ACB: Supersonic March 2017 in Manchester
ACB: SUPERSONIC
Europe’s Biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) is heading back to the UK for a giant event that will take place at the Manchester Arena on March the 11th 2017.
The event was officially announced just a couple of weeks ago and this weekend we finally found out who will headline the fight card along with which venue will play host to ACB’s return to the UK.
The venue is none other than the iconic Manchester Arena. A venue that has laid host to some amazing nights of combat sports and that will once again hear the roar of fight fans on March the 11th and for just their second trip to the UK the promotion have pulled together a headline fight that will put ‘Champion vs Champion’ together in the ACB cage for a bout that MMA fans will not want to miss.
Representing the UK will be current Venator Middleweight Champion and UFC veteran Luke Barnatt who will put his skills to the test against a legend of the sport and one of the top 10 Middleweights in the World from Poland, by way of Russia, – Mamed Khalidov.
Luke Barnatt has proved his worth and how dangerous a fighter he can be on the biggest stages and is currently riding a 3 fight win streak that has seen him claim gold in the Italian promotion of Venator. Standing at 6ft 6” tall he is huge for this weight class and will be looking to make every inch of his reach advantage pay as he takes on one of the most devastating and dominating champions the Polish promotion KSW has ever produced.
Khalidov has an impressive record of 34 wins with just 4 losses. That record is impressive enough but when you add to that 29 of this wins have come by way of finish you get a taste of just what sort of animal we’re dealing with. On current 12 fight win streak he will be looking to make it 13 on March the 11th in front of the Manchester crowd.
Further bouts for this monumental event are set to be announced throughout December and ACB have hinted that the undercard will be stronger and deeper than the card they brought together for their debut in Glasgow back in October – a card that garnered international praise for the quality of the match-ups.
After the huge announcement of the ‘Champion vs. Champion’ headline fight between the U.K’s own, and current Venator Middleweight Champion, Luke Barnatt and the Polish mega star and current KSW Middleweight Champion Mamed Khalidov for ‘ACB: SUPERSONIC’ in Manchester at the Manchester Arena on March the 11th Absolute Championship Berkut have now announced the second fight for the card and yet another match-up which will have MMA fans clamoring for a ticket.
The second fight to be announced is the long-awaited featherweight rematch between two of Manchester’s finest as Brendan Loughnane will seek his long-awaited revenge against fellow Mancunian Mike Wilkinson.
This is one of, if not the, biggest fights that could be made domestically. These two fighters have met once before and know each other very well. Both were contestants on the UFC series ‘TUF – The Smashes’ back in 2012.
They have trained as teammates but they also fought each other on the finalè show in what was an extremely close three-round back-and-forth battle, which eventually saw Mike Wilkinson getting the nod from the judges. It’s was a close decision that many fans, and Loughnane himself, have openly disputed.
The result saw Wilkinson continue in the UFC and sent Brendan back to the regional shows to rebuild himself and climb back up the MMA ladder.
Since then that is exactly what he has done. He’ racked up an impressive 8 and 1 record in his last nine fights. His only loss in that run was a very controversial decision against the French star Tom Duquesnoy in a result that most critics, fans and fighters felt was a robbery as Duquesnoy was given the nod in a fight that saw Loughnane cause more damage and control most of the action. Despite that, it is the manner in which Loughnane has handled himself in and out of the cage by taking these wins and rebuilding himself that now means he is firmly seen as one of the top Featherweights in Europe.
On the other side of the cage will be Wilkinson. A devastating striker and one of the most athletic and well-rounded fighters in the division. Despite a frustrating loss in his ACB debut which saw his opponent happy to control him on the ground rather than engage in a fight Wilkinson has shaken that off and his desire to put a stamp on his win over Loughnane back in 2012 and to show the rest of Europe’s featherweights just why his signature was so highly sought after by promotions around the globe has never been stronger. This is the ideal fight for his return to his home city and this is a huge platform for him to showcase the skills that have made him a star around the world.
This is a fight that has it all – history, pain, skill, talent and a fight, much like the TUF finale 5 years ago, that will see both fighters standing across the cage from each other ready to put it all on the line once again. This will, once again, be a pivotal moment in both of their careers. Can Loughnane avenge that loss and progress onwards through the ranks or will Wilkinson once again use Loughnane as an opponent to prove he really is the best in U.K.
One thing is for sure – This is a fight that can not be missed!
You can buy tickets directly for ACB Manchester at Manchester Arena at Manchester-Arena.com
