Massive surprise in Varna, Bulgaria as 19-year-old local hero Zhulien Rikov surprises friend and foe alike by winning the -75 kg SENSHI Grand Prix. Coming in as a massive underdog against seasoned veteran Christian Baya, Rikov showed tremendous heart as he relentlessly threw knees even when forced against the ropes.
Charged forward by a home crowd Rikov edged the decision after pushing the action till the very last second.
SENSHI -75 KG Grand Prix
The entire event was built around the Grand Prix. Christian Baya stormed through the quarterfinals, scoring two knockdowns inside two minutes against Spain’s Jorge Davila. In the semifinals he faced another Spaniard, Jordi Requejo. This time it took even less. After just three calf kicks, Requejo’s already compromised leg gave out, allowing Baya to finish the job and book his place in the final with minimal ring time.
Rikov, however, did not have such an easy road to the final. The imposing prospect got through to the semi’s in a hard fought a razor close decision over the Brazilian Carlos Barbosa. In the semi’s the Bulgarian met with Constantin Rusu, one of the favourites coming in.
After three very evenly matched rounds, a final fourth round had to decide the final. Which was just as close as the rest of the fight, but the young warrior did just enough to get the upset over the veteran.
Considering the seven hard rounds Rikov had already fought, compared to Baya’s minimal ring time, the victory becomes even more impressive. The Grand Prix title is a significant breakthrough for the young Bulgarian, firmly establishing him as a legitimate contender in the welterweight division.
Constantin Rusu Claims Third Place
As is tradition at SENSHI, the tournament also featured a third-place bout. With Jordi Requejo unable to continue due to calf damage, reserve Aibek Amanov stepped in and claimed his place in the B-final by beating fellow reserve Fernando Tigre.
Just twenty minutes later, however, Amanov had to face Constantin Rusu. The quick turnaround took its toll, and Rusu capitalized as the Kazakh faded, finishing his night with a hard-earned win.
Master Class from Samo Petje
Slovenian technician Samo Petje dismantled Japan’s Hirokatsu Miyagi with clinical precision. With two knock downs in the second round, Miyagi only barely made it to the scorecards. Francesko Xhaja, meanwhile, edged out Giannis Stoforidis in a punishing battle of calf kicks, gradually breaking down the Greek’s base to secure the victory.
