In Moldavia, where martial arts are rooted in popular culture, “many young people have talent, but few have the opportunity to show it to the world”. Nicolae Bivol, for his part, has taken his destiny into his own hands: expatriated to France in 2017, he has made a brilliant start to his career as an MMA fighter, after having win his spurs in several other disciplines. “I’m a 1st dan black belt in taekwondo. I took part in the Moldavian Cup, the European Cup, as well as several kick-boxing competitions,” lists the 27-year-old. “It just so happened that one day a friend asked me to be his sparring partner, and that’s how I discovered MMA.” But while striking is undoubtedly his strong point, Nicolae Bivol also performs well in grappling. “When I was a kid, every year there were traditional Moldavian wrestling tournaments between the inhabitants of my village. Even if we didn’t train, we took part in the competitions!”

“For the moment, I’m working in construction”.

Now that he’s living in France – a country whose language he speaks perfectly well – Nicolae Bivol hopes to embark on an upward trajectory, and convert his passion into a full-time job. “For the moment, I’m working in construction, but I still manage to organize myself between training sessions and days on the job. It’s a complex lifestyle, but one that the Moldavian puts up with a smile. “Last year, I had a baby girl. Since then, I’ve been even more motivated than before to do what I have to do, and bring in money for her. Everything I do, I do to make her life easier. Will stability come through MMA? Nicolae Bivol hopes so, carefully building his fighting career. “I’m patient, I don’t want to rush things. I’ve turned down some interesting offers to have time to progress, and avoid unnecessary defeats.”