SENSHI has finalized the fight card for SENSHI 31 Gladiators, an event centered around a one-night, eight-man Grand Prix tournament in the 70 kg weight class. The spectacular event will take place at the historic Ancient Theatre of Plovdiv in Bulgaria on May 30th, and will also include additional bouts.
The tournament format is straightforward yet intensely demanding. Eight lightweight fighters will compete, with the ultimate winner needing to triumph through three rounds of competition in a single evening to claim the SENSHI Grand Prix title at 70 kg. This marks SENSHI’s inaugural Grand Prix in this particular weight division.
SENSHI 31 Gladiators Set for Ancient Theatre of Plovdiv on May 30
The quarterfinal matchups for the tournament are as follows: Angelo Volpe from Italy will face Samo Petje of Slovenia, Aissam Chadid from Morocco will compete against Bruno Gazani of Brazil, Hirokatsu Miyagi of Japan is scheduled to fight Dragomir Petrov of Bulgaria, and Zehao Zhang from China will go head-to-head with Marian Lapusneanu of Romania. Two reserve bouts are also part of the lineup: Maxence Vignais of France will meet Wiktor Kolaja of Poland, and Mihail Velchovski of Bulgaria will face Andres Casado of Spain.
Following the opening quarterfinal bouts, the tournament will proceed to the semifinals, a third-place playoff, and finally, the championship bout. This structure ensures that the lightweight tournament will dictate the flow and excitement of the entire evening, providing viewers with a compelling tournament rhythm rather than a typical standalone fight card.
In addition to the Grand Prix, SENSHI 31 will feature three exciting superfights. Bart Horvath from England is slated to face Bulgaria’s Atanas Bozhilov in a 75 kg contest. The heavyweight division will see Mantas Rimdeika of Lithuania compete against Thomas Bridgewater of the Netherlands, and Daniel Dinev of Bulgaria will face the experienced Romanian veteran Benjamin Adegbuyi in a bout at 95+ kg. SENSHI has also highlighted Bozhilov, Dragomir Petrov, and reserve fighter Mihail Velchovski as key members of the Bulgarian contingent preparing for the event.
The venue itself adds a significant layer of historical prestige to the event. The Ancient Theatre of Plovdiv, also known as the Roman Theatre of Philippopolis, dates back to the 1st century AD. It is remarkably well-preserved and still actively used today, recognized as one of the finest examples of Roman theatre architecture globally. Historical records indicate that this venue hosted public spectacles in antiquity, including gladiatorial contests, making the SENSHI 31 branding a fitting tribute to its past. It’s worth noting that SENSHI 26 was also previously held at this same iconic location.
In the lead-up to the event, SENSHI organized an invitational training camp in Varna, led by renowned coaches Albert Kraus and Andy Souwer. This camp brought together 26 professional fighters from 16 different countries, with several participants directly linked to the fight card for May 30th.
Translated Fight Card:
- Grand Prix Lightweight: Angelo Volpe (Italy) vs. Samo Petje (Slovenia)
- Grand Prix Lightweight: Aissam Chadid (Morocco) vs. Bruno Gazani (Brazil)
- Grand Prix Lightweight Reserve Bout: Maxence Vignais (France) vs. Wiktor Kolaja (Poland)
- Grand Prix Lightweight Reserve Bout: Mihail Velchovski (Bulgaria) vs. Andres Casado (Spain)
- Grand Prix Lightweight: Hirokatsu Miyagi (Japan) vs. Dragomir Petrov (Bulgaria)
- Grand Prix Lightweight: Zehao Zhang (China) vs. Marian Lapusneanu (Romania)
- Superfight -75 kg: Bart Horvath (England) vs. Atanas Bozhilov (Bulgaria)
- Grand Prix Lightweight Semifinal 1
- Grand Prix Lightweight Semifinal 2
- Superfight 95+ kg: Mantas Rimdeika (Lithuania) vs. Thomas Bridgewater (Netherlands)
- Grand Prix Lightweight Bout for 3rd Place
- Superfight 95+ kg: Daniel Dinev (Bulgaria) vs. Benjamin Adegbuyi (Romania)
- Grand Prix Lightweight Final
