(PRESS RELEASE) -- Spring Lake, MI - XFC's International schedule kicks off in 2015 with a fight card catching the attention of millions of fans Worldwide. On March 14, at the São Paulo Futebol Clube, XFCi 9 gathers some of the promotion’s best fighters in a great mix of veterans and rising stars, headlined by the promotion’s first ever Flyweight World Title Fight between Allan ‘Puro Osso’ Nascimento (14-2) and Bruno Azevedo (12-2). In the co-main event, Poliana Botelho (3-1) battles Antonia Silvaneide ‘Marretinha’ (4-1) for the highly anticipated Women's Flyweight season II tournament finale. Also on the main card, undefeated Russian Welterweight Alexie Kunchenko (8-0) faces Season I tournament champion Brazil's Will Galvao (4-1). Rounding out the main card, top ranked WMMA starlette Juliana Werner (8-4) measures forces with Russian Julia Berezikova (7-4) in a world-class female Flyweight Superfight.
Allan Nascimento paved a perfect path straight to a title shot. In his hexagon debut, at XFCi 3, in March of 2014, he submitted Chilean Matias Vasquez with 40 seconds remaining in the third round. Four months later, he forced Andre Lourenco to submit with a first-round brabo choke. Then against Ukrainian Ruslan Abiltarov, at XFCi 7 in November, Nascimento was forced to fight all three rounds for the first time ever in his career, he earned the victory by a judges’ unanimous decision.
Bruno Azevedo makes his XFC debut carrying an impressive 12-2 fight record, fighting for reputable national promotions like Shooto Brasil. He has submitted nine of his 14 opponents, knocked two of them out cold and has only left one bout in the hands of the judges. Born in the national capital Brasilia, he represents world famous Nova Uniao team and looks to become the promotion's first ever Flyweight World Champion.
First season champions return to action; New tournament finalists to be defined
XFCi 9 also features the return of three reining tournament Champions as well as three bouts in the Season II Semifinals and one tournament finale. Will Galvao, who won the Welterweight GP in June of 2014, faces Russia's Alexei Kunchenko. The first season's Lightweight champion, Brazilian Natan Schulte (9-2) is set to face Russia's Igor Egorov (8-4), while undefeated Season I Middleweight Champion Alberto Uda (7-0) battles Belarus' Boris Miroshnichenko (13-6) in the XFC Superfight Series.
Coincidentally the trio of Season I Champions, now XFC Superfighters, begin their journeys toward XFC World Championships. Plus the rising talents of the Season II tournaments are ready to showcase their skills and secure long term contracts into the organization's Superfight Series. For the women's Strawweight division, undefeated Brazilian Viviane Pereira (7-0) and young prospect Liana Pirosin (3-0) lock horns to identify who moves on to the finale. One of them will face the winner of a bout between two world ranked undefeated fighters, in Hungarian Maryna Moroz (5-0) and Ukrainian Dora Perjes (7-0). And in the series finale of the night, flyweights Antonia Silvaneide (4-1) and Poliana Botelho (3-1) will battle for tournament gold.
Matchmaker Eduardo Duarte gave his thoughts about the tournaments semifinals. “All of our XFCi 9 tournament fighters are hungry for victories, they have their eyes on a long term contract with the XFC and entrance to the Superfight Series. All the fights are going be amazing. We only have undefeated women fighting against each other in the Strawweight tournament and very talented young men who all come from great victories in the other divisional matchups. Each of them are wishing to repeat their success at XFCi 9. The return of the season I champions also creates much allure for this event. It's going to be a great night of MMA”, Duarte explains.
Among the men, two semifinals will be highlighted on the XFCi9 fight card. In the bantamweight division, USA's James Gray (3-0) kicks off the event against Mexico's Edgar Cabello (4-0), while fellow Brazilians Daniel Virginio (3-0) and Julio Rodrigues (5-1-1) wrap up the XFCi 9 prelims for the remaining spot in the tournament finale. Welterweight semifinalist contenders Brazilians Cairo Rocha (12-4-1) vs Michel Pereira (11-4) and Guyana's Carlston Harris (6-2) vs Brazil's Paulo Cesar dos Santos (2-1) plan to put on a show for the fans; as some of the hardest hitting fighters on the card all seeking their way into the tournament finale.
In January XFC announced plans for a world expansion throughout 2015. Besides XFCi 9 in São Paulo, the promotion has event planning set in Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais), where XFC has recently observed athletes in an open talent scouting visit. Additionally shows are scheduled for Mexico, Argentina, & Costa Rica while the promotion also announced plans to host two or more events in the United States, plus two in Europe. It's going to be a big year for the XFC. Stay tuned to www.XFCMMA.com and follow the XFC daily on social media!
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ABOUT THE XFC: The Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is the largest independent sports & entertainment mixed martial arts (MMA) organization in the World. The promotion is based out of Spring Lake, MI with offices in New York, Ft. Lauderdale, Sao Paulo, & Buenos Aires. XFC is partnered with one of the largest open television broadcasters in Latin America, Rede TV!, as well as HBO, Terra TV, & UOL. The XFC currently has over 125 exclusively signed fighters, representing over 23 countries Worldwide. Boasting the signing of The Next Generation of Male & Female Superstars, the XFC is known for entertaining fans with the most action packed MMA events on television.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT & SUPERFIGHT SERIES: The Next Generation of MMA fighters are emerging through our International Tournament Series! Each season, rising MMA fighters from around the World debut in the XFC HeXagon. Their Integity, Honor, & Will to become an XFC Gold Medalist Tournament Champion is challenged. At the end of each season, the Tournament Champions advance to the XFC Superfight Series, where they have their chance to rise through the ranks and prove themselves as contenders for the XFC World Championship Title!