Breese submits Prachnio without throwing a strike, stunning knockout earns Staropoli two major awards
The Gradski vrt spectacle delivered everything fight fans could ask for - stunning knockouts, slick submissions, hard-fought decisions, and memorable underdog victories. Now it's time for a summer break, but the countdown has already begun for the biggest event of the year in Zagreb
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The curtain has fallen on the first half of the year for Fight Nation Championship. Inside Osijek’s Gradski vrt Hall, fans witnessed 11 outstanding bouts, with the highlight coming in the clash of two former UFC fighters . The fight lasted just 64 seconds before Tom Breese secured a rear-naked choke victory over Marcin Prachnio. Full event statistics are available HERE.
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In the co-main event, the referee stepped in midway through the second round to stop the contest and award Alan Villalba a TKO victory over Ahmed Vila, preventing further damage. As for the local fighters, two of them sent the home crowd home happy. Mario Žgela recovered from an early scare and settled into the fight before stopping Deni Mirnić by first-round TKO, while Borna Bilandžić claimed a unanimous decision victory over Emanuele Lupascu in their ultimate kickboxing bout.
The biggest shock of the evening came when Moldova’s Vadim Lungu found the target after just 42 seconds and knocked out Andrej Kedveš in front of his home crowd. Another spectacular knockout was delivered by Laureano Staropoli, who followed up the incredible spinning roundhouse kick he landed in Zadar with a devastating spinning elbow in Osijek. He put Jakub Bahník to sleep and earned the SuperSport Knockout of the Night award. Staropoli and Bahník will also share the bonus for Fight of the Night. Abubakar Soltabiev made a memorable first impression on the FNC audience, knocking out FNC’s third-ranked welterweight Simeon Karslidis in the opening round.
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A true treat for MMA purists was the bout between Agy Sardari and Koromatullo Sufiev, with the fighter from Tajikistan securing a unanimous decision victory. Aleksandar Mihailović earned a split-decision win after three rounds of war against Selver Mahmić. The evening got off to a strong start thanks to Gegard Mousasi’s protégé Rico Neimarević, who finished Luca Biuso in the first round, while Akhmed Kagirov went the full three rounds this time and emerged victorious by unanimous decision.
After a relentless schedule that included six events in the first half of the year, it is finally time for a short break. It may seem like a long wait, but the unstoppable FNC team is already preparing for the biggest spectacle of the year. We are, of course, talking about FNC 33 powered by SuperSport at Arena Zagreb on September 12.
A hot summer is here, and it will conclude with the hottest event in the history of the organization. Get ready - the biggest FNC event yet is coming. Tickets are available now through Entrio.hr.