Blagoi Ivanov
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Blagoy Ivanov Благой Иванов |
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|---|---|
| Born | Blagoy Aleksandrov Ivanov October 9, 1986 Sandanski, Bulgaria |
| Native name | Благой Иванов |
| Other names | Bagata |
| Residence | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Nationality | Bulgarian |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 114 kg (251 lb; 18.0 st) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 73 in (185 cm) |
| Style | Combat Sambo, Judo, Boxing, Kickboxing |
| Team | Combat Sambo - Bulgaria |
| Rank |
International Master of Sports in Sambo Black Belt in Judo |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 16 |
| Wins | 14 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By submission | 6 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Combat Sambo | ||
| Representing Bulgaria | ||
| World Sambo Championships | ||
 |
2006 Sofia | 100 kg |
 |
2008 St. Petersburg | +100 kg |
Blagoy Ivanov (Bulgarian: Благой Иванов; born October 9, 1986) is a Bulgarian Sambo practitioner who won the 2008 Combat Sambo World Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Blagoy has also competed in Judo as a heavyweight national representative for Bulgaria. He competed in the 2003 Balkan Junior Championships and placed first. He then continued in competition up to the European Championships level but only placed 7th in the 2007 U23 Tournament, and did not make an attempt to represent Bulgaria in the 2008 Olympic games. Subsequently it seems that Ivanov has chosen to enter a career in mixed martial arts as opposed to representing Bulgaria in the 2012 Olympic Games. According to the global-mma.com rankings, he is the #2 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world (outside of the UFC).
He notably defeated four-time World Combat Sambo Champion and mixed-martial arts fighter Fedor Emelianenko in the semi-finals of the 2008 World Sambo Championships on November 16, 2008. (He went on to win the finals over Germany's Janosch Stefan the following day.) Ivanov previously faced Emelianenko in February 2008 at Russia’s Presidents Cup Sambo competition, losing the match to Emelianenko.
Ivanov started a career in mixed martial arts in his home country (2 wins and 1 NC) before going to World Victory Road, where he signed a three fight deal. His first fight took place at Sengoku 9 where he defeated Pride FC veteran, Kazuyuki Fujita by split decision, breaking both hands in the process.
Ivanov was set next to face Fedor's brother, Aleksander Emelianenko, but that fight and eventually the entire event on which the fight should have occurred was canceled because Blagoy had broken both his hands in the fight against Fujita and was not able to heal and prepare properly for his fight with Aleksander.
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