On Friday, June 3, Croatian-based Final Fight Championship debuted in the United States with FFC 24: Villefort vs. Rela. The promotion’s first event outside of Europe featured kickboxing and mixed martial arts bouts from Daytona Beach, Fla.
In the evening’s main event, former UFC veteran Danillo Villefort made a successful return against Thiago Rela after nearly three years on the sidelines. Villefort has fought in many of the world’s top promotions: the WEC, Strikeforce and most recently, World Series of Fighting. Rela won the Circuito Talent de MMA middleweight title and came up short against UFC fighter Alberto Uda in the finals of the XFC international middleweight tournament.
In the rest of the evening’s MMA action, UFC veteran Igor Araujo took on Team Nogeuira’s Roberto Neves, former Titan FC champion and Bellator featherweight tournament finalist Desmond Green fought tough Texan Dez Hill, and UFC veteran Matt Van Buren returned against Bellator vet Jeremy Kimball.
In the evening’s kickboxing action, former GLORY title challenger Mladen Brestovac defeated Kunlun Fight veteran Steven “Panda” Banks, Armenian kickboxer Tigran Movsisyan took a decision from American Jovan Davis, and knockout specialist Cyrus “Black Dynamite” Washington lost against the undefeated Michael Stevens.
The event aired live on the CBS Sports Network and Fight Channel TV at 8:00 p.m. ET.
MMA: Roberto Neves def. Valdir Araujo knockout (head kick). Round 1, 1:24
MMA: Matt Van Buren def. Jeremy Kimball by knockout (punch). Round 1, 0:14
MMA: Desmond Green def. Dez Hill by unanimous decision
MMA: Chris Curtis def. Leo Bercier by unanimous decision
MMA: Arda Adas def. Jorge Bezerra by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 1:33
Mladen Brestovac def. Steven Banks by TKO (head kick). Round 2, 2:42 – for heavyweight title
Tigran Movsisyan def. Jovan Davis by unanimous decision
Michael Stripling def. John Morehouse by unanimous decision
Michael Stevens def. Cyrus Washington by unanimous decision
Kit Ruddock def. Robert Mosier by unanimous decision