MMA brothers in arms!
Fighters from around the country and beyond will descend on Cork city this weekend to compete in Leeside’s newest amateur MMA event.
This Saturday at 6.30pm at Na Piarsaigh GAA Club, Fair Hill, the inaugural Fares Fighting Championship, billed as FFC1, will get underway.
The first fight will start at 7pm with a schedule of 13 fights in total throughout the evening. As well as Irish fighters from every corner of the country, three Portuguese fighters will also be traveling to Cork to compete.
The FFC was created by Cork brothers Flobater and Abanoub Fares who are both professional MMA fighters and have over 24 years of experience between them in the sport.
“MMA has been our life. I’ve been training for over ten years and Abanoub for more than 14,” said Flobater, 21, who made his professional debut in Abu Dhabi this year with a win over Moroccan fighter Hafid Bendari.
He continued: “Growing up, there was always an Irish show every few months that gave us the chance to build our amateur careers. Those events shaped us, and now we want to give the same platform to the next generation of fighters.
“Over the years, we’ve been to hundreds of MMA events, at home and abroad. We’ve seen the best of what shows can offer and also the worst.
“With FFC, we’ve taken all the good things that make an event special, learned from the bad, and put everything together to create something new for Cork,” said Flobater.
The goal of the FFC is simple: to give Irish fighters a proper stage to gain experience, develop, and showcase their talent.
“As professionals ourselves, we know how vital that opportunity is. That’s why we’re so excited to launch FFC right here in Cork,” said Flobater.
Tickets are on sale now via eventbrite.com. Search Fares Fighting Championship 1. All ages are welcome to attend and there will be free parking available on the night.