Bulgarian MMA fighter Blagoi Ivanov who was stabbed nearly fatally on February 7 has declared that he is determined to return to the fighting ring and score more victories.

Ivanov gave a brief conference at Sofia's Pirogov hospital on Saturday, his first media appearance since he was stabbed in a Sofia night club. He is expected to leave the hospital next week.

Physicians say that Ivanov would recover in six months to a year.

The MMA fighter has been able to talk for a week now.

On Sunday, February 7, Ivanov and two of his friends had just occupied their places in a bar on Graf Ignatiev Str., in downtown Sofia, when a group of 8 persons armed with bats and knives allegedly 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.

The main suspect in the stabbing - 23-year-old D.S. known as Dampela, is kept under permanent detention.