Fighter Arthur Minev, who has Bulgarian roots, is set to make his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tomorrow. He will face Tomi Grant in a lightweight bout in Las Vegas. Minev, who competes under the flags of both Ukraine and Bulgaria, has a perfect record of seven wins (four by knockout and two by submission) in seven fights.

Minev gained recognition in the Fury FC circuit, where he secured four victories. He accepted the opportunity to fight in the UFC with short notice. Originally, Tomi Grant was scheduled to fight Trey Gooden, who was sidelined due to an injury. Grant, who trains under Daniel Cormier, secured his contract after a strong performance in the Contender Series.

Minev has established himself as a fighter in Europe. He trained at the renowned UFD Gym in Düsseldorf, where he was mentored by the former national boxer Spas Genov and fellow Bulgarian Atanas Tangalov. In recent years, he has relocated to the United States, basing himself in Las Vegas. His sparring partners include Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling. He has also trained at other renowned MMA gyms such as Jackson Wink and American Top Team.

“My parents lived in Plovdiv. They decided to move to Odessa, Ukraine, because we had many relatives there, Bessarabian Bulgarians. I was born there – Arthur Minev told Sport Jungle. – My parents now live in Sofia. After the fight, I would like to see them and spend time with them.”

Minev will be presented as a Ukrainian fighter due to his passport, but he plans to obtain Bulgarian citizenship when he returns to Bulgaria.

“I wanted to go out with the Bulgarian flag, but the UFC doesn’t allow it – added the fighter. – I would like to represent both countries because I love Bulgaria. I was there for the 2021 world amateur MMA championships in Sofia, where I won a bronze medal. That’s when I got to know many Bulgarian boys from the national team.”

“On Monday, they called me. My manager said I had a chance to fight in the UFC. I replied that I’m ready to fight anyone – the undefeated fighter continued. – I know my opponent. He’s a good wrestler. We are Bulgarians and we can wrestle. I’m ready for everything – striking and grappling. I know my skills. I’ll show everything in the cage. I train with the best MMA fighters, who are fighters in the UFC,” Minev shared with Sport Jungle.

Source: jungle.bg