Bellator is asking fans for their thoughts and prayers as Bulgarian heavyweight Blagoi Ivanov reportedly clings to life.
Over the weekend, multiple reports stated the Bellator veteran was attacked by a group of men at a bar in Sofia, Bulgaria, and remains in critical condition after being stabbed in the chest.
"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 in a statement released today to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Ivanov (6-0 MMA, 2-0 BFC), a world champion in the Russian hand-to-hand fighting art sambo, made his Bellator debut this past March and immediately announced his presence with a first-round TKO victory over William Penn. He then earned the right to compete in the promotion's season-five tournament and advanced to the semifinals after a second-round submission victory over "The Ultimate Fighter 10" veteran Zak Jensen.
However, Ivanov would withdraw from the competition when he injured himself training for a bout with Thiago Santos at Bellator 56 this past October. He returned two months later to TKO former UFC champ Ricco Rodriguez at an MMA event in Moscow.
A report from "Sofia News Agency" said that surgeons saved Ivanov after he was brought to an area hospital, but the fighter is on artificial life support.
Police are investigating the incident, which took place in the early hours of Sunday. Witnesses said a group of eight men armed with bats and knives attacked Ivanov and a group of friends in the bar. The report said another person was shot in the leg in the same bar earlier this month.
Ivanov rose to prominence in 2008 when he handed former PRIDE champ Fedor Emelianenko his first loss in combat sambo in eight years.
Source: Blagoi Ivanov stabbed, Bellator asks for 'thoughts and prayers'