Australian Fighting Championship

Last updated

Australian Fighting Championship
Company typePrivate
Industry Mixed martial arts promotion
Founded2010
FounderAdam Milankovic
Headquarters
Key people
Kelly Seif, Shaun McIntyre
Website http://afcmma.com.au/

Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) was an Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation based in Melbourne. In 2013, AFC was described as Australia's leading MMA organisation by MMA Kanvas [1] and was part of Sherdog's list of top 50 global MMA organisations (2014). Since AFC 4, all events were successfully streamed live via pay-per-view.

Contents

AFC was the second-ranked Australasian promotion in 2013 according to MMA media outlet Fight Sport Asia. [2] AFC CEO Adam Milankovic has had multiple media appearances promoting the sport of MMA to the public. AFC has showcased the talents of elite Australian and New Zealand mixed martial artists alongside international talent. [3] 2017 saw the expansion of the promotion into Mainland China and a major rebranding to the Australasian Fighting Championship (AFC). [4]

Cage ban

The 2008 "cage ban" in Victoria meant MMA competitions, while legal, had to be conducted inside a boxing ring and not a purpose built cage (with the exception of AFC 9 in Albury, New South Wales). [5] In the Victorian State election in November 2014, The Victorian branch of the Labor Party campaigned to revoke the cage ban. With success in the election the ban is set to be repealed allowing AFC to promote MMA in a caged enclosure to ensure optimum safety of fighters. [6]

Final champions

DivisionUpper weight limitChampionSinceTitle defenses
Heavyweight 265 lb (120 kg; 18.9 st) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tai Tuivasa 15 October 20160
Light Heavyweight 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) Flag of Cameroon.svg Rameau Sokoudjou 28 October 20170
Middleweight 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) Flag of Finland.svg Glenn Sparv7 April 20180
Welterweight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Theo Christakos7 April 20181
Lightweight 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Blake Donnelly1 December 20190
Featherweight 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alexander Volkanovski 19 March 20160
Bantamweight 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) Flag of Brazil.svg Gustavo Falciroli 17 May 20140

Australian Fighting Championship Title history

Australian Fighting Championship Heavyweight Championship

Weight limit: 120 kg (264.6 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Soa Palelei
def. Joe Kielur
AFC 3
Geelong, Australia
14 April 2012

1. def. Sean McCorkle at AFC 4 on 7 December 2012

Palelei vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.
2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brandon Sosoli
def. Andre Meunier
AFC 13
Melbourne, Australia
14 June 2015
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tai Tuivasa AFC 16
Melbourne, Australia
18 June 2016

1. def. James McSweeney at AFC 16 on 15 October 2016

Tuivasa vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.

Australian Fighting Championship Light Heavyweight Championship

Weight limit: 93 kg (205.0 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Abdallah
def. Daniel Almeida
AFC 12
Melbourne, Australia
22 March 2015

1. def. Randall Rayment at AFC 14 on 12 September 2015

2 Flag of Cameroon.svg Rameau Sokoudjou AFC 21
Melbourne, Australia
28 October 2017

Australian Fighting Championship Middleweight Championship

Weight limit: 84 kg (185.2 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steven Kennedy
def. Manuel Rodriguez
AFC 7
Melbourne, Australia
14 December 2013
Kennedy vacated the title.
2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Zein Saliba
def. Daniel Way
AFC 12
Melbourne, Australia
22 March 2015
Saliba vacated the title.
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rob Wilkinson
def. Jamie Abdallah
AFC 15
Melbourne, Australia
19 March 2016
Wilkinson vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.
4 Flag of Nigeria.svg Israel Adesanya
def. Melvin Guillard
AFC 20
Melbourne, Australia
28 July 2017
Adesanya vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.
5 Flag of Finland.svg Glenn Sparv
def. Stu Dare
AFC 22
Melbourne, Australia
7 April 2018

Australian Fighting Championship Welterweight Championship

Weight limit: 77 kg (169.8 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jacob S Lee
def. Callan Potter
AFC 9
Melbourne, Australia
17 May 2014
2 Flag of El Salvador.svg Manuel Rodriguez AFC 14
Melbourne, Australia
12 September 2015
Rodriquez vacated the title after suffering an early first round loss to 24-year-old Jacob Stephen Lee, securing Jacob’s 4th championship victory 2 Feb 2016.
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry O'Meara
def. Anton Zafir 22 Dec 2016
AFC 22
Gold Coast, Australia
2 February 2016 – 7 May 2019

1. def. Jennys Box by way of knock out in the first second of the first round during AFC 5 on 10 May 2017
2. def. Greg Goodchild by way of technical knock out to end. this flattened Gregs nose AFC 6 on 24 August 2018

Australian Fighting Championship Lightweight Championship

Weight limit: 70 kg (154.3 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1 Flag of New Zealand.svg Dan Hooker
def. Rusty McBride
AFC 3
Geelong, Australia
14 April 2012

1. def. Rusty McBride at AFC 5 on 10 May 2013
2. def. Nick Patterson at AFC 6 on 24 August 2013

Hooker vacated the title when he signed with the UFC.
2 Flag of Brazil.svg Bernardo Magalhaes
def. Kieran Joblin
AFC 10
Albury-Wodonga, Australia
16 August 2014
Magalhaes vacated the title.
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Issac Hardman
def. James Bishop
AFC 19
Shaanxi, China
15 April 2017

1. def. Rob Hill at AFC 21 on 28 October 2017

Australian Fighting Championship Featherweight Championship

Weight limit: 66 kg (145.5 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alexander Volkanovski
def. James Bishop
AFC 13
Melbourne, Australia
14 June 2015

1. def. Jamie Mullarkey at AFC 15 on 15 August 2016

Volkanovski vacated the title when he signed with the UFC.

Australian Fighting Championship Bantamweight Championship

Weight limit: 62 kg (136.7 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1 Flag of Brazil.svg Gustavo Falciroli
def. Kai Kara-France
AFC 9
Melbourne, Australia
17 May 2014

Scheduled events

#Event TitleDateArenaLocation

Past events

#Event TitleDateArenaLocation
23AFC 231 December 2019Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
22AFC 227 April 2018Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
22 AFC 21 28 October 2017Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
21 AFC 20 28 July 2017Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
20 AFC 19 15 April 2017AFC Arena Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
19 AFC 18 14 April 2017AFC Arena Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
18 AFC 17 15 October 2016Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
17 AFC 16 18 June 2016Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
16 AFC 15 19 March 2016Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
15 AFC 14 12 September 2015Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
14 AFC 13 14 June 2015Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
13 AFC 12 22 March 2015Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
12 AFC 11 22 November 2014Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
11 AFC 10 16 August 2014Bunton Park Albury, Australia
10 AFC 9 17 May 2014Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
9 AFC 8 22 February 2014Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
8 AFC 7 10 May 2013Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
7 AFC 6 24 August 2013Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
6 AFC 5 14 December 2013Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
5 AFC 4 7 December 2012Melbourne Pavilion Melbourne, Australia
4 AFC 3 14 April 2012 Geelong Arena Geelong, Australia
3 AFC 2 3 September 2011 Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre Melbourne, Australia
2 AFC Fight Night 25 June 2011 State Netball & Hockey Centre Melbourne, Australia
1 AFC 1 12 November 2010 State Netball & Hockey Centre Melbourne, Australia

[7]

Notable alumni

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References

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  2. "Fight Sport Asia's 2013 Asian MMA Awards Results - FSA - FightSport Asia". FSA - FightSport Asia. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  3. "Australian Fighting Championship heads to Melbourne for Saturday's AFC 7 - FSA - FightSport Asia". FSA - FightSport Asia. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  4. "The latest on Australian Fighting Championship 18 and the promotion's china expansion". Fight News Australia. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  5. "The cage-fighting boom - all that's missing is the cage". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. "Victorian state election opens door to UFC mega-event in Melbourne". FSA - FightSport Asia.
  7. Sherdog.com. "Australian Fighting Championship Fights, Fight Cards, Videos, Pictures, Events and more". Sherdog. Retrieved 4 September 2017.