Blagoy Ivanov
Back in 2012, current UFC heavyweight fighter Blagoy Ivanov was still building his reputation as an up-and-coming force in the Bellator promotion with a 7-0-1 career record, while also having the claim to fame of having a 2008 Sambo Championships win over Fedor Emelianenko.
During February of that year Ivanov went on a night out in his native Bulgaria to celebrate with some friends who had just won a boxing tournament.
However, a fight broke out between his group and another while in a club, and as he attempted to break it up, Ivanov was stabbed below the sternum, penetrating his heart.
Ivanov began bleeding prefusely and would lose consciousness while being rushed to hospital, where he would undergo five surgeries and spend a total of 86 days in a medically induced coma.
“The doctors told me only one in a million survive the kind of injury I had,” Blagoy told The Daily Star years later.
But Ivanov would eventually go on to make a remarkable recovery, returning to fighting the following year and going on to win 10 of his next 12 fights.
