Bellator HW and World Sambo Champion Blagoi Ivanov stabbed

Apparently it reached his heart and he is in critical condition. Hope he pulls through. Ivanov is a promising young prospect, and he beat Fedor in Sambo at only 22 or 23 years old.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=137004

Crime
Bellator Fighter, Sambo Champion Gravely Stabbed in Mass Fight in Sofia
Crime | February 26, 2012, Sunday| 331 views

Photo by Bellator Bulgarian sambo world champion and Bellator fighter Blagoi Ivanov has been stabbed and his life is in danger following a fight in a bar in downtown Sofia early Sunday morning.

Ivanov and two of his friends had just occupied their places in the bar on Graf Ignatiev Str., when a group of 8 persons armed with bats and knives came in and attacked them.

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.

Ivanov's two companions have suffered only light wounds and bruises and have been discharged by the hospital.

Blagoi Ivanov, aka Bagata, is known in Bulgaria for organizing and participating in so-called "free fights", in which persons fight according to certain rules, and others bet on the outcome.

On his record, he has the gold medal in the 2008 World Sambo Championships and the bronze in the 2006 world contest.

In March 2011, he signed a contract with Bellator Fighting Championship to take part in the US heavyweight division.

Expect details.

sad

That really sucks, he was looking good in Bellator.

Crazy Ruskies.

Good News of the Day: Blagoi Ivanov Recovered from Coma, Released from Hospital










Earlier this year, the future of undefeated Bellator heavyweight
prospect Blagoi Ivanov appeared uncertain for the most unfortunate of
reasons. However, Sherdog.com is
reporting that Ivanov has made a “miraculous recovery” over the past
ten days, and has been released from Pirogov Hospital in Sofia,
Bulgaria. Ivanov will still require treatment, but is determined to eventually fight again.

In February, Blagoi Ivanov was attending the after party of a boxing
tournament when a fight broke out. Ivanov attempted to break up the
fight when he and two of his friends were attacked by eight men carrying guns and knives. While his friends only suffered minor injuries, Ivanov was stabbed in the armpit, with the blade piercing his heart.

While surgery immediately following the stabbing was successful, Ivanov was placed in a medically-induced coma and
remained on life support six weeks after the stabbing. At the time,
his physicians did not comment on whether or not they expected him to
fully recover from the attack.

Blagoi Ivanov’s 23-year-old assailant is being held indefinitely on
charges of attempted murder. His defense team is claiming
self-defense, but Ivanov’s friends insist that the attack was
unprovoked.

Blagoi Ivanov first appeared on our radar in 2008, when he defeated
the seemingly-indestructible (at the time) Fedor Emelianenko in a Sambo
match on points (8-5) in the semi-finals of the World Combat Sambo
Championships. Ivanov would go on to win the gold medal, and eventually
transition to MMA. He racked up a 3-0 record (1 NC) before being signed
by Bellator, where he would knock out William Penn in just over two and a
half minutes at Bellator 38 and choke out TUF 10 alum Zak Jensen at Bellator 52. His most recent fight was a third round TKO over former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez on Christmas Eve, 2011 in Chekhov, Russia.

Doctors expect his recovery to take six months to a year. We’ll keep you up to date on his recovery.