Bilal Khaled and Ahmed Smarke got the party started at Immortal Champions The Triumph 44 with a K-1 Rules bout. Khaled scored with hard low kicks and thudding body kicks. Smarke’s gloves touched the canvas after a left from the southpaw in round three. All three judges scored the bout for Khaled, fighting out of Tiger’s Temple Muay Thai.
Rafe Williams got the better of Phil Baw in a Muay Thai bout. Williams pushed the action and outscored Baw, earning a majority decision by scores of 29-28 29-28 and 28-28.
The sole ladies bout of the evening matched Amelia Vernede and Dodoo Chan.
The crowd cheered in appreciation as the two women battled in a hard-fought three round Muay Thai match. Vernede was the stronger athlete, and her knees to the body in the clinch seemed to be wearing Chan down. Dodoo showed a warrior’s heart, pushing forward and scoring with clean punches in round three. It wasn’t enough, as the judges voted unaninmously for Vernede.
Diego Cordova used his boxing to beat Oray Polatogullari on points. Corodova, a southpaw, backed Polatogullari to the ropes often. He got the better of the exchanges, though Polatogullari scored with a few good kicks. A Cordova left dropped Polatogullari late in round three. All three judges scored the K-1 Rules match for Cordova.
In a bruising Muay Thai battle, Daniel Amoakoah and Thierry Faucherand fought to a majority draw. Two judges scored the fight 29-29, with one judge favouring Amoakoah by the score of 29-28.
Yosr Mamoun swarmed on Khulani Nyathi early, whipping body kicks and working the knee. Nyathi fought back but late in the round, Mamoun hurt him with a right hand.
Mamoun followed up, another right dropping the dazed Nyathi. He beat the count but the referee waved off the fight. A pumped-up Mamoun strutted around the ring with the Moroccan flag draped over his shoulders after the impressive win.
Nathan Lewis grinded out a win over Daniel Vakili in the last prelim. Lewis, fighting out of Master Sam Nankani’s SN Combat Academy, scored with some strong sweeps and knees to the body to earn the win.
