Starving South Australian mixed martial arts fans will get their live MMA fix this Sunday as new promotion Diamondback Fighting Championship debuts in the Adelaide Oval’s William Magarey room.
The area hasn’t played host to a major MMA event since now defunct local promotion, MMA Down Under, held their final offering at the Adelaide Arena over 14 months ago now. Just a few months prior, the UFC made their landmark SA debut with UFC Fight Night 65: Hunt vs Miocic at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
In what is a positive sign for the local market, fight fans have jumped on this opportunity with Diamondback FC officials announcing weeks ago that tickets for the event, over 1,000 of them released, had completely sold out.
Headlining the event will be an interstate middleweight clash between local fighter Shane Mitchell (9-3) and Queensland’s Matt Eland (6-5).
Mitchell has a solid record at home and recently put away veteran fighter Jeff King with punches at the previously mentioned MMADU 7. The 24 year-old, who trains out of the Cardio-Flex gym in Adelaide, will come well prepared for Sunday’s battle having recently spent time training alongside Hector Lombard at American Top Team in Florida.
Like Mitchell, Eland will have momentum on his side going into Sunday’s showdown, most recently stopping tough Kiwi fighter Jeremy Wharerau in what was a crowd pleasing encounter at Hex Fight Series 6.
Fight Card (Pro):
- Shane Mitchell vs. Matt Eland
- Luke Howard vs. Jasper Dunphy
- Jake Hearl vs. Michael Mannu
- Kosta Masmanidis vs. Raymart Quintana
- Matt Dockrill vs. Cain Hauschild
- Goran Olujic vs. Alan Hartley
- Rainer Fumera vs. Kerry Smith
Fight Card (Amateur):
- Steve Brown vs. Jake Chynoweth
- Josh Frank vs. Nick Edwards
- Dan Currie vs. John Giannakolopolous
- Alen Rusmir vs. Julian Whyithe
