Bellator Fighting Championships heavyweight Blagoi Ivanov was "gravely" wounded Sunday by a knife-wielding assailant, according to a report.
Eight people wielding bats and knives attacked Ivanov and two of his friends at a bar in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, reports Novinite.com, an English-language news service in Bulgaria:
At 5.10 am police came in to find the attackers escaped and Ivanov with a deep stab wound under his armpit that reached to his heart.
The 25-year-old is currently treated in the Pirogov Hospital, his life is gravely endangered. (I've read he's on life support on other reports. -RJ)
"Right now, we do not have all of the details, but our thoughts and prayers are with Blagoi and his family," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said Sunday.
Ivanov joined Bellator last year and went 2-0 for the U.S. promotion, including a victory last fall in the first round of its heavyweight tournament. He withdrew because of an injury, but returned to action on Dec. 24 to record a victory at an event in Russia against Ricco Rodriguez, a former titleholder in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Before signing with Bellator, Ivanov went 3-0-1 as a pro fighter, including a win against Pride Fighting Championships veteran Kazuyuki Fujita in a bout for World Victory Road's Sengoku brand.
Ivanov first rose to prominence in combat sambo. He won a bronze medal in the sport's 2006 world championship and recorded his most notable victory two years later, when he upset the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, a four-time titlist in combat sambo and one of the most successful heavyweights in MMA.
Eight people wielding bats and knives attacked Ivanov and two of his friends at a bar in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, reports Novinite.com, an English-language news service in Bulgaria:
At 5.10 am police came in to find the attackers escaped and Ivanov with a deep stab wound under his armpit that reached to his heart.
The 25-year-old is currently treated in the Pirogov Hospital, his life is gravely endangered. (I've read he's on life support on other reports. -RJ)
"Right now, we do not have all of the details, but our thoughts and prayers are with Blagoi and his family," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said Sunday.
Ivanov joined Bellator last year and went 2-0 for the U.S. promotion, including a victory last fall in the first round of its heavyweight tournament. He withdrew because of an injury, but returned to action on Dec. 24 to record a victory at an event in Russia against Ricco Rodriguez, a former titleholder in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Before signing with Bellator, Ivanov went 3-0-1 as a pro fighter, including a win against Pride Fighting Championships veteran Kazuyuki Fujita in a bout for World Victory Road's Sengoku brand.
Ivanov first rose to prominence in combat sambo. He won a bronze medal in the sport's 2006 world championship and recorded his most notable victory two years later, when he upset the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, a four-time titlist in combat sambo and one of the most successful heavyweights in MMA.
