3 Reasons Why Bogdan Shumarov Is A Major Threat In The Lightweight Kickboxing Division
Bogdan Shumarov could insert his name into the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title picture with another impressive performance in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 3.
The Bulgarian slugger will face Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video, and he’ll be looking to extend his 10-fight unbeaten streak against the local favorite at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Already 2-0 with two finishes in ONE, a third consecutive victory would make it impossible to ignore Shumarov as a clear threat to newly crowned ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas.
Here are three reasons why the big names in the division’s upper echelon must take note of the rising star.
#1 Relentless Pressure
Although he’s Bulgarian and started his career in his homeland, Shumarov relocated to the Netherlands to level up his training in 2021. This shows in his relentless output, which is typical of the Dutch kickboxing style.
The 27-year-old likes to move forward, close the distance on his rivals, and put himself in punching range, where he can let rip with his best offensive weapons.
Despite his constant pressure, the Petrich native is not reckless, instead opting to take reads on his opponents as he moves forward to find gaps. But when he manages to connect, Shumarov puts his pedal to the metal and lets rip with rapid boxing combinations to the head and body.
The SB Gym athlete switches his targets as he swarms to overwhelm his adversaries. This offers them little respite to regain their composure – often leading to knockdowns or finishes.
#2 An Iron Chin
Shumarov can confidently charge forward into the fray because of his faith in his chin and defense.
There are only a couple of defeats on his impressive 17-2-1 professional record, and both have come by decision.
Shumarov works behind a tight guard as he moves forward, leaving very little room for any strikes to get through. And even when his defenses are penetrated, the Bulgarian has great resilience.
In his win over Constantin “Lioncrusher” Rusu last July, he absorbed some massive strikes from his Moldovan-Russian foe and stayed standing.
In fact, it was Rusu who left himself winded from all the exertion, allowing Shumarov to capitalize on that fatigue and score a KO halfway through the third round.
#3 Crushing Counter-Punching
Content to work behind his tight shell, Shumarov will often wait for his opponents to start opening up before replying with concussive counters.
Utilizing the perfect combination of his heavy offense and tight defense, he will let them overcommit as he peeks through his guard and looks for the perfect time to return fire.
The Bulgarian has a great eye for openings when opposing punches land on his gloves and arms, but he is also ready to fire his counters in reply to kicks or knees.
This was the case when he finished Marwen Houli in his ONE debut last February. The tall Tunisian tried twice to step in and knee, but Shumarov blasted him with overhand rights – the first knocked Houli down before the second knocked him out.
