Breaking: Heavyweight clash between Blagoy Ivanov and Alexandr Romanov set for UFC event on July 1
The big fights keep rolling as the UFC has yet again announced another matchup that some fans will undoubtedly be eagerly anticipating. Looking to cut his bad run of performances short, Alexandr Romanov welcomes the dangerous Sambo phenom Blagoy Ivanov into the octagon.
The then-undefeated Moldovan was being touted as an imminent title threat for heavyweight gold up until suffering back-to-back losses in his most recent showings in the cage. After losing a decision to Marcin Tybura, the powerhouse was dominated by Alexander Volkov who scored a first-round TKO finish.
As announced on social media earlier today, Alexandr Romanov will meet Blagoy Ivanov on July 1 as both men look to keep their spot in the top 15 as the pair are at risk of falling out of the rankings.
Alexandr Romanov will fight Blagoy Ivanov at #UFCVegas76 on July 1st. (first rep. @MMAJunkie) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 https://t.co/2v4o5ZCMiP
The Bulgarian has just one win in his last four outings and desperately needs to get his hand raised next time out to prolong his time with the UFC. The 36-year-old has enjoyed his fair share of ups and downs throughout his time in the sport but the gritty competitor has only ever been stopped once in his 25-fight career.
His opponent, Alexandr Romanov has a knack of pressuring fighters until he either finds a TKO or submission victory, but that will be a difficult ask against the veteran. One major area where the rising star is considered to be lacking is his cardio, which could play a huge factor in the outcome of the heavy-hitting clash.
Alexandr Romanov vs. Blagoy Ivanov and other UFC fights on July 1
Alexandr Romanov vs. Blagoy Ivanov is the latest fight to be added to an event at the UFC Apex on July 1 that already has 10 confirmed bouts.
The card will be headlined by the controversial Sean Strickland who sensationally takes on unranked Abus Magomedov. The German is hoping to force his way into the middleweight rankings while his counterpart is aiming to earn a title shot with a win.
Two men will be returning to the octagon for different reasons during the event next month. After a short stint away from the promotion, Kevin Lee finds himself back and matched up against incredibly tough Russian Rinat Fakhretdinov, while Damir Ismagulov cuts his retirement short to fulfill his contract with the UFC.