Mixed Martial Arts

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trúc of Việt Nam competing in the Lion Championship's semi-final last week in Hà Nội. Trúc will take part in the AFC 21 event on October 29 in Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu. Photo courtesy of VNMMAF

HÀ NỘI — The famed South Korean mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation Angel's Fighting Championship (AFC) will be held in Việt Nam for the first time on Saturday. 

AFC 21 will be the first to be held outside of South Korea. It will also be the first MMA event in Việt Nam to count towards fighters' professional records. 

The event at the Grand Hồ Tràm Strip Hotel in Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu will have six fights of two five-minute rounds, while the fight of the night will be three five-minute rounds. 

The Việt Nam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VNMMAF) has worked closely with Cocky Buffalo Gym to bring the AFC to Việt Nam.

"I am really excited because the tournament will finally happen. It is also good news that managers of the AFC and the VNMMAF, who all agreed to develop this event in Việt Nam," said Kim Sang Bum of Cocky Buffalo. Kim is also an AFC representative in Việt Nam.

The card features fighters from Việt Nam, South Korea and Brazil. 

The main event was supposed to be a bout between Russian Aleksei Filonenko and Sang Wook Kim, but Filonenko was forced to pull out on Friday due to injury. He has been replaced with Lê Văn Thế Anh, who scored the fastest knockout at last weekend's Lion Championship. 

The undercard bouts are; Lê Văn Tuần vs Chang Bin Park; Nguyễn Tiến Long vs Han Kil Choi; Võ Thanh Tùng vs Dong Jo Joo; Ngô Hồng Giang vs Yun Seong Jang; Jin Min Kim vs Brazilian Martins; and Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trúc vs Seong Un Choi which is the only match of female fighters.

A promotional poster for AFC 21, from before Aleksei Filonenko was forced to pull out.

The AFC has been regularly organised in South Korea since October 2016. To date, 25 events have been successfully held featuring almost 150 fighters.

As well as a sports event, the AFC raises charity money. Part of the proceeds from the fights will be used to free surgery for poor children with cleft palate in Việt Nam.

"The tournament is not just a playing ground for MMA fighters. We expect to inspire people to try MMA themselves," Kim said.

"A group of South Korea's leading doctors will travel to Việt Nam. They will test and conduct surgeries free of charge for underprivileged children with cleft palate," Kim said.

The AFC 21 will be live on FPT Play and Cocky Buffalo's Youtube. VNS