Bulgarian kickboxer Atanas Bozhilov, popularly known by the nickname Mr. SENSHI, recorded his 25th triumph in the professional circuit by defeating England’s Aaron Slimane via unanimous decision during the SENSHI 31 Gladiators gala event in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
In an interview for “Bulgaria Sutrin”, the fighter admitted that his opponent had been very well prepared and surprised him with a strong first round, maintaining good distance control and keeping the exchanges clean.
“Thank God things worked out this way again – I went out there and won. My opponent surprised me; he was very well prepared. He fought the first round really well, but then I adjusted, changed my tactics a little, and took control of the match,” Bozhilov commented on Bulgaria ON AIR television.
Before stepping into the ring, Bozhilov felt serious tension and a strong adrenaline rush. The psychological pressure was intensified by the fact that one of his teammates had suffered a heavy knockout loss in an earlier bout. Despite this, the Bulgarian athlete managed to stay focused and entered the SENSHI ring fully motivated for victory.
Speaking about the emotions of lifting yet another trophy, Bozhilov shared that the feeling is always different and difficult to describe in words. Among all 25 of his victories, he highlighted his first K-1 world title, won at Arena Armeec Hall in Sofia, as the most precious and emotional achievement of his career.
The support of the fans at the Ancient Theatre in Plovdiv played a huge role in his eventual success. Bozhilov noted that the crowd has a motivating effect, and when they sensed that things were not going his way in the first round, they started chanting his name even louder, which helped him regain momentum.
Asked about the formula behind his success without suffering serious injuries, he emphasized the importance of his sparring partners and the international SENSHI training camps.
Atanas Bozhilov admitted that the moment when a professional athlete has to end their career and transition into coaching is extremely difficult.
“It’s very difficult — maybe I still don’t fully realize just how difficult it is. Most likely, when I stop competing, that’s when I’ll truly start missing it. I hope to finish my career with a victory and then begin passing my experience on to the younger generation,” Bozhilov shared.
This week he is set to enjoy a well-deserved rest, and at the moment there are no new fight offers. He plans to maintain light training without unnecessary strain, but he is ready to resume intense preparations as soon as the next challenge appears.
A video of the full interview with the experienced Bulgarian kickboxer Atanas Bozhilov can be viewed on the Bulgaria ON AIR website.
