His injuries have made it impossible to recognize a HERO boxer, who fought off a bear on a fishing trip that nearly killed one of his friends.
Ilya Medvedev (24 years old) made his public debut after he killed a brown bear who attacked him and his friend Vyacheslav "Slava" Dudnik (48).
Ilya Medvedev defeated a bear that killed his friend on a fishing trip
Slava was not able to survive the attack but the young promising fighter managed to defeat the beast.
In a desperate effort to defend himself, the boxer had originally tried to shoot the beast.
After the bear had taken the gun from his hands, he was forced by the large bear to use a knife to get rid of it.
Ilya was transported by boat to the hospital, where he was recovering from injuries to his head & limbs.
As he continues to recover from the October attack, he will need extensive facial reconstruction.
Egor Mekhontsev, London 2012 Olympic gold medalist, referred to him as a "real hero" when he photographed him at a Russian boxing event.
Mekhontsev posted a photo of himself with Ilya on Instagram. It was almost 2,000 times liked.
He stated that Ilya was left in a medically induced state after the attack.
He said that he believed the young man's skills in boxing helped him defeat the wild animal and hailed him as a "real fight".
The champ wrote, "Now Ilya is undergoing rehabilitation after the experience and preparing to continue operations."
Mekhontsev continued: "Many have heard his story in the media of when he went fishing along with two friends, and met a bear who attacked the men.
"The bear immediately killed one fisherman, and then took Ilya Medvedev to his grave.
"He was already submerged by the bear, and it mutilated his body, trying to tear it apart. Ilya was very unlikely to survive... he saved his friend and survived by himself.
He reached for his knife and stabbed the bear multiple times.
These were blows to his vital organs, as it was later revealed. The bear fled and died not far away.
According to reports, the bear attacked Slava, Ilya's friend at the time. Then it charged at the boxer.
Denis Chebotar (41), a fisherman, was also securing their small vessel on the river banks. He heard shouts of "bear", and then shots from an gun.
He stated that he saw Slava dead when he reached the spot.
Chebotar, an onlooker, explained that he had enough time to take two shots, then he retreated and recharged. He made two more shots.
"The fifth cartridge wasn't completely in the chamber. He had no time."
Chebotar miraculously defeated the brown bear that can weigh up 600kg. He then dragged the "barely-alive" boxer to the boat to deliver him to the nearest hospital.
Medvedev was also supported by the Tyumen Boxing Federation on social media, where they wished him a happy Birthday.
The federation expressed its wish for Ilya's quick recovery, good health, good spirits, and peace of mind.
