Heavyweight action is headed to Brazil as Blagoy Ivanov and Augusto Sakai are set to clash at Bellator 250, per a new report.
Blagoy Ivanov, the former WSOF champ and Bellator contender, will look to bounce back from a loss to Derrick Lewis when he heads to Brazil later this year. Combate was first to report that Ivanov will take on another ex-Bellator alum, Augusto Sakai, at UFC 250.
Ivanov (18-3, 1NC) went the distance with Lewis at UFC 244 back in November. The fight ended in a split decision. Prior to that, the Bulgarian had picked up two straight wins, over Ben Rothwell and Tai Tuivasa. Overall, he’s 2-2 in the octagon, including his debut loss to Junior dos Santos.
From 2015 to 2017, Ivanov reigned as the World Series of Fighting heavyweight champion (later the PFL), winning the belt against Smealinho Rama at WSOF 21, and defending it four times. In that span, Ivanov picked up wins over former UFC talents Shawn Jordan and Josh Copeland.
Sakai (14-1-1) has not lost since a split decision defeat against Cheick Kongo in 2017 at Bellator 179. He has won five straight, including his Contender Series appearance and three straight UFC bouts. Most recently, he knocked out Marcin Tybura at UFC Vancouver in September.
UFC 250 takes place May 9, 2020 at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
