Brutal KO’s Rock “Arēna Rīga” at “King of Kings” 122

Brutal KO’s Rock “Arēna Rīga” at “King of Kings” 122

A sold-out arena and thousands watching the livestream — the “King of Kings” 122 World Series, held on October 19, 2024, at “Arēna Rīga”, featured MMA and boxing match-ups that were all equally impossible to miss out on. 

With Džavadovs solidifying his legacy by claiming the KOK Interim World Championship title, Sudrabu Sirds’ respectable debut against Zutis in the ring, Skabarnieks’ excellent heel strike just 45 seconds in, Zīle’s victory and Bastida securing a career-defining knockout against the previously undefeated Sobol, this fight night will be one to remember for years to come. 

If you did miss the show, you’ll find the full replay on fightplus.eu!

Zaurs Džavadovs vs. Rodrigo Ferreira

Long-anticipated, the headliner fight only made it to the second round — Zaurs Džavadovs claimed the KOK Interim World Championship belt by defeating Brazilian kickboxer Rodrigo Ferreira, rounding up his overall standings to 42 wins.

Throughout his career, Zaurs has demonstrated his ability to finish fights early, and this was not the first time Džavadovs has finished a fight by knockout. In fact, many of his career wins have come via this route, including his notable first-round knockout of Rene Claassen to win the WKA European title back in 2009. He also knocked out Ferreira in their previous 2016 matchup for the European welterweight title.

Kristaps Zutis vs. Sudrabu Sirds

In his much-anticipated debut, rapper Deniss Jermakovs (known as Sudrabu Sirds), faced Latvian fighter Kristaps Zutis. Despite the valiant effort and support from the crowd, Jermakovs, with no previous professional combat experience, couldn’t match the seasoned fighter. Zutis secured a technical knockout (TKO) in roughly two minutes during the first round that left Jermakovs unable to continue​.

Notable moments in Kristaps’ career include a rapid knockout of British fighter Danny Williams in just 23 seconds back in 2019. Despite losing to opponents such as Bakhodir Jalolov, a world amateur champion, Zutis has consistently rebounded with wins, adding the victory against Jermakovs to his total tally — which is now 3-1 specifically in his MMA career.

Bogdan Sobol vs. Lucas Bryan Ariel Bastida

Fighting for the IBA Intercontinental Middleweight title, Bogdan Sobol faced a devastating defeat to North American champion Lucas Bastida, tainting his previously unblemished record of 18-0. 

After seven highly competitive rounds, known as “El Tornado”, Bastida lived up to his name and overwhelmed Sobol — the Argentine fighter cut in a powerful knockout which marked Sobol’s first career loss. Not only did this mark a turning point for Bastida, whose record improved to 22-3-1, but also raised questions about how Sobol will bounce back from his defeat.​

Until next time, “King of Kings”!

photo by Adam Blake

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