John Kavanagh | Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
SBG Ireland’s head coach brings a one-night tournament to Manchester in October as he returns as a promoter.
John Kavanagh debuted Euro Fight Night (EFN) almost six years ago in September 2013, aiming to give developing fighters an opportunity to compete regularly and gain experience before stepping up to the more established shows. However, for one reason or another, no more shows were booked after the inaugural event and the promotion fizzled away. That all changes on October 19th when the fighting brand returns to put on a one-night tournament at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, England.
The tournament will feature competitors in the light heavyweight division and the eventual winner will receive a multi-fight deal with a global MMA organisation. Kavanagh, who is also the president of the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association, hinted a few weeks ago that this promotion would be Bellator, although nothing has been made official at this stage. The opening round and semi-finals will consist of 1 x 5 minute round before 2 x 5 minute rounds are utilised to determine the overall winner. If the final is ruled a draw after those two rounds, a deciding third frame will come into play to get a definitive result. EFN will use Safe MMA to help oversee the event to protect the health and safety of the competitors as much as possible.
None of the fighters competing in the tournament is associated with SBG Ireland, to minimize the risk of having any conflicts of interest with Kavanagh being their head coach. The 10 names announced for the light heavyweight tournament in Manchester are:
- Piotr Chmielecki (5-1), Ludus Magnus
- Maciej Sosnowski (3-2), Checkmat
- Paul Elliott (4-0), Badboy
- Lewis Tams (3-0), AVT
- Janos Csukas (2-0), Titan
- Luke Trainer (2-0), Titan
- Igor Puskarskis (0-0) Elite Southport
- Iain Rollason (0-0), Tapout/Knockout
- Joffie Houlton (0-0), SBG Manchester
- Joe Kearns (0-0), Kaizen
The promotional team for EFN will include a number of familiar faces to enhance the fan experience and production of the events. Former BAMMA lead presenter, Andy Shepherd, will anchor the broadcast and Bryan Lacey and Bellator fighter, Aaron Chalmers, will both play a part in the commentary line-up. Kavanagh himself will provide analysis of the night’s action for EFN’s exclusive after-show.
Further to the October 19 show, cards in Liverpool, Belfast, Dublin and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are penciled in for 2020.