MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee takes a look back at recent overlooked battles, including a kickboxer losing their lunch, a wild exchange leading to a fighter getting knocked stiff, spinning and winning, and more!
Billy Pasulatan (5-2) vs. Brando Mamana (9-3)
A light schedule this week from the larger regional promotions gives us a chance to look at some international promotions that don’t often grace this preview series. The first stop this week is Indonesia, where One Pride MMA is set to host its 41st “Fight Night” show. The key contest of the night is a strawweight title affair between champion Billy Pasulatan and challenger Brando Mamana. These two men fought once before, in 2019, with Mamana tapping Pasulatan in the first round.
Sulut MMA’s Pasulatan is seven fights into his pro career. The taekwondo practitioner lost his 2017 debut to Zaenudin, but he rebounded with four straight wins, including two via kimura submission. The One Pride mainstay then suffered the loss to Mamana, which came by way of a rear-naked choke. Despite this stumble, Pasulatan returned to action a year later as the challenger against Gunawan and ended up claiming the strap with an 86-second submission fin
Image via The Golden Cage
Italy is as sports-crazed as any country on earth, but so far, mixed martial arts has not caught on inside its famous, boot-shaped border. The Golden Cage, an upstart MMA promotion based in Rome, is hoping to change that.
TGC is the brainchild of President Luigi Perillo, a tax lawyer and the president of the Swiss MMA Federation, and Steve Dapper, a music industry executive and expert in linguistics. After two successful events in 2017 and 2018, the TGC team will promote its third this Saturday in Rome. The card, which will feature 10 pro bouts and 10 amateur bouts, will mark the promotion’s debut on UFC FIGHT PASS.