After 784 days, a serious injury, two operations and a long recovery, Roy was back. On 18 July 2026 at Mladost Hall in Burgas, Borislav Velev knocked out France’s Dimitri Trenel in the third round at MaxFight 66.
We had shared the nights in Tirana and Plovdiv with Roy, but this return felt different. We knew his aggression and explosive power. Now we would see how those qualities held up after more than two years away.
The recovery behind the comeback
His previous bout had been against Omar Siala on 25 May 2024. Then training camps and fight dates gave way to rehabilitation. The next win had to wait; the first goal was getting fit enough to compete again.
That made Burgas a test before a punch was thrown. Timing, distance, reactions under pressure and confidence after injury could only be tested properly in the ring.
An experienced opponent in Trenel
Trenel brought a 12–5–1 record with six knockouts. A professional since 2018, he had fought in France and across Europe. He was comfortable competing away from home, and his power deserved respect.
In Burgas, Trenel also showed toughness. The first round put him under a severe test, yet he found the strength to continue. Roy had to finish what he had started against a man who refused to give up after the first heavy punch.
A body shot turned the fight
Velev took the initiative from the start. A heavy body shot dropped Trenel in the first round, and when the fight resumed the Bulgarian kept attacking. Fast combinations and constant pressure gave the Frenchman no breathing room to organise his own game.
The finish came in the third round. Roy secured the knockout and turned the long-awaited comeback into a convincing victory. The speed and power the crowd had been waiting for were clearly on display again.
Looking ahead again
The win took Roy to 15–0, all by stoppage. More importantly, he could look ahead to another fight. After surgery and recovery, he was competing again.
In Burgas, Roy gave his people exactly what they had waited for: decisive, attacking boxing and a finish before the final bell. For the entire team, it was a night of enormous satisfaction.
Borislav Velev vs Dimitri Trenel · MaxFight 66
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