Mixed-sport promotion builds for the future – but first, it’s Unfinished Business
South East Asia Fighting Championship (SEA FC) brings its peculiar breed of mayhem back to Bangkok this Saturday night with a fascinating card that brings together fan favourites, new faces, old rivalries and quirky concepts. Topping the bill is a final eliminator for SEA FC’s inaugural championship, in a move that lays the foundations for some big plans.
Dorrer vs Van Wyk to determine no.1 contender for heavyweight title
Veteran Daniel Dorrer makes his third consecutive appearance for SEA FC in the main event of Fight Night III: Unfinished Business – and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“The Peaceful Warrior” from Germany not only has something to prove, he also has a whole lot to fight for – a piece of history no less.
This is because the winner of his bout with South Africa’s Cornelis Van Wyk will progress to the first ever SEA FC championship match, against a co-challenger to be determined for the promotion’s MMA heavyweight belt.
Dorrer is coming off a controversial draw against Mose Afoa at SEA FC Fight Night II: Destroy Everything and is keen to restore his sterling reputation with a big win here.
But to do so, he’ll have to go through a confident, determined younger man in Van Wyk
While a noted underdog against the decorated Dorrer, Van Wyk believes it is he who is destined to rule the division and accordingly asked to “fight anyone” in what will be his second appearance for SEA FC.
He gets his wish in what looks to be an exciting confrontation between noted strikers.
A collision of confidence in the co-main event
MMA features in the co-main event too, with one highly regarded competitor looking to continue his transition to the sport, against a man making his highly anticipated debut.
Oliver Axelsson, from Sweden, is now making strides in MMA after carving out a very solid rep in kickboxing and muay Thai. After honing his skills in his new sport by racking up a 5-1 record in the amateur ranks, he turned pro with SEA FC just two weeks ago, beating Petchsila Ali at Thailand Fighting Championship 3.
Axelsson meets a man making his own MMA debut, Jess Morgan of the United States. Morgan also comes from a striking background and boasts the solid pedigree typically associated with TC Muay Thai in Bangkok.
Morgan is a stablemate of Van Wyk and shares the same “fight anyone” mentality of his main-event buddy. He meets Axelsson over three rounds at welterweight.
Singh aims to rebound; and an experimental undercard
One of the more anticipated bouts at Fight Night II was Charles Mainer against Alex Singh. Unfortunately, it ended in a huge anti-climax.
The match – an “extreme contact” affair, which in simple terms is muay Thai with MMA gloves – was just 18 seconds old when the fighters cracked shins, and Dutchman Singh came off worst, an injury ruling him out there and then.
Luckily the damage was not insurmountable, and Singh gets straight back into action this Saturday. He was set for an intriguing rematch with Mainer, but a family emergency meant the Frenchman had to fly home at short notice.
Thankfully, the enigmatic Italian Vico stepped up to save Singh’s match and this latest extreme contact affair will go ahead. Singh’s business with Mainer remains unfinished…
* A new addition to the SEA FC suite of sports is grappling, with the card opening by putting on a submissions-only showcase with a 15-minute time limit.
It’s a very different sport to that in which Toby McNerlin made a winning debut at Fight Night II, when the Irish teenager took an impressive decision in a boxing match. His fellow grappling pioneer will be local man Ef Visarut.
* The popular Trinity Rules format returns in an all-Thai women’s battle between Pang Kanjana and Stamp Bunsang.
For the uninitiated, this means three rounds and three different sports! With the competitors wearing MMA gloves, the opening round features boxing, round two is muay Thai, and the final stanza is MMA – if it makes it that far.
Traditional matches complete the card, with Filipino boxer Neil Afred Nicolas bringing his trademark aggression to the table against the skillful Marn Patiwat of Bangkok, and Sumit Kumar of India meeting local man Suwattana Takanratti in the MMA ring.
SponsorsThe Ambassador Hotel / Ape Spirit Brewery / The Bar Bangkok / The Box / Martial Arts Asia / Martial Arts Thailand / Mongkol Fight Gear / Yangon Fight Club
MATCH CARD
Cornelis van Wyk v Daniel Dorrer (MMA)
Oliver Axelsson v Jess Morgan (MMA)
Alex Singh v Vico (extreme contact)
Toby McNerlin v Ef Visarut (grappling)
Pang Kanjana v Stamp Bunsang (trinity rules)
Neil Alfred Nicolas v Marn Patiwat (boxing)
Sumit Kumar v Suwattana Takanratti (MMA)
NEWS AND FEATURES
Event page
Front Page Fight Sports teams with South East Asia Fighting Championship
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