# Gheorghe Ignat

Gheorghe "The Carpathian Bear" Ignat (born December 11, 1983, in Suceava, Romania) is a mixed martial artist with a background in Greco-Roman Wrestling.

## Wrestling career

Gheorghe Ignat is the 8-time Greco-Roman Heavyweight Wrestling champion of Romania. He is also the current Balkan champion, as well as winner of multiple Silver and Bronze Medals in numerous International Wrestling championships. He won more than 40 medals in total.
Gheorghe Ignat later transitioned from the sport called Greco-Roman Wrestling to the sport called Mixed Martial Arts.

## Sambo career

Gheorghe Ignat is a 2-time Sambo (Russian martial arts) champion of Romania. Gheorghe started his Sambo career in 2014, winning the Romanian Nationals in the same year, receiving double gold medals in Sambo Combat and Sambo Sportiv. In May 2014, Ignat won the bronze medal at the European Sambo Championship.

## Mixed Martial Arts career

In October 2009, Ignat moved to the United States to become a MMA fighter. He joined "The Arena" gym in San Diego. Ignat also instructs Greco-Roman Wrestling to other professional fighters located at The Arena. In 2010, Ignat fought for the first time in the cage at the MMA Promotion Gladiator Challenge that took place in San Jacinto, California, where defeated Ryan Varela. Ignat it is still undefeated in the heavyweight division. He has a clean record of 6 wins with 0 loses.

## Personal life

Gheorghe Ignat is a born again christian, businessman and father, he is raising four sons.

## Humanitarian Work

In 2019, Gheorge became Founder and President of Fight For Freedom, a nonprofit organization based in his home town of Suceava that serves the north-east region of Romania with social services aimed at alleviating suffering and bringing transformative change to underserved and marginalized communities. Fight For Freedom has
In 2021, Fight For Freedom launched its next significant program: Home For The Homeless. Through the 30-bed facility, Fight For Freedom provides shelter, food, clothing, and care services that improve the security, health, and dignity of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. To date, Home For The Homeless has served hundreds of homeless people in Suceave, Romania. In so doing, Fight For Freedom demonstrates their core belief that every life is precious and worthy of love and the opportunity for redemption.
Early in 2022, at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Fight For Freedom anticipated and responded to the humanitarian crisis that would ensue, and from the first day of the war began delivering food to Ukrainian refugees flooding the Ukraine-Romania border. Under Gheorghe's leadership, that work grew to comprise the organizing and delivery of large food convoys into Ukraine, reaching cities throughout the country where food shortages have become a severe reality. To date, Fight For Freedom has delivered an estimated 2500 tons of food and medical supplies into war-torn Ukraine. In addition, Fight For Freedom mobilized resources to provide critical shelter, food, and care to refugees fleeing Ukraine into Romania. Housing refugees at their Freedom House, and their Home For The Homeless, Fight For Freedom has sheltered, fed, and cared for over 3000 Ukrainian refugees. And through relief tents erected at the Siret border between Ukraine and Romania, Fight For Freedom has brought direct assistance to an estimated 80.000 Ukrainian refugees in the forms of food, temporary shelter, assistance with connecting with friends and family, and relocation to the West.
Later in the war, Fight for Freedom's work on behalf of Ukraine expanded again in an unexpected way. In order to keep orphaned children safe from Russian soldiers who have engaged a systematic campaign of raiding orphanages in eastern Ukraine, abducting the children and removing them to undisclosed locations in Russia, the Ukrainian government launched a campaign to evacuate orphans from Ukraine to neighboring countries where they could be safe. Hearing of Fight For Freedom's extraordinary work on behalf of the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian government authorities contacted Gheorghe with the urgent request that Fight For Freedom take in Ukrainian orphans. Fight For Freedom immediately mobilized, retrofitting Freedom House and renting additional facility space to house, feed, and care for nearly 200 orphans from Odesa and Kyiv, plus Ukrainian orphanage workers and their children.
Fight for Freedom has been developing ever since 2019, being present today in four different countries, in Ukraine with three Life Centers in Irpin, Mochun and Kharkiv, în Romania with five different Life Centers, in Austria having the main headquarters and in the US based in Washington DC. Working with more than 40 employees and tens of volunteers in humanitarian, child education/protection, war relief, ex-convicts rehabilitation, roma community support, Fight for Freedom is making a great impact in many people's lives.

## Books and Publications

Gheorge Ignat wrote his first book, "They Called Me Crazy," which was published in the United States by Trilogy Publishing in March 2022. This book is a testimony of some very deep and personal experiences of the author during his time in prison - experiences that marked him irrevocably and totally changed his perspective on life. Gheorghe in the near future, is currently working on his next book, which is intended to be his autobiography. Gheorghe also writes on his personal blog georgeignat.com, where he has published more than 200 articles on various social and spiritual topics, many of which have been picked up by the Romanian press.

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 6 matches | 6 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By submission | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location |
| Win | 6-0 | Istvan Ruzsinszki | TKO | Romanian Xtreme Fighting 13 | Oct 6, 2014 | 1 | 0 30 | Botoșani, Romania |
| Win | 5-0 | Vladimir Siminotov | Submission (Americana) | FFG 4 - Full Fight Gala 4 | June 9, 2012 | 1 | 0 58 | Satu Mare, Romania |
| Win | 4-0 | Atilla Ucar | TKO | EFC European Fighting Championship | March 24, 2012 | 2 | 5 00 | Iași, Romania |
| Win | 3-0 | Marius Grosu | Submission (armbar) | FFG - Full Fight Satu Mare | July 9, 2011 | 1 | 3:30 | Satu Mare, Romania |
| Win | 2-0 | Marius Bivol | Submission (kimura) | HPF - Hungary vs. Eastern Europe | April 9, 2011 | 1 | 1:35 | Debrecen, Hungary |
| Win | 1-0 | Ryan Varela | Decision (unanimous) | Gladiator Challenge - Maximum Force | April 25, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jacinto, California, United States |