Over the course of 2014, Opatija will be one of the main launch points for all young European fighters looking to break through to the fighting elite thanks to no less than four Futures series events which are to be organized in Opatija by Final Fight Championship in cooperation with Opatija Fight Club.
A media conference was held on Thursday to provide detailed information on the FFC events in Opatija, including plans and confirmed dates of all four events. The first FFC Futures will be held in Opatija on March 1 in the "Marino Cvetkovic" sports hall, and the remaining three are scheduled for May 3, September 6 and November 8.
"Opatija will host all the events from the FFC Futures series in 2014, and in addition to young and talented fighters from all parts of Europe, 80 of them in each event, combat sports fans will have the opportunity to watch some of the best known fighting names around. Twelve fights in total will be held in the evening part of the program which will be aired live all over the world, and the main MMA event will be Stipe Bekavac vs Eddie Sanchez. The latter is already well-known to many fans thanks to his numerous fights in the UFC, where he also faced Mirko Filipovic. We will soon reveal the name of Ivan Stanic's opponent, and the fighter in question is also very attractive," FFC president Orsat Zovko revealed during his stay in Opatija.
FFC Futures is a unique concept on the European combat sports scene. More than 80 fighters will participate in each event, eight-man tournaments will be held in all the weight classes under K-1 and MMA rules. Quarterfinal bouts will start from 9 A.M., while semifinals are scheduled to start at 2 P.M. By purchasing a ticket priced as low as 50 and 70 HRK on pre-order, viewers will be able to enjoy a full-day event starting in the morning, while the cutting-edge produced evening program starting at 8 P.M. consists of 12 professional fights featuring the headline stars and tournament finalists.
"Opatija Fight Night and FFC Futures have fused together in a way, and the event will be called FFC Futures Opatija, and thanks to this I can say I'm extremely proud that fighting fans from the entire region will be able to see some of the most attractive fighters in the world right here in Opatija," OFC president Mladen Kranjcec said.
It was also revealed that fighter will be able to sign up for participation in FFC Futures from Monday, February 3, when all the remaining details regarding this project will be announced. The project has been met with extremely positive reactions on the combat sports scene, and fighters from all corners of Europe have announced their arrival. Many fighters see FFC Futures as an ideal opportunity to develop their careers and break through to the elite.