Kristian Popov
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| Kristian Popov | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 22, 1989 Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Nationality | Bulgarian |
| Style | Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), Submission grappling |
| Teacher(s) | Bernardo Serrini |
| Rank | Black belt in BJJ |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Occupation | Martial arts instructor, former English teacher |
Kristian Popov (Bulgarian: Кристиан Попов; born 22 October 1989) is a Bulgarian Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner, submission grappler, and coach.[1][2]
Background
Popov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and worked as an English teacher before focusing on martial arts professionally.[3][4]
He began training in martial arts in the 90s as a child, then in 2010 started MMA under Emil Kazakov before shifting focus to submission grappling and BJJ.[2][1] He received his BJJ black belt in 2017 from Bernardo Serrini.[5][1]
Competitive career
Popov has competed in international and regional grappling tournaments, achieving success in organizations such as NAGA, ISFA, and ADCC.
Notable results include:
- Gold medal in the men's Masters (over-35) up to 99 kg division at the ADCC European Championship in Zagreb, Croatia (2024), secured with two submission wins.[6]
- Gold in the black belt No-Gi division (79.5 kg) at a NAGA tournament in Dortmund, Germany (2015), where he submitted opponents including a final heel hook victory.[4]
- Multiple wins in ADCC regional events (Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia and Romania), NAGA Germany, and other competitions.[1]
- European champion titles in grappling at NAGA (2015, 2016, and 2019).[3][7]
- Absolute grappling champion at an ISFA national tournament in Vratsa, Bulgaria (2017).[8]
- Multiple NAGA wins, including in Germany and other European events.[1][7]
- Multiple ISFA World Championship/World Cup titles, including golds in Advanced Heavyweight and Absolute (2017), double gold in -92 kg and Absolute (2019), and Absolute Champion (2021).
He has also led seminars and masterclasses internationally.[5][9]
Coaching
Popov is the head instructor at Pitbulls MatSide, a grappling and BJJ academy in Sofia.[1][2][6] He conducts group and personal training sessions, emphasizing technique, discipline, and building confidence in practitioners.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Кристиан Попов - Граплинг и BJJ, Pitbulls MatSide, в "Легенди" (in български). Легенди / Legends. 2025-08-10. Retrieved 2026-01-29 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Боец.бг (24.01.2021 г.) – пълен запис" (in български). BG On Air. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Учител по английски стана еврошампион по граплинг" (in български). Nova.bg. 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Учител по английски триумфира на граплинг турнир в Дортмунд" (in български). Fightnews.bg. 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Кристиян Попов води мастърклас по граплинг в Русия" (in български). MMA.bg. 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Два златни медала за България от Европейското по граплинг" (in български). Sportal.bg. 2024-02-19. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 НА ПРЕДЕЛА с Кристиан Попов. Насам - Натам. 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2026-01-29 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Кристиан Попов стана у дома абсолютен шампион по граплинг /Снимки/" (in български). Konkurent.bg. 2017-12-02. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ↑ "Български шампион по граплинг ще бъде треньор на семинар в Румъния" (in български). Boec.bg. 2019-04-27. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
External links
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