We’re still two months removed from Brace’s return to the Gold Coast, but Fight News Australia can reveal the first fight card details for the event.
Taking place at the Southport Sharks on Friday July 17, Brace 35 will be headlined by an intriguing middleweight clash between undefeated Tasmanian Rob Wilkinson (8-0) and former Nitro light heavyweight champion Joe Muir (10-4).
Training under Priscus Fogagnolo in Tasmania, Wilkinson remained undefeated in 2014 to take out the promotion’s middleweight championship tournament with a dominant first round rear-naked choke submission of Gerhard Voigt. Wilkinson, who also picked up the FNA Breakthrough Fighter of 2014 Panel’s Choice award, will now look to claim back-to-back titles, but will have a big test on his hands getting past the more experienced Muir first up.
Muir will make his MMA return after an 11 month absence from the sport. A CFC and Nitro veteran, Muir has faced some of the best locally, and at one stage had amassed a seven-fight win streak which included stoppage victories over Kym Robinson and Hale Vaa’sa. Most recently, however, the Gold Coast based Kiwi lost by doctor’s stoppage in an entertaining back and forth middleweight clash with Daniel Way at AFC 10.
In an interstate bantamweight tilt slated for the show, Bendigo, Victoria based Irish fighter Richie Ivory takes on Ryan Lambert from Gladstone, Queensland.
Also fighting out of Gladstone, 17 year-old Kaela Banney, who has recently spent time training at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, will meet Sydney’s Janice Yee in a strawweight title eliminator clash.
Meanwhile, Cage Warriors FC and Legend FC veteran Damien Brown is expected to make his promotional return on the night, however an opponent for the Integrated MMA lightweight is yet to be announced.
Before the Gold Coast show however, the promotion will host Brace 34 at the AIS Arena in Canberra, with a bantamweight tournament clash between Steve McKinnon and Peter Cross slated for the main event.
