Karate Combat recently announced an exclusive promotional agreement with former Bellator and GLORY world champion Gabriel Varga. The fourth-degree Shotokan black belt is expected to make his Season 4 debut in early 2022 against an opponent to be named.
“If you’re a fight fan, you know who Gabriel Varga is,” said Adam Kovacs, Karate Combat President. “The world titles he has held speak for themselves — he’s one of the most elite strikers on the planet. It’s a pleasure to welcome him home to karate and I’m excited to see such a world-class fighter enter ‘The Pit.’”
Also joining the lightweight roster is fourth-dan black belt and Russian Federation system’s “Master of Sport” Dastonbek Otabolaev, who captured a gold medal at the 2021 World Karate Championships earlier this year in Dubai.
“Winning the Karate World Championships is like winning the Mundials in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or the Worlds in Judo. It’s a huge achievement, even more so because he’s the first fighter from Central Asia to accomplish that,” said Kovacs. “Uzbekistan is just across the Caspian Sea from Dagestan. That region produces some very tough guys. We’ve all seen what Khabib Nurgamogedov achieved in MMA. If Otaboloaev can do the same in Karate Combat, he’s going to become a legend in this sport.”
Karate Combat: Season 4 is set to air in Spring 2022 and is expected to be the biggest season to date, with further major signings to be announced over the next few weeks. For a refresher on the Karate Combat rules and fighting styles click here.