On 27 October 2018, Yosif Panov earned the first title of his professional career. A points win over Stiliyan Kostov at Sofia’s Arena Armeec made him Bulgarian super welterweight champion — a breakthrough almost four years in the making.
Kubrat Pulev and Hughie Fury topped the bill, but for The Viper this was a defining night in its own right. The opportunity was there; now he had to turn it into his first title.
A seasoned opponent
Kostov arrived with a 21–8 record and 29 professional fights behind him. His experience made him a demanding opponent for Panov’s first title challenge.
That experience mattered. Panov earned the title against a fighter who knew how to handle the demands of professional boxing.
The work behind every fight
Our archive records Vasko Alexeev’s matchmaking work on the Pulev–Fury card. Arranging a meaningful fight on a major event is the part of the job that the result alone doesn’t show.
We helped secure the opportunity. Panov and the team who prepared him did the work needed to win it. Together, those efforts made the championship night possible.
The first step towards bigger titles
His later success can make this first title easy to overlook. In 2018, though, the UBO International and world belts were still ahead. This was an important achievement in its own right.
Panov’s rise passed through demanding domestic contests like this one. His victory over Kostov earned him a place among Bulgaria’s professional champions and helped establish the foundation for what followed.
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