Matrix Fight Night 10 is set for Dubai in November. The promotion has not confirmed a date or venue yet but there are already two title fights on the card.
A featherweight title fight was announced earlier today. It will pit Matrix Fight Night veteran Sanjeet Budhwar against promotional newcomer Atabek Abdimitalipov with the newly minted belt on the line.
Budhwar (8-2) has fought six times for Matrix Fight Night and won four of those bouts. He started out with the now defunct Super Fight League and comes into this contest on the back of two consecutive victories.
Abdimitalipov (4-1) hails from Kyrgyzstan but appears to be based long term in Dubai. He was last seen dropping a decision to Abu Muslim Alikhanov at UAE Warriors 20.
https://twitter.com/mfn_mma/status/1573145458977153025?s=20&t=p7keZJixvKig94wzShhEYA
Strawweight title
As previously announced ONE Championship veterans Bi Nguyen and Puja Tomar 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.
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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
Sanjeet Budhwar vs. Atabek Abdimitalipov (For featherweight title)
Bi Nguyen vs. Puja Tomar (For bantamweight title)
