Ivanov out to Blag his shot

BLAGOY IVANOV nearly died after being stabbed six years ago – now he has the UFC heavyweight title in his sights.

Bulgarian Ivanov (below) makes his company debut against former champion Junior dos Santos at Fight Night 133 in Idaho in the early hours of Sunday.

He’s hoping it will be a stepping stone towards a tilt at the belt now held by Daniel Cormier, who relieved Stipe Miocic of it on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

It’s all a million miles away from the situation Ivanov was in back in 2012 after being stabbed in the armpit while trying to stop a nightclub brawl.

The blade penetrated his heart and he needed six hours of lifesaving surgery before his condition stabilised on an artificial respirator.

He then spent 85 days in a medically-induced coma.

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immediately driven to come back to the ring. It’s always been my will.” Seven months after the attack, he returned to the octagon and claimed a Bellator win over Manny Lara in September 2013. He followed that up with three successive, confidence-boosting wins, including lifting the WSOF title against Smealinho Rama in June

2015.

Ivanov was snapped up by the UFC in April and clearly has the ability to move right through the ranks and become a title contender.

He goes into the Dos Santos contest on the back of five straight wins but will need to be at his best against the Brazilian

(18-5-0). The

34-year-old Dos Santos is ranked

No.7 and in his most recent fight lost a title bid against then champ Miocic in the first round.

The bookmakers have no doubt about the outcome, making Dos Santos a clear odds-on favourite.

He said: “The doctors told me only one in a million survive the kind of injury I had.” But survive he did – and he then began the long road back to full health and, unbelievably, a return to mixed martial arts. The 31-year-old (16-1-1) added: “I was