FCC 36 Run Down
Words by Murdo Todd
This Saturday, Full Contact Contender is back for our final show of 2023 and it is set to end the year with a bang.
FCC 36 will be packed with exciting clashes involving some of the country’s best fighters across both amateur and professional.
Amateur Fights 2pm - 6pm
On tonight’s amateur card we see a flyweight clash between Shabzaz Ahmed (2-0-1) and Alex Home (5-1). There will then be a bunch of high-level amateur contests with fighters from gyms such as Renegade, Manchester Top Team and Aspire Combat Sports Academy.
Tom Harvey (5-2) will make his return after putting on one of the best fights of the night at FCC 35 against Yannick Goitom (6-1-1). This time Harvey will square-off against Kyle Riley (3-1), who has racked-up two wins in the past few months, including a first-round finish against Qasim Aftab at FCC 35.
Charlie Balmer (4-5) Vs. Lewis Clarke (4-2), Jack Mcleod (2-1) Vs. Micky Leithner (4-0) and Aidian Knight (3-2) Vs. Sahil Khan (3-2) are all scheduled on the card, and worth keeping an eye out for. Make sure you tune in early to catch the amateurs, you may just catch the next big prospect!
Professional Card
The professional card has great fights from top to bottom and will start off with a 90kg catchweight fight between Tom Burton (1-0) and Alexandru Veleniuc (0-1). Burton is undefeated across amateur and pro, last time out he stopped fellow debutant Ryan Franklin in just one minute.
Next up will be Jamie Davis (0-0) who will be looking to kick-start his professional career with a win when he takes on the traveling Sofiane Al Bahri (0-1). Davis went undefeated as an amateur, with all of those bouts being fought under the FCC banner. After winning and defending the amateur FCC welterweight title, Davies feels now is the time to make his mark on the professional game.
Elsewhere on the card, former FCC amateur middleweight champion, Emile Vujakovic (1-0) will be looking to extend his winning streak.
Along with the return of local talent Kurtis Campbell (2-0) Campbell will be taking on fellow undefeated prospect, Sean Pero (5-0). Currently one of the UK’s hottest prospects, winning multiple amateur titles before turning professional in December of last year; ‘The Pink Panther’ has since won two contests, both by stoppage, and is full of confidence ahead of his third outing as a pro. However, he will have the young, but experienced, Pero who is coming off a first round knockout of then 8-2, Andres Felipe Molano.
In the co-main event of the evening, Aspire’s Haider Khan (6-1) will battle Frederico Komuenha (4-1) for FCC’s middleweight title. Khan has been fantastic since turning professional back in 2021, only dropping a loss to former FCC and Cage Warriors champion, Mick Stanton. The Manchester man is coming-off two victories in the past three months, including a first round submission over experienced international Bogdan Kotlovyanov at FCC 34. Standing opposite him however will be a dangerous opponent - Komeunha has produced four first round knockouts in his four victories and fights out of the well-regarded Allstars Training Centre.
The main event of the evening will pit Raphael Echegbu (8-1) against Lucas Rodrigues (12-5) for the FCC featherweight title. Uchegbu will come into the fight holding both the 135lb and 145lb FCC titles and will look to continue his great run of form. Competing in the likes of Bellator and PFL, the Team Kaobon fighter is used to the big occasions and is coming into his prime at 28 years old. The Englishman has only heard the final bell twice in his professional career, holding five submissions and two knockouts. Rodrigues accepted the fight with just a weeks’ notice and is riding a three fight win streak that includes a win over the then 7-2 Lucas Cardoso.
Amateur Title Fights
Billy Adams (4-0) and Lewis Wood (5-1) will then do battle for the vacant FCC Amateur Lightweight Title. Adams has been fantastic since his debut back in March 2022, racking up four wins, including three first round knockouts, and has beaten opponents with 3-1, 4-3 and 4-1 records in his last three. Wood however will be looking to get his competitive career back on track - first debuting back in 2014 his activity has been spotty, but the Team Ronin fighter’s results speak for themselves.
The FCC Amateur Featherweight Title will then be up for grabs when Macaulay Donnelly (6-2) and Mateusz Ircow (7-3). Donnelly won the interim title last time out at FCC 33 against then 4-1 Jamie Cottier, but will have to deal with Icrow who scored an impressive victory over Brooklyn Thomas at FCC 34. Both lads hold solid wins and have good experience, except this one to be a competitive clash.
Connor Walsh (7-2) Vs Will Doyle (7-0) is then set to cap the night off in what is set to be a fantastic contest. Not only will the winner take home gold, but also have the bragging rights to call themselves the best amateur flyweight in the country. Walsh has gained a good reputation with his performances, which include most recently back-to-back victories over Luke Burns and Joe Fields. However, Doyle has not taken a step wrong in his career, holding five stoppage victories in seven wins and has picked up a regionals title doing in the process.
Get your tickets now or if you can’t make it, catch the main card on UFC Fight Pass.
