Matrix Fight Night 10 is set for Dubai in November. The promotion has not confirmed a date or venue yet but the first fight has been announced and it will put together two ONE Championship veterans.
Bi Nguyen (6-8) and Puja Tomar (6-4) will face off with the inaugural strawweight title on the line. The American was released by ONE Championship earlier this year after winning just two out of her seven fights.
But among Nguyen’s two wins was a split decision victory over Ritu Phogat which might have made some headlines in India. The 32 year old has been handed a title shot on her promotional debut.
Tomar lost three out of her four fights for the promotion. But the two did face off under Muay Thai rules in 2019 with Nguyen handed a debatable split decision win by the judges in Vietnam.
Hometown hero 🇻🇳 Bi Nguyen returns to the winner's circle with a hard-earned split decision victory over Indian hero Puja Tomar! @killerbeemma #WeAreONE #ImmortalTriumph #HoChiMinh #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/2bbXkBwqR0
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) September 6, 2019
New destination
This will be one of four title fights on the Matrix Fight Night 10 card. It will be the Indian promotion’s first fight card in Dubai for over a year, the last three events have all taken place in India.
But there appears to have been a change of strategy after the riot that erupted at Matrix Fight Night 9. A mob of Afghans chased after Srikant Sekhar who had allegedly been taunting the crowd.
According to reports the mob was led by Matrix Fight Night star Abdul Azim Badakhshi who broke Sekhar’s jaw with a sucker punch. Afterwards promoter Ayesha Shroff announced that Afghan fighters had been banned from competing on her cards.
View this post on Instagram
Awkward situation
The situation was awkward because Badakhshi also happens to be the boyfriend of Kishu Shroff, her daughter. The bantamweight had emerged as the promotion’s biggest star but appears to have been permanently banned.
Matrix Fight Night will be putting a bantamweight belt on the line in November. According to a promotional video released yesterday the title will be contested by a fighter from India and a fighter from Pakistan.
In total there will be four titles on the line at Matrix Fight Night 10 although only one of those bouts has been confirmed.
Matrix Fight Night 10, Dubai, TBA
Bi Nguyen vs. Puja Tomar (For bantamweight title)
