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In beautiful Finland, Suomi International is the location as more than nineteen thousand congregate for the clash of fates that is the Nordic Fire Championship. NFC 135: Tolonen vs. Da Man is scheduled for February 18th, 2012, an event headlined with a battle between the #1 and #5 superheavyweight fighters on the globe today. The action is backed up with a championship match to decide the NFC Light Heavyweight Championship of the world, along with a match between the former #1 in the world at 205 facing an up-and-comer looking to rebound from a tough loss to the current champ.
The action on the main card begins with a welterweight fight between James Kirk (13-4-0) and Waldorf Astoria (28-8-0). A still-young BJJ black belt at 24, Kirk ran rampant through NFC: Challengers and won his first three fights for the main company. However, back-to-back losses have derailed his momentum, and the heavy-handed youngster is looking to get back in the winner's column against "The World Renowned." An elite boxer and already a member of hall of fames at the age of 28, Astoria was once considered THE best welterweight in the world. Since joining the NFC originally at lightweight, Astoria dropped two in a row by knockout in his most recent fights. Rejoining the NFC at his original weight class, the New York native is looking to use this fight as a stepping stone to reclaiming his former glory.
Next is a lightweight bout in which Victor Reinhardt (25-10-0) faces Seppo Taalasmaa (26-13-0). "Bloodlust", as he is known, is an Algerian-born scrapper comes out to kill or be killed- 12 of his wins have been by knockout. Debuting in the Nordic Fire Championship with a win over NFC Challengers champion JaKaSa Chaos, the heavy-handed Reinhardt is looking to build off of his submission victory at NFC 132. He will not have an easy ride against Finland's own Seppo "Suppo" Taalasmaa. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the 28-year old has earned a reputation as a "Bone Collector"- 10 of his victories have been by submission. Returning to the NFC after a stint in Challengers, this will be Seppo's first fight in NFC since knocking out Valdemar Friman in July of 2011.
Following this match is a fight in the light heavyweight division between two of the world's elite- Urho Itaniemi (29-11-1) faces Sun Wukong (18-5-0). This is an interesting matchup not only for the talent involved, but the situation in which it arised. Both fighters walk into the octagon coming off of losses to current champion Gristle McThornbody. Urho Itaniemi at the age of 28 has already proved himself to be one of the best 205ers to fight in the NFC. A renowned finisher of fights with 22 knockouts on his record, Itaniemi made a name for himself by upending the first light heavyweight champion. He's looking to build on that reputation against "Son Goku". The 26-year old Chinese prospect made his debut at NFC 114 and has since racked up a 3-2 record in the Nordic Fighting Championship. With 12 of his 18 wins by KO or TKO, Wukong is also heavy handed and is attempting to regain the form that earned him three KO wins in a row. Expect fireworks!
The co-main event of the evening has the Nordic Fire Championship Light Heavyweight championship on the line. Gristle McThornbody (25-4-0) will face Simon Adebisi (20-5-0) for the belt. The current champ, McThornbody comes into the match with only one loss in his last twenty-two fights. A feared knockout artist, Gristle burst onto the NFC scene with three straight knockout victories, two of them in title fights. With four KO of The Night bonuses under his belt in his career, McThornbody is looking to add to that along with retaining his title. However, he faces possibly the best submission fighter at 205 today in Simon Adebisi. With 15 of his 20 victories achieved by forcing his opponent to tap out, Abedisi rebounded from a loss to Esko Morko with a methodical dismantling of top contender and BJJ Black belt Ming Xin. Both fighters are planning to come out of the cage with the belt come fight night.
The main event, of course, is Iiro Tolonen (30-8-0) facing Paco Da Man (20-4-1). A hall of famer and the first ever NFC champion, Tolonen is a 6'9" freak of nature and an imposing figure to see standing across the canvas from you- and for good reason. The 31 year old Finn is considered the best at Superheavyweight today and has six fight win streak and 23 TKO victories on his record to back it up. He may face his toughest opponent yet in Paco. The Dutchman last suffered a loss in March- of 2011. A tough-as-nails fighter making his NFC debut, he headlines an exciting night of fights bound to whet the appetite of any MMA fan.
On the undercard: Welterweight: Eric Cartman (19-6-1) vs. Ratt Hughes (24-11-0) Lightweight: Sami Salama (18-9-0) vs. Frank Andersson (11-3-0) Welterweight: Huey Freeman (19-11-0) vs. Korto Grepplund (18-12-0) Welterweight: Maddy Rock (21-11-0) vs. Palkki Niskavuori (15-7-0) Middleweight: Carlos Arienzo (12-4-0) vs. Mike The Meth Addict (18-11-0)
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