SENSHI 30 Grand Prix Results - Zhulien Rikov Captures Historic SENSHI Grand Prix

Zhulien Rikov Captures Historic SENSHI Grand Prix Title in the 75 kg Division

Bulgarian kickboxer Zhulien Rikov became the champion of the first-ever SENSHI Grand Prix in the 75 kg category after a demanding tournament run that included 10 rounds and three challenging bouts. The 19-year-old secured the prestigious title on February 28 at the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria during the anniversary event SENSHI 30 - the first of five planned SENSHI events for 2026.

Rikov’s path to the title required defeating three strong opponents in one evening. In his opening qualifying fight, the Bulgarian faced Brazil’s Carlos Barbosa and earned a split decision victory after a competitive match. In the semifinal, he met Moldova’s Constantin Rusu in a tightly contested battle that required an additional fourth round before the judges awarded the win to Rikov.

The final matchup placed the youngest athlete in the tournament bracket against the most experienced competitor. Nineteen-year-old Rikov squared off with 35-year-old Christian Baya of DR Congo, who had advanced to the final after two explosive first-round knockouts against Konstantin Stoykov of Bulgaria and Spain’s Jordi Requejo. Despite Baya’s powerful performances earlier in the tournament, Rikov maintained control through three intense rounds to secure the victory and claim the SENSHI Grand Prix belt, drawing loud cheers from the home crowd that repeatedly chanted his name.

Full Results from SENSHI 30 Grand Prix

SENSHI 30 Grand Prix – Qualifying Bout
Carlos Barbosa (Brazil) vs. Zhulien Rikov (Bulgaria) – Rikov wins by split decision.

SENSHI 30 Grand Prix – Qualifying Bout
Constantin Rusu (Moldova) vs. Florin Lambagiu (Romania) – Rusu wins by unanimous decision.

SENSHI 30 Grand Prix – Reserve Bout
Aibek Amanov (Kazakhstan) vs. Viktor Krashevski (Bulgaria) – Amanov wins after Krashevski retires due to injury.

SENSHI 30 Grand Prix – Reserve Bout
Fernando Tigre (Portugal) vs. David Kinhefner (Hungary) – Tigre wins by unanimous decision.

SENSHI 30 Grand Prix – Qualifying Bout
Jordi Requejo (Spain) vs. Konstantin Stoykov (Bulgaria) – Requejo wins by unanimous decision.

SENSHI 30 Grand Prix – Qualifying Bout
Jorge Davila (Spain) vs. Christian Baya (DR Congo) – Baya wins by knockout in Round 1 (01:50).

Super Fight – KWU Full Contact (-70 kg)
Hirokatsu Miyagi (Japan) vs. Samo Petje (Slovenia) – Petje wins by unanimous decision.

SENSHI Grand Prix – Semifinal 1
Zhulien Rikov (Bulgaria) vs. Constantin Rusu (Moldova) – Rikov wins by unanimous decision after an extra fourth round.

SENSHI Grand Prix – Semifinal 2
Jordi Requejo (Spain) vs. Christian Baya (DR Congo) – Baya wins by first-round knockout.

Super Fight – KWU Full Contact (-70 kg)
Charalampos Digkas (Greece) vs. Diyan Dimitrov (Bulgaria) – Digkas wins by split decision.

SENSHI Grand Prix – Extra Fight*
Aibek Amanov (Kazakhstan) vs. Fernando Tigre (Portugal) – Amanov wins by split decision.

**Due to Jordi Requejo’s knockout loss in the semifinal, he was unable to continue, which required an additional bout between the reserve fight winners to determine Constantin Rusu’s opponent for the third-place fight.

Super Fight – KWU Full Contact (95+ kg)
Francesco Xhaja (Albania) vs. Giannis Stoforidis (Greece) – Xhaja wins by unanimous decision.

SENSHI Grand Prix – Fight for 3rd Place
Constantin Rusu (Moldova) vs. Aibek Amanov (Kazakhstan) – Rusu wins by split decision.

SENSHI Grand Prix Final
Zhulien Rikov (Bulgaria) vs. Christian Baya (DR Congo) – Rikov wins the SENSHI Grand Prix championship title in the 75 kg division.