By IMMAF.org lead writer, Jorden Curran As amateur standouts, Serdar Altas and Jake Bond both claimed IMMAF’s European title in the men’s flyweight division, yet the former gold medal winners, who earned the crown in respective years of one another, never faced off on the international platform. In a compelling bout that’s four years in the making, the duo are now set to meet as professional contenders in Västerås, Sweden, on the card of FCR 3 on August 18. On just one occasion Altas and Bond both featured in the same bracket of an IMMAF championships, in Birmingham, the UK, at the inaugural IMMAF European Open in 2015, but their paths were not destined to cross. For his sole stint with the UK national team, Bond represented the country on home soil while Sweden’s Altas entered as the odds on tournament favourite, having earned a silver medal earlier that year at the IMMAF World Championships in Las Vegas. However, in the event’s biggest upset, Altas was eliminated in the opening round of bouts by Bahrain’s Hussain Maki, a loss he avenged last year in the semi-finals of the 2017 World Championships. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJERsf7eatU At the 2015 Euros, it was Bond who showcased an unrelenting ground game as he went on to win the men’s flyweight gold medal, submitting Maki in the semi-finals with a rear-naked-choke before meeting Warren Mason in an all-UK final, ending the contest by securing an arm-bar in the first round. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0TZYtYexyM Following the achievement, Bond called time on his amateur run and successfully made his professional debut in August of 2016. The 27-year-old Manchester man is currently 1-1 as a pro. In contrast, Altas remained amateur for a further two years, accumulating a streak of 9 victories that saw him bounce back to claim the European title in 2016 before reaching the amateur pinnacle with gold in Bahrain at the 2017 IMMAF World Championships. At age 23, Altas has now retired from the Swedish national team and made his own professional debut last May with KO victory via a high kick, under the banner of prominent Swedish promotion, Superior Challenge. For more video content from IMMAF championship events visit IMMAF.tv.]]>
Altas vs. Bond, IMMAF World Champion meets fellow European gold medalist in pro bout
