Australian Fighting Championship 7 was supposed to be the culmination of a Middleweight and Welterweight tourney, but with finalists Daniel Kelly and Jake Matthews linking up with the UFC as casts for “TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia”, AFC’s plans were altered and changes were enforced to the original fight card.

In stepped “TUF: Smashes” competitor Manuel Rodriguez for Kelly in the main event, as he contested Steven Kennedy for the promotion’s Middleweight championship title. The finish came in the championship rounds when Rodriguez’s takedown down was reversed well by Kennedy, who, after a few transitions, locked in a Kimura for a tapout.

AFC 7 Results: Kennedy submits Rodriguez, garners vacant 185-lbs title

Steven Kennedy hence became the new AFC 185-lbs champion.

AFC 7 also introduced a new tournament in both the Bantamweight and Featherweight ranks. Former ONE FC star and grappling ace Gustavo Falciroli took on Legend FC vet Kai Kara-France in one of the featured Bantamweight tourney brackets, but the match-up ended in offbeat circumstances. In the second round, Falciroli landed consecutive knees that sent France crashing out of the ring and falling head first onto the ringside table. Officials stepped in and ruled the bout a no-contest after the referee waved off the fight when France was deemed impotent to continue.

The controversial ending was met with disgruntle and anger by the fans as many believed France was already out before he collapsed onto the table.

On Facebook, Falciroli voiced his discontent.

“Today I SHOULD have won my fight by KO.

Unfortunately, the fight was bizarrely called a no contest due to a plastic water bottle and the ridiculous cage ban in Victoria.

In the second round, I landed a combination, finishing with a knee that sent my opponent through the ropes (for the second time in the fight) and the referee stopped it. I came back to the corner and celebrated, saying that the knee landed perfectly and it was clear to everyone that I won.

Post fight, however, the commission advised that my opponent hit his head on a plastic water battle (initially it was claimed to be a table) when he fell through the ropes and that he was not able to continue due to the clash with the bottle.

Obviously this is absurd so we will be lodging a formal complaint in an attempt to overturn the no contest.”

Jordan Lucas and Charlie Alaniz booked their places in the next round of the Bantamweight tourney after gaining victories in their respective match-ups.

Elsewhere, in the opening bracket of the 145-lbs tournament, Nova Uniao’s Rodolfo Marques managed to get back in the win column with a Unanimous Decision victory over Mark Abelardo. He advances to the next round.

AFC 7 took place at The Melbourne Pavilion on Saturday.

Check out the full results below (courtesy of MMAKanvas) and be sure to keep it locked to MMASucka.com for future updates on Australian Fighting Championship’s events:

• Steven Kennedy def. Manuel Rodriguez via Submission (Kimura) at 0:51 of Round 4 (For AFC Middleweight Championship title)
• Peter Davenport def. Dean Purdon via Unanimous Decision
• Gustavo Falciroli vs. Kai Kara-France (Bantamweight Tournament match-up) – Declared a No-Contest
• Jordan Lucas def. Adam Corbett via Submission (Armbar) at 2:00 of Round 1 (Bantamweight Tournament match-up)
• Charlie Alaniz def. Giancarlo Embradora via Unanimous Decision (Bantamweight Tournament match-up)
• Nick Patterson def. Rod Staader via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:57 of Round 1
• Rodolfo Marques def. Mark Abelardo via Unanimous Decision (Featherweight Tournament match-up)
• Joel Fisher vs. Tim Zosh
• Chris Birch def. David Gibb via Submission (Standing Guillotine Choke) at 3:42 of Round 1
• Alex Volkanovski def. Luke Catubig via TKO (Punches) at 4:39 of Round 1
• Callan Potter def. Troy Resic via TKO (Punches) at 4:59 of Round 1

*Photograph by Joshua Stebbings

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