The heavyweight division just got even more interesting thanks to Blagoy Ivanov.
Last week, Ryan Thomas reported that Ivanov was offered a UFC contract, but was rehabbing a torn meniscus. He noted that the earliest Ivanov will be ready to go is in June. Ariel Helwani followed up the report by confirming with sources that Ivanov has signed with the world leader in mixed martial arts. “Bagata” is expected to make his UFC debut sometime this summer.
Peep Helwani’s confirmation below:
Former WSOF heavyweight champion Blagoi Ivanov has signed with the UFC, sources confirm. His Octagon debut is expected to take place in the summer. He recently parted ways amicably with PFL.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 26, 2018
During his time under the World Series of Fighting banner, it was clear that Ivanov was ahead of the pack. “Bagata” earned WSOF heavyweight gold back in June 2015. He submitted Smealinho Rama in the third round. Ivanov went on to successfully defend his title four times. This includes his title defense under WSOF’s rebranded name, Professional Fighters League.
Ivanov is riding a five-fight winning streak. In that span he’s defeated Rama, Derrick Mehmen, Josh Copeland, Shawn Jordan, and Caio Alencar. He was able to stop Rama, Mehmen, and Jordan.
A spot on the UFC roster is a long time coming for Ivanov. He made his professional MMA debut back in Oct. 2007. Ivanov was able to land on the Bellator roster back in March 2011. He earned a record of 6-1 under the promotion. His only loss was to Alexander Volkov, who is currently the third ranked UFC heavyweight.
To this point, Ivanov has garnered a professional MMA record of 16-1, 1 NC. He hasn’t lost since May 2014. At the age of 31, Ivanov is young in comparison to the average UFC heavyweight. Having proven he can hang with fighters under two noteworthy promotions, it’ll be interesting to see if Ivanov’s success translates well in the UFC. With six knockouts and six submissions, it’s hard not to imagine exciting bouts from the Bulgarian.
How do you think Blagoy Ivanov will fare in the UFC?
