Later this month, the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) amateur promotion stages the finale of its season two tournament, which will see the 2014 winners lock horns with the champions from last year’s competition.
As with season one, however, the finale will also host a couple of professional MMA bouts, and this year, officials have added a quadruple of pro bouts to the running order.
The MIMMA 2 finals takes place October 25 at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The entire event will be streamed LIVE, free-of-charge, at mimmalive.tunetalk.com.
Four pro bouts added to MIMMA 2 Finals, Mark Striegl returns
In the first of the four pro bouts, in the main event, Filipino sensation Mark Striegl (12-1) makes his much anticipated return to the MMA scene following a year long layoff. The 26-year-old competes for the first time since his Lightweight championship tussle defeat to Jang Yong Kim at PXC 39; a bout that also signaled the first setback of his Mixed Martial Arts career. Striegl, 26, is still widely regarded at one of the region’s finest 145-pounders and will no doubt take the spotlight come fight night.
Standing across the cage from Striegl will be Australia’s Kai Kara-France (7-4, 1 NC), a well traveled 21-year-old veteran who has plied his trade in organizations such as Legend FC and AFC. Like his counterpart, France is also coming off a title defeat. He last faced grappling ace Gustavo Falciroli in a rematch at AFC 9 in May, but was forced to tap to a Brabo choke in the third stanza.
The MIMMA 2 Finals will feature a co-main tilt between well-known Asian MMA veteran Will Chope (20-7) and MMA debutant, Matt Pellino (0-0). Chope was originally slated to compete last week under the IADF banner against AFC export Rodolfo Marques, but that bout was scratched after IADF officials were forced to pull the plug from the event happening altogether. Chope is often described as Asian MMA’s ‘ultimate journeyman’ due to his relentless pursuit of taking fights whenever he can, and after getting back on the win column in August following two straight defeats, ‘The Kill’ will be looking to rack up more momentum by welcoming Pellino to the world of MMA.
Not much is known about Pellino lest for his decent wrestling credentials. Even so, the American faces a daunting task of fighting a foe with more than fifty pro fights to date. Pellino may well have to set up the barricades in this one, and with Chope recently taking social media platform, Facebook, by storm with his constant pokes at Pellino’s abilities as a fighter, this has turned into a personal vendetta for both men.
Elsewhere, after three straight defeats to kick start his career, Wanderlei Silva protege Massimo Capusella (2-3) clashes with Canada’s Lenny Wheeler (6-3, 1 NC), while Malaysia’s own Zhen Wei (0-1) meets her second UK opponent on the trot, Rachael Short (0-0), to round off the pro MMA bill.
Check out the full fight card for the MIMMA 2 finals below:
PRO BOUTS
- Mark Striegl vs. Kai Kara-France
- Will Chope vs. Matt Pellino
- Lenny Wheeler vs. Massimo Capusella
- Rachael Short vs. Zhen Wei
SEASON 1 CHAMPIONS vs. SEASON 2 CONTENDERS (Amateur MMA)
- Keanu Subba vs. Joshua Khiew (For MIMMA Featherweight Championship title)
- Prabu Somanaidu vs. Jenarten Radhakrishnan (For MIMMA Bantamweight Championship title)
- Kenny Yap vs. Muhammad Aiman (For MIMMA Flyweight Championship title)
- Mohd Harsul vs. Mohd Richie Ismail Celestial (For MIMMA Lightweight Championship title)
- Ooi Aik Tong vs. Agilan Thangalapani (For MIMMA Welterweight Championship title)
- Darren Solomon Low vs. Mohd Zulhanizam (For MIMMA Heavyweight Championship title)
- Jing Yi Chong vs. Stephen Onn (For MIMMA Middleweight Championship title)
*Picture credit: Mark Striegl
