After the success of its Heavyweight Grand Prix in September, Senshi is wasting little time in building on that momentum. The Bulgarian promotion, which has steadily established itself as a stable factor in the kickboxing landscape, will kick off 2026 with a new Grand Prix tournament.
On February 28, SENSHI heads to the coastal city of Varna for a 75 kg Grand Prix, shifting the focus from the brute force of the heavyweights to one of the sport’s most competitive divisions — where speed, technique and finishing ability collide.
Brutal Grand Prix format in the 75 kg division
The tournament, held in the 75 kg (165 lbs) division, will feature a diverse field of familiar names from both the light- and welterweight divisions. GLORY veterans {Christian Baya}, {Nikola Todorovic} and {Maximo Suarez} are among the favourites, while WAKO world champion {Jordi Requejo} adds amateur pedigree at the highest level. Romanian Senshi veteran {Florin Lambagiu} also returns. They will be joined by youngster {Gasham Mammadov} of Azerbaijan and Bulgarian prospects {Zhulien Rikov} and {Konstantin Stoykov}.
At first glance it looks like Todorovic is the favourite to write Senshi’s first 75 kg Grand Prix to his name, based on experience and previous results. However, a potential first-round meeting with his biggest competitor, Florin Lambagiu, could immediately reshape the tournament and even the score going into the later rounds. Fighters like Requejo or Baya could also benefit from an early upset.
Senshi Grand Prix tournaments stand out from other promotions as the losers of the semi-final will, in true Kyokushin Karate style, get back into the ring a third time for a third-place contest. During late September’s Heavyweight Grand Prix this format was deemed too daring, as multiple fighters went out of the tournament due to injury, resulting in a cancellation of the third-place fight. Therefore, for this edition Senshi booked an extra reserve bout. {Aibek Amanov}, {Victor Krashevski}, {Fernando Tigre} and {Dávid Kinkhefner} join the tournament as reserve fighters.
Beyond the tournament: Superfights at Senshi 30
To round out the event, the card will feature several high-profile superfights. Two lightweight bouts are on the program, with RISE fighter {Hirokatsu Miyagi} set to test himself against seasoned Slovenian veteran {Samo Petje} in a classic clash of pace and experience.
Local prospect Diyan Dimitrov will be eager to make a statement in front of his home crowd when he faces Greece’s Charalampos Digkas, with Senshi-associated K-1 MAX legends Andy Souwer and Albert Kraus watching closely. Heavyweights Francesko Xhaja and Giannis Stoforidis will serve as the co-main event, adding heavyweight firepower to the later stages of the night.
Source: beyondkick.com