FNC 27 Munich: Hatef and Eskiev crowned new champions, Joker knocks out Slo Rocky
Fight Nation Championship took another major step forward with a top-level spectacle in Germany. The night had it all, from knockouts and submissions to judges’ decisions, and another landmark event is now in the books
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Six years after its founding, Fight Nation Championship made a historic step toward the West. FNC’s first event in Germany was held on the biggest possible stage, inside a sold-out SAP Garden in Munich. FNC 27 thrilled both German and Balkan fans and firmly strengthened the organization’s position on the European MMA map.
The audience witnessed 11 elite matchups, with the night exploding in a spectacular finale featuring three bouts that brought the arena to its feet. First, Aleksandar 'Joker' Ilić needed just 24 seconds to knock out Miran 'Slo Rocky' Fabjan, avenging his loss in Zagreb and sealing victory for Team Joker in the second season of the Fight of Nations reality show with a devastating knockout. A lightning-fast right hand landed flush on Fabjan’s chin for a huge win by the Serbian fighter, who unfortunately suffered a broken foot in the process and is expected to be sidelined for some time.
What followed was a true championship fireworks display. Lom-Ali Eskiev shocked the crowd by knocking out the previously dominant champion Francisco 'Croata' Barrio in the first round to capture the lightweight title. The night culminated in a heavyweight war, where Hatef Moeil, after four grueling rounds, locked in a choke early in the fifth round to defeat Ivan Vitasović and become the new heavyweight champion.
It is also worth highlighting that the 'King of Germany' remains on the throne. Ivica 'Terror' Trušček earned a unanimous decision victory over Dominic Schober, once again proving his class. In the remaining bouts, Eduard Kexel scored a first-round TKO win over Filip 'Nitro' Pejić, Darko Stošić returned to the win column with a second-round TKO against Oliver Thompson, David Travnicek extended his winning streak with a submission victory over Luka Milidragović, and Karomatulo Sufiev made a successful FNC debut by defeating Ahmed Abdulkadirov.
On the prelims, Elias Erber picked up a victory over Mert Basbudak, while Dana Aghaie and Leon Gavanas both secured their first Fight Nation Championship cage wins via unanimous decision against Andreas Rasumny and Sven Dolezal, respectively.
The historic night is now behind us, but there is no time to rest. On February 28, just three weeks later, FNC delivers another spectacle. At FNC 28 in Slavonski Brod, Marko Bojković and Martin Batur return to the cage, joined by a new generation of hungry talents from Zagreb’s American Top Team. Fran Luka Đurić, Marko Ančić, and Tiriel Luka Abramović are ready to make their mark.