Superior Challenge has loaded up on their 18th card as part of their 10 year anniversary. The card puts one title on the line, three IMMAF World Champions, four UFC vets, and a Finn versus Swede main event rematch. Superior Challenge 18 goes down in Stockholm at the Fitnessfestivalen.
There are 12 fights on the card. The event will kick off and end with a Finnkamp, and first is Swede Fannie Redman, an IMMAF Europen Open winner, taking on Finn Tiia Kohtamäki that will be looking for her first pro win in her third fight
The most dominant IMMAF fighter to date Irman Smajik (0-0) will face another Sweden based heavyweight fighter in Malik Jahmaze (0-2) to start the undercard. 7 wins in a row as an amateur will bring the much hyped “People’s Champion”, the 2017 MMA Viking Amateur of the Year, to the Superior cage for his debut.
Two fantastic Sweden prospects will start their MMA careers with an evenly contested fight as Anna Astvik will face Elin Öberg. Both have represented Sweden at IMMAF events, with Astvik winning both the 2018 IMMA European Championships and 2017 IMMAF World Championships. Öberg lost her 2018 IMMAF bid with a split decision loss in the first round.
Adam Westlund will make his pro debut. The boxer out of Gävle will face grappler Christopher Jeanpier Basauri in a 75 KG bout.
Forca Fighting’s Bartosz Wojcik (1-0) won at Superior Challenge 17 and will look for his second pro win over the experienced Lucas Tenorio (7-8-1).
IMMAF world champ Serdar Altas (2-0) and wrestler Bilal Musa (2-3) will face-off in battle of Sweden based fighters. Sweden’s IMMAF World champ stopped UK’s IMMAF European open champion Jake Bond (1-2) at Fight Club Rush 3 in August. The Uppsala fighter also won at the last Superior Challenge event in May by headkick. Including his amateur bouts he has won an impressive 11 fights in a row. Musa has not been in the cage since Trophy MMA 8 in March of 2016. The Malmö resident however is undefeated in Superior Challenge, winning at both SC 8 and SC 10.
IMMAF European Champion Rostem Akman (3-0-0) secured his third TKO stoppage against Holivan Vieira (2-7-0) at Superior Challenge 17, and will be looking for his fourth against Shah Hussain Saturday night as he headlines the undercard.
The six fight main card kicks off with SC vet out of Allstars Training Center Michel Ersoy taking on Frances Fouad Mesdari in a 68 kilogram catchweight.
Guram Kutateladze (9-2-0) had his best performance of his career with a dominant win over Brazilian Erick da Silva (22-6) at Brave 16 in September and now looks to continue his winning ways against another Brazilian veteran Guilherme Cadena Martins (23-14).
Sweden’s David Bielkheden (25-12) is back at Superior Challenge 18. It will be the fourth title defense for Allstars Training Center fighter and an opportunity to win nine straight bouts. The UFC and Pride veteran will face Marcin Bandel (18-5-1) for the welterweight belt. “Bomba” is also a UFC veteran. He is out of Poland and on a two fight winning streak.
Swedish light heavyweight Karl Albrektsson (7-2) will face UFC veteran Josh Stansbury (8-4) as a co-main to earn a shot at the Superior Challenge title. The RIZIN vet out of Pancrase gym will face the American that lost his last two fights, both in the UFC. The King will have his hands full against the TUF vet to take a step closer to the belt.
Nico Musoke (13-5-1) will finally make his return to the cage. The UFC veteran will now continue his career with Superior Challenge after a 4-year run in the Octagon. The Swede fought at Superior Challenge 5 and 6 in 2010, and is now booked to face Daniel Acacio with the winner earning a middleweight title shot.
Swede Simon Sköld (8-6) was on a six fight winning streak heading into Superior Challenge 17 in the co-main event. The Swede however was submitted by Finnish wrestler Jerry Kvarnström (14-11) in the third round in a fight full of action from both fighters. Now, the two are set for another Finnkamp battle to end the evening in Stockholm.
The rematch will be at a catchweight of 67 kilograms and is set for the main event of the evening.
