Sergey Bilostenniy vs Blagoy Ivanov Prediction: Bout of Two Debutants

The PFL 1 Season 2024 event will be held in San Antonio, USA, on April 5th. One of the fights will feature Russian fighter Sergey Bilostenniy against former UFC fighter Blagoy Ivanov in the heavyweight category.

Bilostenny has defeated all his opponents in the Russian leagues except for Mukhomad Vakhaev, whom he lost twice. Last year, Bilostenny debuted in Bellator and faced the fifth-ranked fighter, Tyrell Fortune. From the very beginning, Fortune sought a takedown and moved Sergey, but he was beaten up with elbows and knocked out. However, the victory was awarded to Fortune due to blows to the back of the head, as determined by the judges. Bilostenny executed a beautiful spinning kick in his next fight, finishing Kasim Aras with force. With an impressive technique and arsenal, Sergey is skilled in fighting on his feet. However, there are still gaps in his game.

Blagoy Ivanov will make his PFL debut as a substitute for Bruno Cappelozza. Ivanov is a familiar fighter, having competed in the UFC from 2018 to 2023 and faced tough opponents such as Junior dos Santos, Tai Tuivasa, Derrick Lewis, and Marcin Tybura. Ivanov is a versatile fighter. He performs well on his feet and can knock out or choke his opponents. He fights pragmatically, competently strategizing for the entire bout. Ivanov is an interesting opponent for Bilostenny.

Last year, Ivanov could not finish either Marcin Tybura or Alexander Romanov. Throughout his career, he has only suffered one early loss, by submission, which occurred long before joining the UFC. We believe that Bilostenny, who is relatively inexperienced, has little chance of knock out. Sergey is the clear favorite. Blagoy's best years are behind him, and he is on his way out of the league. Additionally, he is a replacement, and it is uncertain if he will be ready for the fight.