Mixed Martial Arts

Martial artists take part in a selection round to qualify for the Dragon Fight League which will be held from August in HCM City. Photo courtesy of MCV

HCM CITY — The newly launched Dragon Fight League (DFL) promises to be a strong base for mixed martial artists to fly high in the sport.

A selection process started on June 11 and will close on June 16 to find 40 strong mixed martial artists to compete for the league's first belts in the next few months in HCM City.

According to famed action actor Johnny Trí Nguyễn, general director of the league, the competitors will take part in five weight categories ranging from 55kg to 69kg.

The quarter-finals will be held on August 26; semi-finals on September 23 and finals on October 21.

Winners and losers of every round will receive cash bonuses. Among them, the champions will walk away with VNĐ24 million and a prestigious belt while his losers will bag VNĐ16 million.

"Fighters are key to the success of the tournament. The DFL organisers will create best conditions to support them during competition," said Nguyễn at a press conference earlier this month.

Master Jimmy Trí Nguyễn speaks at the press conference launching the DFL tournament.

"A million-view thrilling match will not only gather famous fighters but also find potential martial artists who will compete with passion and determination," said Nguyễn who took part in organising successful events such as Mekong Fighting Championship and Coco Championship previously.

"Bravery, strong mind and high determination are critical elements that we will use to choose fighters at the selection.

"At DFL, we highlight equality and will help athletes to reach their dreams of being a professional MMA fighter. DFL is not about winning or losing, our awards are meant to celebrate and encourage hard practice and improvement."

Nguyễn, also a Kung Fu master, added that most of Vietnamese artists had no experience fighting at pro stages where they were nervous and could not show off their talent.

DFL would play a role of a base that nurtures and lifts them to higher levels and become favourite artists in the near future.

Organisers want to make sure the audience will witness eye-catching bouts with dedicated fighters dedicated contributing their best efforts to win.

The DFL is organised by MCV Sports and Entertainment Corporation which works on producing sports content, sports programmes copyright and technology applications exclusively for sports and entertainment.

The DFL, at Liên Phong MMA Centre, will be live broadcast on VTVcab's channels and app and livestreamed on MCV's social networks. VNS