On 10.02.2024 was held BULMMAF National Championship at Blagoevgrad Bulgaria. On this competition we participated with seven athletes. As a coach I am tired, sleep-deprived, hoarse and happy from the performance of the team at the first Nationals in which we participated as an independent team:
Emil Enchev juniors Flyweight -57 kg
Blagovest Georgiev men Lightweight -70.3 kg
Geo-Angel Gatev medalist youth Featherweight -65.8 kg
Iliyan Ivanov medalist youth Featherweight -65.8 kg
Stoyan Andonov vice-champion men Bantamweight -61.2 kg
Petar Pavlov vice-champion men Welterweight -77.1 kg
Nikola Ivanov champion men Light Heavyweight -93 kg
Juniors Flyweight -57 kg
Hristo Evtimov (MMA Haskovo) VS Emil Enchev (Bully Team) – Guillotine
Men Lightweight -70.3 kg
Blagovest enetered the competition with an injured rib, won his first match
Blagovest Georgiev (Bully Team) VS Evgeni Tonev (Archangel) – Decision
But was unable to continue the competition due to the injury.
Youth Featherweight -65.8 kg
In this category we have two athletes:
Geo-Angel Gatev won his first match with a first round TKO
Martin Dimitrov (Atila) VS Geo-Angel Gatev (Bully Team) – TKO
His next fight was against a national team member and world vice-champion Svetoslav Ivanov
Svetoslav Ivanov (MMA Varna) VS Geo-Angel Gatev (Bully Team) – Decision
We think Geo-Angel won that fight, but despite the decision are very happy by his performance on this competition.
His teammate Iliyan Ivanov also entered the tournament with an aggressive TKO:
Kaloyan Dimitrov (Ipon-Zenit) VS Iliyan Ivanov (Bully Team) – TKO
His next fight was against Petar Nedkov – also a national team member and one of the best in Bulgaria Petar Nedkov
Iliyan Ivanov (Bully Team) VS Petar Nedkov (MMA Dzhambazov) – TKO
Geo-Angel and Iliyan completed this tournament as medalists in Youth Featherweight -65.8 kg.
Men Bantamweight -61.2 kg
Stoyan Andonov met on the final another national team member, and arguably the best amateur in Bulgaria and European medalist Plamen Dimitrov:
Final Stoyan Andonov (Bully Team) VS Plamen Dimitrov (Atila) – TKO
Stoyan completed this tournament as vice-champion in Men Bantamweight -61.2 kg
Men Welterweight -77.1 kg
Petar Pavlov completed this tournament as vice-champion in Men Welterweight -77.1 kg
Men Light Heavyweight -93 kg
Nikola entered the tournament with a decision victory:
Nikola Ivanov (Bully Team) VS Yoan Simeonov (Atila) – Decision
And won the final with a crafty Arm-Triangle
Final Nikola Ivanov (Bully Team) VS Nikolay Binkov (Spartak) – Arm Triangle
With that performance Nikola completed this tournament as champion in Men Light Heavyweight -93 kg and qualified for the IMMAF European Championship 29.03-06.04.2024 in Belgrade, Serbia.
I consider the team’s performance to be successful at this stage of development. Many of our competitors, being debutants on nationals, reached matches with members of the national team and performed decently and made an impression with good MMA.
Thanks to our Sambo/ Combat Sambo coach Ivaylo Lumbev, who gave us his car to reach the competition.
Thanks to Geo-Angel’s family, for the help with the accommodation and with the troubles with the car that gave us up on the way.
Thanks to coach Ivan Milchev and Ipon Blagoevgrad for the wonderful conditions for holding the competition. I’m glad we were able to see each other even for a little while in the hustle of the competition.
Thanks to the BFMMA team for handling the administrative part of the competition, and for the smooth organization during its course with a record number of participants (around 260). For the first time at an amateur competition at national level, I see doping control, which is another step in the right direction for the development of the MMA sport.
I thank Nikola Pehlivanov for his help during the competition and for stoically bearing, as an assistant coach, the additional dose of seizure and stress that I caused him.
I thank God for the emotional meeting with Father Andon Shavulev. Who hasn’t heard of him: the legendary “boxer in a cassock” is the coach of my kickboxing coach Marin Chongov. For me it was a landmark meeting with my coach’s coach as I coach my MMA competitors. I am aware of the responsibility and hope to continue this line of good mentoring work with my competitors, both those who taught me and those before me.
Thanks for another catch up with fellow coaches and competition friends.
Thanks to the head of the grill in Kresna, who was decently drunk: In the middle of the night, he sang us a Macedonian fight song, told us about the Kresnensko-Razlozhko Revolt, and finally give to everyone in the team an energy drink by choice for the drive back home to Sofia. His mentoring advice about MMA and any kind of fighting I will try to forget as quickly as possible.
Bully Team champions record their achievements at Bully Team’s Wall of Fame.
More pictures and videos at t.me/MMACoaching
follow us at:
www.fcbullyteam.com
Мрежата/ BullyTeam
Instagram/FC_Bully_Team
VK.com/FCBullyTeam
My Next Match/club/FCBT
