By IMMAF.org lead writer: Jorden Curran
National teammates Millie Eriksson and Frida Vastamäki will face off on May 4 under the banner of Excellence Fighting Championship in Sweden, headlined by Finland’s former IMMAF World and European silver medalist, Anette Österberg, making her pro debut against dangerous striker Elin Öberg.
In her sole appearance on the international amateur platform, Sweden’s Elin Oberg came up short via a split-decision to Finland’s Janika Antinmaa, at the 2018 IMMAF European Open, where Antinmaa would go on to win the women’s flyweight gold medal. Six months later, Öberg ended 2018 by completing her professional debut with Sweden’s marquee promotion, Superior Challenge. The 21-year-old produced a devastating first round knockout to stop former IMMAF World and European champion, Anna Astvik.
During the 2016 to 2017 period of her amateur run, Anette Österberg became a well established top contender within the IMMAF championships circuit, earning back-to-back silver medals at the European Open in addition to reaching the bantamweight final of the 2016 World Championships. It takes a special performance to get the better of Österberg, she has never been stopped within the distance and when facing defeat it tends to be via a split-decision. A proven pressure striker with durability and accuracy, the 33-year-old now takes the experience of her vast amateur tenure to the pro level.
Together, Millie Eriksson and Frida Vastamäki represented Sweden’s national amateur team in 2018 with the Swedish MMA Federation (SMMAF).
24-year-old Vastamäki first stunned the international amateur MMA community as she stormed her to way to the 2018 European Open bantamweight title with a trio of victories in Bucharest, capped off with a spinning back-first TKO over former gold medalist and top UK women’s standout, Joanne Doyle, following a sensational come-from-behind headkick KO of Italy’s Emanuela Scioli. Vastamäki will be relishing the opportunity to bounce back from her first amateur defeat, after a firefight round against decorated amateur Muay Thai champion Lucie Vacova resulted in a world championships upset for the Swedish standout.
At age 18, Eriksson made her own international debut by earning silver at the inaugural IMMAF-WMMAA Junior World Championships, the event introduced exclusively for up and coming talent of ages 18-20. After a first round knockout triumph in the semi-finals, Eriksson lost out via the scorecards with the UK’s Megan Morris edging an incredibly tight split-decision via the judges, in the flyweight division.
Set to take place in the city of Linköping, the stylistic battle sees a test of Eriksson’s long-limbed striking specialty against assumed grappling specialist turned viral KO artist, Vastamäki. On the international platform Eriksson has set her sights on first conquering the junior ranks, while on home soil she is tested among Sweden’s best amateur talent and has the opportunity to send a global message against a senior, reigning European Open champion.
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