We’re thrilled to confirm the 9th matchup for “BAZARA 0 Fight Club II”: on May 8th, Aleksandrs Čerkesovs will settle a score with Damian Ciechanowski at 77 kilograms under “B0 Kick Fight” rules!

This event unfolds at the state-of-the-art LED Unit studio in Riga, one of Europe’s most advanced LED production facilities powered by Unreal Engine, and is particularly intriguing — it pits a Latvian national champion against a hard-hitting Polish MMA fighter with a striking-heavy background rooted in the Dutch school of fighting.

Read more about our previous fight announcements & fighter records, backgrounds & SlotsFighter insights:

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!

Aleksandrs Čerkesovs, 25, is one of Latvia’s most skilled Muay Thai and K-1 athletes of recent years. Fighting out of “Tkachenko Team” in Riga, Čerkesovs trains under Igors Tkačenko, sharing mats with elite Baltic fighters such as Zaur Džavadovs, Sergejs Maslobojevs, Jurijs Orlovs, and Raimonds Aukštikalnis.

Over the years, he’s built up his titles both domestically and internationally. Čerkesovs is a multiple-time Latvian and Baltic champion in the K-1 discipline. His breakthrough came in 2021, when he fought Dutch standout Bodhin Winter in Riga for the WAK-1F Pro-Am K-1 world championship belt — a five-round war that Čerkesovs won by decision, calling it one of the hardest and most valuable victories of his career.

In 2023, he went on to place third at the WAKO World Kickboxing Championships (amateur level) in Portugal, earning Latvia a podium spot on the global stage.

He followed that up with a strong start to 2024, traveling to Abu Dhabi for a professional bout against Moroccan fighter Hamza Rachid — a back-and-forth contest that ultimately went to the local fighter on the judges’ cards. But Čerkesovs bounced back in spectacular fashion later that year, winning a four-man professional tournament at the Yakuza Fight event in Estonia, marking his first professional four-fight run.

Earlier in his career, Čerkesovs also made waves by winning the Baltic Muay Thai Open in Kaunas in 2019, dispatching both Estonian and Lithuanian opponents to take gold in the 75 kilogram division. That same year, he reached the semifinals at the IFMA European Championships, securing a bronze medal for Latvia. Last season, he challenged for the WKN Baltic Kickboxing title, narrowly losing by decision to a veteran opponent.

Now entering the “BAZARA 0” cage on a three-fight win streak (including two knockouts), Čerkesovs looks sharper than ever. The BAZARA 0 “Kick Fight” rules will suit him fine; 10 oz gloves are standard in his kickboxing matches, and clinch work with quick releases, as expected under these rules, aligns with his comfort zones.

Facing Čerkesovs: Damian Ciechanowski from Wrocław, Poland, known to his peers simply as “Ciechan”. The 30-year-old stands at 182 centimeters and competes at 70–75 kg, bringing with him over 15 years of experience in professional combat sports — primarily in MMA.

Ciechanowski holds a professional MMA record of 7 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw, with 2 victories coming by knockout. He’s a bronze medalist at the European Championships, a three-time Polish MMA vice-champion, and has competed at the Polish Championships six times between 2018 and 2024, collecting multiple medals along the way. He’s also fought internationally at the European Championships in the Czech Republic (2022) and most recently in Austria (2024).

“I like to take shots and give them right back,” Damian tells SlotsFighter. “My strongest weapons are my legs — I can strike from any angle, and my fists land hard.”

Ciechanowski trains out of Nexus Fight D.C., ProgressGym Wrocław, MMA Solo Team and Karakan Team, and is managed by GZ FIGHT MANAGEMENT. He credits a trio of respected Polish coaches — Krystian Krupiński, Maciek Duczak, and Dawid Kareciński — and regularly shares mats with top talent in Poland’s surging regional MMA and K-1 circuit.

His striking was sharpened through international stints in the Netherlands with Danny Hoving and Rene Jagt, both respected veterans of the Dutch circuit. Damian cites Israel Adesanya as his biggest influence.

Fighting for the first time in Latvia, Ciechanowski will be looking to make a serious impact — and a win over someone like Čerkesovs would send a clear message. While he’s stepping into his opponent’s home turf, he’s no stranger to adversity and won’t hesitate to test Čerkesovs early. Čerkesovs is skilled, but Damian is all action. In every fight, he aims to entertain, hurt, and win.

This will be interesting. Be there to see it in person, or catch the livestream!

TICKETS EXCLUSIVELY ON SLOTSFIGHTER!

For those who can’t make it in person, the event will be livestreamed for free on SlotsFighter.com.