat with an armbar and gets a down. Vrij fights back with strikes but Han knocks him down with a spinning backfist. Vrij then knocks him down with strikes. Han takes control and gets a toe-hold and Vrij does a rope escape. Vrij lands some nice kicks for a down. Han applies an ankle-lock and it’s another rope escape. They trade strikes and Vrij knocks Han flat-out with a head-strike. Han gets up in plenty of time but is at three out of four downs that he is allowed. He does the flying body-scissors into a leglock but Vrij gets the ropes. Vrij knocks Han off his feet but Han points out it doesn’t count as a down. Han does get knocked down again after two knees to the gut and one to the head. Han is on his feet and throws some head-shots and the fans are chanting for him. He gets a cross armbreaker and Vrij does another rope escape. Vrij then hits a head-kick, two knees to the head and a punch to knock Han down and win the fight. This was the best use of the psychology of downs and rope breaks I’ve seen yet and shows what a master Han became.
8/21/1993
Vs Chris Dolman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddUBDGjZiN4
Han is throwing strikes and kicks to start and Dolman is slapping away at him. Dolman gets Han in a choke from behind and Han gets the rope break. They’re on their feet and Han rolls Dolman up into a leg-lock. They’re on their feet again and Han does a flying kick. Dolman tries for Han’s back and Han grabs for his arm but Dolman takes him to the mat. Dolman gets a rear naked choke and Han does a rope escape. On their feet, Dolman does a leg-sweep and goes for Han’s ankle with a rope break. Han throws some punches but Dolman takes him to the mat and grabs the ankle. They roll with each other and Han twists Dolman’s arm behind him on the mat for a nice submission win.
10/23/1993
Vs Masayuki Naruse
Han starts off with an attempt at a sweeping front-kick that Naruse avoids. Han does land some kicks before grabbing a wristlock and rag-dolling Naruse around the ring. Naruse gets to his feet and throws a flurry of punches and knees but Han grabs him and gives him and slams him to the mat. Naruse gets a rear naked choke but Han stands up with him and falls backward. Han starts playing with Naruse’s legs, in particular his knee, and Naruse uses a rope escape. They’re standing and Naruse does some strikes but Han gets his arm and works him to the mat. Han does a knee to the head. They’re tied up and Naruse grabs Han’s ankle and holds on for a submission attempt stopped by a rope break. Han gets a cross armbreaker and Naruse uses another rope escape. They get to their feet and Naruse knocks Han down with punches. Han gets up and Naruse takes him to the mat and goes after the arm. Han blocks the cross arnbreaker attempt and Naruse goes into mount. Han gets out and the referee stands them up. Naruse throws a kick and Han slaps him in the face and goes for a kimura but Naruse rolls out of it. Han grabs Naruse’s ankle but Naruse gets out. Han slams Naruse to the mat and gets another cross armbreaker, forcing Naruse to use another rope escape. They’re on the mat and Han gets the ankle but Naruse goes after Han’s ankle. Naruse tries to climb toward the ropes and then rolls Han over and gets a rope escape. They’re up and Naruse is limping. He goes for a punch but Han hits him with a knee and takes him down into a cross armbreaker for the submission win. Naruse looked like a tough young star here and I believe it was his biggest match to date so Han seems to be in star-making mode. And they had a very real looking match which I would assume is connected to the onset of Pancrase in Japan. This is about three weeks before the first UFC show.
11/18/1993
Vs Nikolai Zouev
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHdgImyjvGA
Oh, those Russians. The fellow countrymen start off on their feet with strike attempts. Zouev shoots on Han who grabs the arm but Zouev flips and lands on the mat. Han manipulates his way into tying up Zouev’s legs. Zouev gets out and grabs a cross armbreaker forcing Han to take the first rope escape of the match for once. Zouev tries a spinning backfist and gets a single leg takedown in the corner but they are in the ropes and get stood up. Zouev throws a kick and Han response with a knee and some punches. Zouev misses a spin-kick but hits some knees and gets a single leg. Han controls the mat work and twists Zouev’s arm around, causing Zouev to use a rope escape. They’re standing and Zouev tries a head-kick. They kick away at each other and Zouev throws punches and then takes Han down and grabs his ankle, leading Han to a rope escape. Zouev gets Han’s head. Han flips him to the mat but Zouev hangs on and Han uses another rope escape. Zouev throws a kick and a punch and does a fireman’s carry to the mat. Zouev goes for an arm but Han blocks him. Zouev gets Han’s back and goes for the ankle and they both have one. Han wins out and Zouev tries to climb to the ropes. He doesn’t do it but manages to grab Han’s head. Han flips over into a cross armbreaker for a rope escape. Zouev throws some kicks but Han grabs the wrist and flings Zouev to the mat. Han tries for the armbreaker but Zouev survives. Han has him in a crucifix and then goes for the ankle but Zouev manages to get Han’s ankle, forcing him to use a rope escape. Han then does his flying body-scissors and grabs Zouev’s ankle for a rope escape. Zouev blocks a kick and takes a front facelock and throws a knee which seems like it might be illegal (sorry, newbie here). Han throws a strike but Zouev takes his arm and they’re on the mat for another rope escape. Zouev does a spin-kick and they trade strikes. Han gets a kimura and takes Zouev down for a rope escape. Han then starts with a head-kick and some heavy knees and punches. He takes Zouev down but Zouev rolls into a modified Fujiwara armbar. There was great psychology here, with both guys seeming intent on using up their opponent’s rope escapes. It seemed like it would end that way and then Zouev grabs the submission in this chess match.
12/8/1993
Vs Pavel Orlov
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsH8HqAfxDQ
It is two years and one day since Han’s first professional wrestling match. The clip starts off with an interview in Russian, in which he presumably talks of the glory days of the union. Han has a fun entrance with some striking techno beat music. Han kicks Orlov right in the gut to start and takes him down with a wrist-lock and then kind of hugs him while twisting his arm. Han switches to legs but Orlov rolls out and gets the arm before Han stands them up. Orlov throws leg-kicks and knees and grabs Han but gets taken down. Han ties up the leg and gets a rear choke for a rope escape. Orlov throws some kicks but Han counters with punches and does a muay thai clinch for some knees. Orlov takes him down and ties up his legs for an ankle-lock, making Han use a rope escape. Orlov goes for punches but Han grabs him before getting thrown to the mat where Orlov crucifixes him briefly. Han is on top but Orlov grabs his leg and gets an ankle-lock. Han then does a figure-four type hold with Orlov rolling out. They both grab ankles but Han wins out and Orlov struggles to get to the ropes before getting a rope escape. They are standing and trade slaps. Han hits punches and knees and gets a down on Orlov. Han does a spinning backfist and some kicks then grabs Orlov’s arm and tries an armbreaker until Orlov gets a rope escape. Orlov hits some knees and goes after the arms and Han uses a rope escape. Orlov grabs Han’s leg and they’re on the mat battling for ankles. Orlov wins out this time and Han rolls into a rope break. They stand and Orlov tries for Han’s leg but ends up in a choke briefly. He gets a leg-lock and Han uses another rope escape. The referee makes Orlov go to his corner due to bleeding and he gets fixed up quickly. Han tries to remedy that with slaps to the face and then cranks back on a single leg crab before Orlov uses a rope escape. Orlov goes for the single leg but Han rolls him up and grabs the ankle while Orlov does the same. Han goes after the arm and is trying for an armbreaker but Orlov gets the rope escape. Orlov then throws some punches and grabs the legs but Han takes him down and powers into the cross armbreaker for the submission.
