Bulgarian MMA fighter Blagoi Ivanov, who was stabbed early Sunday morning in a pub brawl in Sofia, is still fighting for his life, announced doctors.

Ivanov has sustained a deep knife wound in his chest that reached to his heard and is currently under artificial respiration at the intensive care unit of Pirogov Hospital in Sofia.

Surgeons have carried out a life-saving operation on their patient, but say his life is still under a real threat.

Sunday night Ivanov and two of his friends had just occupied their places in a bar on Graf Ignatiev Str., when a group of 8 persons armed with bats and knives came in and attacked them.

At 5.10 am police came in to find the attackers escaped and Ivanov with a deep stab wound under his armpit.

Ivanov's two companions have suffered only light wounds and bruises and have been discharged by the hospital.

Police are still investigating the bloody incident and have examined CCTV records of the pub in which it took place.

Many of the witnesses of the brawl were inebriated at the time, which has made the work of police harder.

Some weeks ago, a person was shot in the leg in front of the very same bar on Graf Ignatiev Str. in downtown Sofia.

Blagoi Ivanov, aka Bagata, is known in Bulgaria for organizing and participating in so-called "free fights," in which the audience bet on the outcome. He has also made fame dating notorious "playmates."

On his record, he has the gold medal in the 2008 World Sambo Championships and the bronze in the 2006 world contest.

In March 2011, he signed a contract with Bellator Fighting Championship to take part in the mixed martial arts heavyweight division.

In Bellator MMA fights, Blagoi Ivanov has never lost a match, having won 6 of his 7 games this far, and tied one.

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