Sydney based promotion Combat8 have revealed a stellar fight card for their next event scheduled to be held at Luna Park in Sydney, New South Wales on April 27.
Headlining the event will be a C8 Bantamweight Title fight between ‘TUF Smashes’ competitor Richie Vaculik and Thomas de Almeida who comes to us from Sao Paulo, Brazil and trains out of the famed Chute Boxe Gym.
Vaculik is coming off a stint on the UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs U.K where the bantamweight fighter stepped up two weight division to compete. During his time in the house, Vaculik first lost to eventual winner Norman Parke via decision before being given another chance. Despite a big reach disadvantage Vaculik put on a strong performance but was submitted by Colin Fletcher. A big wave surfer Vaculik is also on “The Crew” which is currently airing in Australia on Fuel TV.
Since making his debut in May 2011, de Almeida has wracked up a 10 fight win streak in MMA, with all fights ending in either a KO, TKO or submission.
Also on the card, K-1 kickboxer and heavyweight boxer Ben Edwards steps into the Combat8 cube when he faces American Donnie Lester who last December lost via TKO to Peter Graham in an MMA fight. The two will fight for the C8 Heavyweight Title.
In a C8 Lightweight Title fight Jai Bradney will clash with Wes Capper. Bradney first will need to come out unscathed when he faced Ben Wall at Nitro later this month. His opponent Capper is coming off a C8 win against Bernardo “Trekko” Magalhaes at the last event.
Wall & Magalhaes will also meet on the undercard of the event while in a heavyweight match-up Peter Graham will meet promising youngster Tai Tuivasa.
Combat8 rules permits only 30-seconds of ground activity per round before fights are stood up. Elbows, kicking and kneeing are also not permitted throughout the fight. The rules attempt to bring a middle-ground to allow MMA fighters to face boxers.
Champion boxer Lovemore Ndou made his debut at the last Combat8 show where he won via a first round submission and expected to make his C8 rules debut on the upcoming card is Guyanan born, Australian based Gairy St. Clair.
C8 Bantamweight Title:
- Richie Vaculik (Australia) vs Thomas de Alemida (Brazil)
C8 Heavyweight Title:
- Ben Edwards (Australia) vs Donnie Lester (USA)
C8 Lightweight Title:
- Jai Bradney (Australia) vs Wes Capper (Australia)
Undercard:
- Peter Graham (Australia) vs Tai Tuivasa (Australia)
- Ben Wall (Australia) vs Bernardo Magalhaes (Australia/Brazil)
- Felise Leniu (Australia) vs DJ Linderman (USA)
- Gairy St. Clair (Australia/Guyana) vs Hugh Cameron (Australia)
- Erik Nosa (Australia) vs Brandon Sosoli (Australia)
- Kian Pham (Australia) vs Allen Nascimento (Brazil)
- Kerry Foley (Australia) vs TBA
- Jon Leven (Australia) vs TBA
