USA's Will Starks makes history with second IMMAF World Championship

Pictured above: Will Starks, #2016IMMAFWorlds USA Welterweight Will Starks defined himself as one of the World’s most decorated Amateur MMA veterans, with a second World Championship triumph at the #2016IMMAFWorlds in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. With five consecutive victories between July 5th and July 10th, Starks took his Amateur MMA record to 22-1, just three victories behind former USA team mate and IMMAF great, Jose Torres, who turned pro with Titan FC following a 25-1 Amateur career, and two IMMAF World titles of his own at Bantamweight in 2014 and 2015. Having secured the IMMAF Welterweight Gold medal in 2015, Starks’ opening bout of the 2016 campaign was as tough as it gets for the defending champion. In what could have been the week’s greatest upset, Denmark’s Danny Mathiasen took Starks to the brink of defeat on Day 1 of the Championships, but the American edged by via split decision. Starks went on to eliminate Tyrone Quinn via Unanimous Decision following a stern test from the Irishman on Day 2. The American then picked up momentum with some of his best performances to date, forcing a third round TKO against New Zealand’s Joseph Luciano, and another Unanimous Decision victory in the semi-finals against Team UK’s Hardeep Rai. Culminating at the UFC Fan Expo, Starks was set for a classic second encounter with Canadian Alex Martinez, in a historic rematch of their 2015 Finals bout in which he was awarded his first IMMAF Gold by way of Unanimous Decision. Before facing off, the two rivals shared a mutual prayer in the center of the cage. Each man gave it their all in a back-and-forth contest across three rounds, showcasing tremendous ability and seasoned technique that put a exclamation point on the incredible talent shown across all brackets. Once again, Starks was awarded the Unanimous Decision victory over Martinez and wrote himself into the record books with a second IMMAF World Welterweight Championship. Click HERE for full results and bout schedule of the 2016 IMMAF World Championships. Written by IMMAF.org lead writer and website manager, Jorden Curran Photos by Jorden Curran]]>