By Caoilte de Barra
It was a successful outing for World medalists Danni McCormack and Will Starks last week as they continue their rise through the pro ranks.
This week is another star-studded line-up that includes some of the best athletes to come through the IMMAF ranks.
Kickstarting the week, four former members of the Kazakhstan national team will compete at Naiza FC 48. Three-time World gold medalist Bagdat Zhubanysh will make his second pro appearance of the year. Headlining the card will be Sagyn Kazbek, who faces John Shink for the strawweight belt. 2019 World bronze medalist Dastan Amangeldy will hope to extend his pro record to 5-0, while Zhanibek Tynyshtyk makes his pro debut on the card.
On Saturday, 2019 World silver medalist Zagid Gaidarov hopes to win his third bout of the year when he makes his second promotional outing at BRAVE CF 66 against Abel Brites. Also on the card, which takes place in Bali, Indonesia, is Nkosi Ndebele. Ndebele has been with the promotion since his pro debut in 2018 and is emerging as a top contender in the bantamweight division.
In Sweden, Andreas Gustafson, Enrique Hecher Sosa, Eryk Walecki and Zoran Milic all feature on a stacked Fight Club Rush 14. This will be Gustafson’s first bout in just over two years after dropping his first loss as a pro to Damian Janikowski at KSW 55.
After losing his pro debut on FCR 11, Walecki will be hoping to bounce back against Sakhi Qambari.
At RPC 3, some of the top talents to come through the Bulgarian national team return to action. Four-time IMMAF medalist Delyan Georgiev makes his first appearance of the year against Temurbek Narimanov. Georgiev has been quiet since graduating to the pro ranks and was always considered a top prospect after his impressive form as an amateur.
Sharing the card with Georgiev is Valeri Atanasov, who makes his first appearance since 2019 and will be hoping to extend his undefeated streak to three. Lastly, Denislav Hadzhiev is set for his fourth appearance of the year in an effort to improve upon his recent form.