Kazushi Sakuraba
Smirnovas faced Pride FC veteran Kazushi Sakuraba on August 5, 2006 at "K-1 Hero's 6" in the quarterfinal of Hero's 2006 light heavyweight grand prix. Despite dominating the beginning of the contest, almost knocking Sakuraba out with a long sequence of ground-and-pound, Smirnovas lost via submission due to an armbar still in the first round.