Riga is getting heated, and for a damn good reason. The King of Kings (KOK) 122 World Series is set to take place on October 19, 2024, at “Arēna Rīga”!
The main event is a rematch between Latvian fighter Zaurs Džavadovs and Rodrigo Ferreira, a Brazilian kickboxer recently signed to “GLORY”, the world’s top kickboxing organization. These two first met in 2016, with Džavadovs taking the win in a battle for the European kickboxing crown. Now, Ferreira is back, hungry for revenge, and with the KOK World Championship belt on the line. Džavadovs has been training alongside UFC stars in Thailand in preparation for this fight, which will determine the interim KOK World Champion in his weight class.
Only adding to the hype, Kristaps Zīle is stepping back into the ring after a lengthy hiatus. His upcoming match against Jan Pelak comes with a significant background: Pelak, Poland’s heavyweight, previously defeated Kristaps Zutis in a match held in Tallinn, Estonia. In a rematch earlier this year, Zutis sought to avenge the loss but ultimately settled for a draw after four rounds.
And, speaking of Zutis, he’s got his own grudge match. In addition to the stacked fight card, one of the most anticipated matchups at KOK 122 is Kristaps Zutis vs Deniss Jermakovs, better known as Sudrabu Sirds. This will be Jermakov’s debut MMA fight. The hype surrounding this matchup is huge, as it pits an experienced fighter against a newcomer.
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In an exclusive interview with SlotsFighter, when asked why he chose to fight Zutis, Jermakovs revealed it’s all about testing his own limits. “I wanted to see how strong I am. Who better to do it with than Kristaps? He’s the most suitable candidate.”
Jermakovs didn’t hold back in explaining that part of the reason for calling out Zutis is his controversial image. “He’s always getting into scandals, picking fights with people who won’t or can’t defend themselves. That’s not right, and that’s why I challenged him.”
Despite being a newcomer to professional MMA, Jermakovs feels confident. “I’ve never fought professionally, but the experience of being on stage should help me here. Nothing much changes, apart from the fact we’ll be throwing fists. I hear in interviews that he’s coming for easy money. I wish him the same confidence in our fight. Zutis will be stripped bare in the first or second round. This fight won’t last three rounds. Zutis’ big bucket will get slapped red — and he’ll get tickets to all my shows!”
Kristaps Zutis also had a few words to say about the fight. He brushed off the idea that he’s nervous, stating bluntly, “For me, Sudrabu Sirds is just another day in the office.” In true Zutis fashion, he didn’t mince words about the social media buzz surrounding the fight: “He posted that Instagram video saying I was scared, and what surprised me the most were all the people agreeing. People I’ve trained with, Daņiks, Čižovs. Man, f**k. What has Zutis ever been afraid of?”
Zutis admitted, “I’m not training for this. I play Counter Strike every day.” He also acknowledged the low-risk, low-reward nature of the fight: “No one’s going to give a f**k if I win, because then I’ll win against a loser with no experience. If I lose, I’ll have lost to a loser with no experience. I gain nothing. The reason I’m doing this is for charity and because of my f*****g personality.”
However, the night doesn’t end there! For boxing fans: don’t miss the middleweight showdown as Bogdan Sobol, trained by Sandis Kleins, defends his IBA International Championship belt against North American champion Lucas Bryan Ariel Bastida from Argentina.
The fight card is stacked with local talent, including realtor Igors Trošins, Artūrs Skabarnieks, Reinis Prozovs, Ivo Strēlnieks, Raitis Helmanis and Iļja Ivanovs. Latvian combat sports fans will have plenty to cheer for throughout the night!