Annabelle Merlier and Lauranne Maarar, in the middle of a fight last year.
Photo Julie Desbois
“From the struggle for projection, immobilization and submission to the ground. The goal is to force the opponent to give up and knock them out. » The tone is set for this 16th edition of the Knock Out Championship (KOC), returning to the Vauzelles complex this Saturday October 7. The poster is beautiful, very beautiful in fact, both in terms of the planned fights and the visuals of the event, a photograph of last year’s professional women’s fight (see box).
Last year, the wolf threw his opponent by making him do all four corners of the cage.
International fighters
Fourteen fights are therefore on display, nine amateurs of 3×3 minutes and five professionals of 3×5 minutes. All in a mesh octagon perfect for the show for the third year in a row, however with a little novelty: an amateur tournament “with four fighters under 66 kg who will be able to warm up, test themselves and get used to each other”.
One of the intense fights from last year.
Photo Julie Desbois
The ball will be opened by Clément Tonnaud, a student of the Académie Pythagore Cognac (1) against Elie Gaborieau from the YoFox academy in Poitiers, a big team invited every year, in the -56 kg category. Other clubs accustomed to the KOC will make their return to Cognac lands such as the Portuguese MMASORI, represented by Thiago Ryan De Assis in a pro fight -61 kg against Giovanni Fernandez from the Pythagore Academy, who is the son of the organizer of the tournament.
Particularly anticipated, the last fight should not fail to ensure the show. “In the less than 120 kg category, the wolf will be a hit. He is a top wrestler. Last year, he threw his opponent by making him do all four corners of the cage. » It will be Chem’s Djaffal, from the Pythagore Academy in Bordeaux against Nusret Kurtiviz from the Wery Fighting Academy located in Haut-Rhin.
(1) Structure created in 1997 by Frédéric Fernandez and his brother Emmanuel, present today in Cognac, Angoulême, Bordeaux, Périgueux and Anglet, at the origin of this Knock-out Championship and the development of the discipline in France.
The KOC will take place on Saturday October 7 at the Vauzelles complex in Cognac. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the gala will begin at 7:30 p.m. The place is 15€ in advance and 20€ on site, the event is free for children under 10 years old.
The star fighters on the poster for the 2023 edition
“You see, we put women forward! »smiles a teasing Frédéric Fernandez, in front of the KOC 2023 poster. Last year, the clash between Lauranne Maarar, who was supposed to come and take her revenge and ultimately could not do so due to a broken finger, and Annabelle Merlier, who has since stopped competitions, had been crowned “best fight of the evening” in front of a heated audience of 2,300 people. Due to the lack of a replacement for Lauranne Maarar, who was to fight a boxer from Perpignan, the professional women’s fight -52 kg was replaced by an amateur fight in the same category.
2023-10-03 17:57:46
#Cognac #KOC #uppercut #Vauzelles
