Kubrat Venkov Pulev is a Bulgarian professional boxer.
53 Facts About Kubrat Pulev
2.
Kubrat Pulev has challenged twice for the unified heavyweight title in 2014 and 2020.
3.
Kubrat Pulev was ranked by BoxRec as the world's top 10 heavyweight from 2011 to 2018.
4.
In February 2002, Pulev won the Strandzha Cup in his native Bulgaria.
5.
Kubrat Pulev, who is nicknamed "The Cobra", beat Cuban world champion Odlanier Solis in the process.
6.
Kubrat Pulev did not qualify for the Olympics despite the fact that he won the last qualifying tournament in Gothenburg.
7.
Kubrat Pulev had to settle for the first reserve place because the heavyweight division consists of only 16 fighters participating in the Olympic Games.
8.
Kubrat Pulev beat Islam Timurziev at super-heavyweight at the Strandja Cup 2005.
9.
Kubrat Pulev finished at third place at the European Championships in Plovdiv.
10.
Kubrat Pulev beat Jaroslavas Jaksto and Marko Tomasovic to qualify for the Olympics 2008.
11.
Kubrat Pulev turned professional, at the age of 28, in September 2009 at the Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
12.
Kubrat Pulev fought another three times in the next three months, winning them all.
13.
Kubrat Pulev ended his first professional year with 4 wins and no losses.
14.
Kubrat Pulev got his first title opportunity when it was announced in March 2012 he would fight Alexander Dimitrenko on the Marco Huck vs Ola Afolabi WBO cruiserweight championship undercard on 5 May in Erfurt, Germany for the vacant EBU European Heavyweight Championship.
15.
Kubrat Pulev was outweighed by 12 pounds at the weigh in, coming in at 245 pounds.
16.
Kubrat Pulev moved well on his feet to avoid punishment.
17.
In round 4, Kubrat Pulev began to find his range and began countering and landing some power punch combinations of his own, rocking Dimitrenko at times.
18.
Kubrat Pulev landed a jab which slowly dropped Dimitrenko to a knee.
19.
On 1 August 2012, it was announced that Kubrat Pulev would defend his European and IBF International heavyweight titles against unbeaten Belarus boxer Alexander Ustinov on 29 September in Hamburg.
20.
Kubrat Pulev dominated the fight from the opening bell working well behind his jab and landing the harder shots.
21.
Kubrat Pulev maintained the balance attack and landed more punches in round 11.
22.
The EBU announced that Kubrat Pulev would fight the next highest ranked fighter instead.
23.
In total, Kubrat Pulev landed 145 of 405 punches thrown and Thompson connected 141 of his 419 thrown.
24.
Kubrat Pulev won the bout when Abell retired in his corner after round 4.
25.
Kubrat Pulev started the fight slow with Abell landing counters, however Kubrat Pulev found his rhythm in round 2.
26.
Kubrat Pulev got up immediately and dropped Abell three times in the round, all from body shots.
27.
Kubrat Pulev later confirmed that he would fight American boxer Elijah McCall on the Braehmer vs Maccarinelli undercard.
28.
McCall watched tape of Kubrat Pulev and pulled out of undercard bout.
29.
Kubrat Pulev managed to land only 25 of his 110 thrown.
30.
Kubrat Pulev signed an contract extension with Team Sauerland on 11 February 2015.
31.
Kubrat Pulev announced that he would be working with German legendary coach Ulli Wegner.
32.
Kubrat Pulev's next fight took place in December 2015 against American journeyman and former USBA heavyweight champion Maurice Harris, the fight lasted all of 100 seconds as Pulev knocked Harris down and out.
33.
On 15 March 2016, it was announced that Kubrat Pulev would fight fellow former European champion and world title challenger Derek Chisora, in an IBF title eliminator for the vacant European heavyweight title at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg on 7 May 2016.
34.
On 1 November 2016, it was announced that Kubrat Pulev would fight returning former heavyweight world champion Samuel Peter on 3 December at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria.
35.
In front of 15,000 at the Arena Armeec, Kubrat Pulev defeated Peter via a 3rd round RTD to win the vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title.
36.
Kubrat Pulev was the more accurate and active boxer and managed to land the clear punches.
37.
On 4 August, upon learning that Klitschko had retired, the IBF immediately ordered Joshua and Kubrat Pulev to fight next, with a deal needing to be reached by 3 September 2017.
38.
On 22 August, details between the camps of Joshua and Kubrat Pulev were being discussed and close to being finalised for the date of 28 October 2017, with Las Vegas as the potential host.
39.
Hearn revealed when the Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev fight was made, he reached out to Takam's camp, knowing they would be next in line and told them to begin a training camp and stay on standby.
40.
Kubrat Pulev was unhappy with the pull out and labelled Whyte and Hearn as 'extreme manipulators and plain schizophrenics' as well as accusing them of avoiding him at all costs.
41.
Kubrat Pulev defeated Fury via a 12-round unanimous decision to become the mandatory challenger for IBF heavyweight title.
42.
Fury had suffered the cut over his left eye during training camp and Kubrat Pulev took advantage by opening it up again.
43.
Kubrat Pulev was stitched up two weeks ago but they [the doctors] said it would heal in time for the fight and obviously it didn't.
44.
Kubrat Pulev used his jab often, until round 4, he started unloading on more power shots.
45.
Fury spent the majority of the second half of the fight trying to counter Kubrat Pulev, however was unable to land any meaningful shot.
46.
Kubrat Pulev clinched after being wobbled and took back control in round 9.
47.
On 2 March 2020, both Matchroom's Eddie Hearn and Top Rank's Bob Arum officially announced Kubrat Pulev will fight Anthony Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 20 June 2020.
48.
Kubrat Pulev was dropped in the third round and was dropped twice again in the ninth.
49.
On 27 November 2021, Kubrat Pulev become Triad Combat Heavyweight World Champion after beat MMA fighter Frank Mir in the main event of a boxing vs MMA event.
50.
On 23 March 2019, after defeating Bogdan Dinu in Costa Mesa, Kubrat Pulev forcibly kissed a female reporter Jennifer Ravalo on the lips during an interview.
51.
Kubrat Pulev has a younger brother, Tervel Kubrat Pulev, who is a professional boxer.
52.
Kubrat Pulev has declined lucrative financial offers to represent Germany, viewing it as a matter of principle not to change his national allegiance.
53.
In December 2020, Tervel Pulev revealed in an interview that Kubrat had recovered from COVID-19.