In pursuit of glory
Originally from Moldova, Nicolae Bivol moved to France in search of a better life. At the dawn of his professional debut in MMA at HEXAGONE MMA 9, he placed great hopes in his future career.
In Moldova, where martial arts are ingrained in popular culture, “many young people have talent, but few have the opportunity to show it to the world.” Nicolae Bivol has taken his destiny into his own hands: arriving in France in 2017, he is about to start an MMA career, after having cut his teeth in several other disciplines.
“I am a 1st dan black belt in taekwondo. I participated in the Moldovan Cup, the European Cup, as well as several kickboxing competitions,” said the 27-year-old fighter. “It so happened that one day a friend asked me to be his sparring partner, and that’s how I discovered MMA.”
If striking is markedly his strong point, Nicolae Bivol is also effective in the wrestling phases. Because throughout his youth, he took part in the traditional Moldovan wrestling tournaments, organized every year between the inhabitants of his village. “Even if we didn’t train, we competed!”
“At the moment, I’m working in construction”
Now that he lives in France – a country whose language he masters perfectly – Nicolae Bivol hopes for an upward trajectory that will convert his passion into a full-time job.
“At the moment, I work in construction, but I still manage to balance training sessions with days on construction sites.”
This makes for a demanding pace of life, which the Moldovan nevertheless easily withstands.
“Last year I had a baby girl. And since then, I’ve been even more motivated to do things, and bring money back for her. Everything I do is make her life easier. »