The most exciting news are finally here: on May 8th of 2025, the “BAZARA 0 Fight Club II” main event will pit local hero Ričards Bolotņiks against Germany’s Serge Michel under the organization’s unique “Fist Bout” rules at an 87 kilogram catchweight.
With Bolotņiks’ and Michel’s reputations as finishers, they’ll bring world-level experience and competitive fire into the LED Unit cage. And it’s a classic European rivalry — Latvia vs. Germany — not to mention a rematch years in the making.
Bolotņiks, 35, is the hometown favorite and a proven tournament champion, while Michel, 36, is a former Olympian with redemption on the table: they first met in 2020 with Bolotņiks chomping down on the win.
Tickets for “BAZARA 0 Fight Club II” are on sale with extremely limited availability, so be ready to grab yours before they’re gone.
For those who can’t make it, the event will be livestreamed for free on SlotsFighter.com.
400
150% / 600€
Still Roaring: Ričards “The Lion” Bolotņiks
Bolotņiks enters this fight as one of Latvia’s most accomplished active boxers. The Riga native boasts a professional record of 20–8–1. While his ledger shows some blemishes, it also reveals a solid competitor who has faced top opposition and kept going.
Ričards captured the WBO European light-heavyweight title in 2019, holding that regional belt through 2022. He truly burst onto the international scene with a star-making run in MTK Global’s Golden Contract tournament, where he emerged as the 175-pound tournament champion against all odds — and also against the same opponent he’ll be facing at “BAZARA 0 Fight Club II”.
In the Golden Contract, Bolotniks was initially seen as an underdog, but he ripped through the field and knocked out the previously unbeaten Steven Ward in one round and outpointed former British champion Hosea Burton to reach the final.
In the December 2020 final, held in England, Bolotniks met Serge Michel for the first time — and delivered a dominant victory. The Latvian hammered out a 10th-round TKO over Michel to clinch the tournament crown, after dropping the German contender twice and overwhelming him down the stretch.
Bolotniks “started taking control in the third round” of that fight and never let up, scoring a knockdown in the fifth and another in the tenth before Michel’s corner threw in the towel. It was a breakout win that earned Bolotniks a multi-fight contract and affirmed his status at light-heavyweight.
Bolotņiks excels at cutting off the ring and making fights very physical. In his first bout with Michel, Bolotņiks weathered a slow start and then began to punish the German with thudding shots to the midsection — hurting Michel with a body shot in the fourth round and again with a left hook to the body in the fifth, which set up an overhand right that sent Michel into the ropes. From that point on, Bolotņiks was firmly in control: using a stiff jab to back Michel up and unloading power punches at will.
He broke Michel down with a war of attrition. This grinding approach has become Bolotņiks’ calling card as just 8 of his 20 wins have come by KO — he brings a steady punishment that tends to wear opponents out or force a corner stoppage.
Crucially, Bolotņiks has tested himself against elite competition since winning the Golden Contract. In August of 2021, he traveled to England to face highly touted British prospect Joshua Buatsi in a Matchroom main event. There, Bolotņiks showed himself to the world, pushing Buatsi harder than anyone had before. Buatsi ultimately scored an 11th-round knockout, but not before Bolotņiks had battled back from a knockdown and rocked the Olympian with his own shots.
He has since gone on to share the ring with former world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2023, gaining invaluable experience even in defeat. Now, “The Lion” returns home to Riga, hungry to put on a show for his fans in an entirely new setting.
At 34, he remains in his physical prime and will have a slight size and reach advantage over Michel. If Bolotņiks can drag Michel into the same war of attrition again, especially with the added damage of 4-ounce, he’ll fancy his chances of scoring another stoppage.
400
150% / €600
Steady, Aim, Shoot: Serge “Bavarian Sniper” Michel
Across the ring, Serge Michel carries a background of his own — and a pressing urge to settle business.
The German’s professional ledger sits at 15 victories, 10 by knockout, and three defeats. Known for his arsenal of precise and highly damaging punches, he earned the nickname “The Bavarian Sniper” by thwarting opponents with pinpoint right hands at range. That weapon remains crucial, and in MMA gloves it becomes an even bigger threat.
Michel, 36, competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics for Germany. He showed sharp technique in the amateur ranks, then turned pro in 2017 and soon claimed the WBC International light-heavyweight title. A stumble against Ryan Ford highlighted his own vulnerability, but he rebounded and advanced to the MTK Golden Contract finals. There, he outboxed early foes before meeting Bolotņiks—the result of which, while disheartening, served as a turning point for his career.
Michel refined his conditioning and ring IQ. He returned in 2021 to log a statement third-round TKO, tested himself at cruiserweight in 2022, and scored two subsequent wins in 2023.
Having hovered near the 85–90 kg bracket, he fits right into the 87 kg limit. Michel’s strategy on May 8th will hinge on discipline and timing. He understands that trading heavy shots with Bolotņiks can be lethal and must aim to dictate tempo.
The “BAZARA 0” custom ruleset changes the dynamics for both men severely. The gloves they’ll wear are vastly smaller (and lighter) than standard boxing gloves, meaning punches land more cleanly and defensive guarding is less effective. Power punches that might be partially absorbed by 10-ounce gloves could sneak through or inflict greater damage with 4-ounce MMA gloves. The already small margin for error that exists will shrink even further.
On paper, Bolotņiks’ past win and home advantage make him a favorite, but Michel’s power and adjustments make him a very live underdog. One thing we know for sure: May 8th can’t come soon enough.
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400
150% / €600
