Despite some unknown technical problems of DAZN Italy, which prevented fans from seeing almost all of the event, Italian fans were finally able to see the main event of Superfights: Roma on Saturday, Apr, 2. The bout showcased Italy’s Mattia Faraoni and the Russian-born German fighter Vadim “The Machine” Feger. The fight was a kind of selection match to select the next challenger for the ISKA Oriental Rules kickboxing cruiserweight world champion, Spain’s Alberto “The Beast” Tapia.
Faraoni is a growing YouTube star in his country. In everyday life, he is a typical unamusing Roman guy, and he likes to joke in front of a camera. Conversely, in the ring, he is a highly skilled and spectacular fighter. He’s a full-contact karate black belt and an Italian pro boxing champion. That means Faraoni is a perfect type of kickboxer with top punching techniques and spectacular axe kicks and spinning back kicks. He looks like something you would see in action movies, but he makes it real and effective in actual fights. This is why Superfights: Roma was the first kickboxing event streamed by DAZN in Italy.
Faraoni won the bout by TKO in the second round, confirming all the hype thus far. In the first stanza, he got a knockdown due to a spinning right high kick, and a second one just two seconds before the bell with an uppercut-hook combo. In the second round, the third and last count was due to a left hook after just 30 seconds. After the victory, Faraoni was joking with the future wife and greeted a special guest in the audience, the Italian superstar comedian Christian De Sica. “I’ve been coming to see your films for 20 years,” said Faraoni. “And, today you are here to see me. I’m proud of it.”
Just a week ago, Italian sports news website, Gazzetta broadcast it’s first live-streamed kickboxing event. Maybe we are truly at a turning point for this sport in Italy.