International events round out the weekend with a lot of veterans plying their trade in violence.
This weekend is a busy one, with lots of wild matchups and some interesting action that’s going under the radar. Of course, we’re here to go through some of the brighter spots.
Florida’s Island Fights has recently been funneling some talent over to Contender Series for a while, and they continue to be a hotbed for rugged athletes that tough it out. This event is following in that same tradition. This week, American Top Team’s Deivison Ribiero (27-10) brings his aggressive and athletic style against former Contender Series fighter and scrappy featherweight Jacob Kilburn (6-2)
Another former Contender Series fighter and Alab Belcher alum Tyler Hill (9-4) comes to face wiry striker James Freeman (6-3). Ultimate Fighter Brazil contestant Eduardo Diez (7-1) is up against Joe Penafiel (4-0).
Island Fights 58 starts on Friday night at 6:30pm EST, streaming live on UFC Fight Pass.
Combate Americas has carved out a nice space for themselves in Northern California, and they return to Fresno this week with Combate 41. Former Tachi Palace and Bellator fighter JC Llamas (8-7) headlines against Joaquin Lopez (5-1) at welterweight.
Former Bellator champion Zoila Frausto (14-5) welcomes Reina Cordoba (9-1) in her U.S. debut. Frausto returned to action this past February after a three-year hiatus, and she didn’t miss a beat in her return.
Combate 41 starts at 9:00pm, streaming live on DAZN.
LFA is also back this week, and the card is topped with a hot rematch at bantamweight.
Levi Mowles (11-4) and and Adrian Yanez (9-3) are hot prospects that originally faced off in 2014, which Mowles won by decision. Mowles had a four-fight win streak snapped with a decision loss to Raufeon Stots, but bounced back with a submission win over Ahmet Kayretli. Yanes only has losses to currently Miles Johns and current UFC fighter Domingo Pilarte. After the Johns loss he earned back to back finishes in Fury FC and now he’s back in LFA to even the score.
LFA 73 starts at 9:00pm EST on their usual home, AXS TV.
M-1 also returns with some bangers up and down the card. Former UFC fighter Chris Kelades (13-4) is back against Ukraine’s Alexander Pletenko (17-6) in a rematch of a fight last year in which Pletenko won by decision at M-1 Challenge 93. This rematch is for the flyweight title, currently held by Pletenko.
Also on the card is a heavyweight bout betwen Brazil’s Roggers Souza (8-2) and Azerbaijan’s Zaur Gadzhibabaev. American Top Team’s Hayder Hassan (8-4) meets Russia’s Movsar Bokov (5-1). Bantamweights Arnorld Quero (15-7) and Huyixibai Chuhayifu (11-4, 1 draw) duke it out, as submission threat Daniel Swain (19-9, 1 draw) meets Chinese talent Xiaolong Wu (4-10, 1 draw) for some reason. Yes, you read those numbers correctly. No, I don’t know why, either.
M-1 Challenge 103: Pletenko vs Kelades starts on Saturday morning at 7:30am EST, and is available for purchase over at FITE.tv for $7.99.