PURE Fighting brought its debut season to a close on Sep. 19, staging PURE Ascension at the Centro Pavesi in Milan, Italy, in front of a crowd of roughly 1,000. The card put all five Pure Challenge finals on the same night, crowning the promotion’s first champions across two Muay Thai and three kickboxing divisions.
The Pure Challenge is the promotion’s signature format, a season-long tournament in which a top seed waits in the final for the challenger who advances through the quarterfinals and semifinals. Ascension was the payoff of a three-stop arc that opened with PURE Origin on Apr. 18 and continued with PURE Dominion on Jun. 21, both at the same Milan venue.
Cecchetti Survives Kamdoum to Close the Show
The night’s marquee bout also delivered its most dramatic finish. In the featherweight kickboxing final at 57 kilograms, Cameroonian challenger Gabin Kamdoum dragged top seed and Italian standout Luca “The Sniper” Cecchetti into the fifth round of a genuine war. Cecchetti, a Meda southpaw fighting out of Angelo Valente’s Kick and Punch team, ultimately took the title by split decision, adding another belt to a career built on more than 45 wins and multiple WAKO Pro world titles.
The Pure Challenge Finals
Featherweight Muay Thai (57 kg). Spanish-Moroccan finalist Yassin El Khoulati dethroned Mongolia’s Tenuun Gantushig, the ISKA Intercontinental champion, over five technical rounds. El Khoulati earned the belt by split decision.
Women’s bantamweight kickboxing (56 kg). Luciana Germano edged Alessandra Manenti by split decision in a five-round thriller. The Sicilian veteran, an ISKA European and FIGHT1 Italian titleholder who returned from maternity leave for the tournament, lifted both the trophy and her young daughter, Francesca, inside the ropes.
Super lightweight Muay Thai (63.5 kg). Challenger Luca Carlini pushed top seed Oscar Cambiaghi the full five rounds, but the 19-year-old Italian prospect confirmed his status as champion by unanimous decision.
Super welterweight kickboxing (70 kg). France’s Guerric Billet, a GLORY veteran and WAKO Pro world champion, outpointed Italy’s Davide Lombardi by unanimous decision after five hard-hitting rounds in one of the card’s most physical matchups.
Taste of the Future Opens the Night
In place of a traditional undercard, PURE ran Taste of the Future, a six-bout opening block mixing prospects with familiar names. Leonardo Papa and Elton Matija fought to a draw, while Giorgia Cirillo, over Asia Cortellino, and Massimiliano Giuliani, over Malcom Diallo, both won by unanimous decision. The segment produced two first-round finishes, with Vlad Ghenghea knocking out Gianluca Franzosi and Adam Stroppa stopping Stanislav Dascanio by TKO, before veteran Taras Hnatchuk closed the block with a unanimous decision win over Hakim Bah. Ring announcer Arianna Asaro guided the broadcast.
Bogino: A Season Built on Opportunity
Promotion founder Edoardo Bogino, a former fighter and manager, framed the season as a career-building project rather than a one-off show.
We stepped into the ring with a specific goal: to generate career opportunities for athletes in the sport they love. The format worked because, beyond giving athletes up to three fights in five months, it turned into a real growth path for these kids, both human and professional.
Bogino added that PURE is already working on next season, pointing to three completed events and a clear idea of which athletes to build around, with the same stated aim of creating opportunities for those who earn them.
Full Results, PURE Ascension
Sep. 19, 2026 — Centro Pavesi — Milan, Italy
Pure Challenge Finals
Yassin El Khoulati def. Tenuun Gantushig by split decision (featherweight Muay Thai, 57 kg)
Luciana Germano def. Alessandra Manenti by split decision (women’s bantamweight kickboxing, 56 kg)
Oscar Cambiaghi def. Luca Carlini by unanimous decision (super lightweight Muay Thai, 63.5 kg)
Guerric Billet def. Davide Lombardi by unanimous decision (super welterweight kickboxing, 70 kg)
Luca Cecchetti def. Gabin Kamdoum by split decision (featherweight kickboxing, 57 kg)
Taste of the Future
Leonardo Papa vs. Elton Matija ends in a draw
Giorgia Cirillo def. Asia Cortellino by unanimous decision
Massimiliano Giuliani def. Malcom Diallo by unanimous decision
Vlad Ghenghea def. Gianluca Franzosi by KO. Round 1
Adam Stroppa def. Stanislav Dascanio by TKO. Round 1
Taras Hnatchuk def. Hakim Bah by unanimous decision