 His biggest success in the early phase of his career was a draw against unbeaten Russian Vadim Tokarev in 2003 but he lost his next fight to Czech Lubos Suda.In 2005 he beat local hero Alexander Petkovic and his career picked up momentum.His big breakthrough was entirely unexpected, though, as he managed to not only dominate but also KO unbeaten Russian fringe contender Grigory Drozd.