Nine, yes nine amateur bouts have been announced for Tanko FC 4, as well as a few other fighters who are set to compete on the card but do not yet have an opponent.
The promotion announced the news on their Facebook page.
The fighters yet to have an opponent are Daniel Maximus, who has fought on Tanko before, and Ashley Derbyshire, who is coming off a win at Cage Warriors 82.
The promotion said the following about the fights.
Two Title Fights Top Another Top Amateur Card On May 12th at Tanko 4!
On the 11th of February, one of the standout performances from Tanko 3 was rising star Muhammed Mokaev defeating a tough Liam Gittins to become the first fighter to taste Tanko gold when he became the promotion’s first Flyweight Champion.
On May the 12th, at Tanko 4, we will see four more top amateurs go to battle looking to repeat that feat in both the Lightweight and the Bantamweight divisions as both straps will be up for grabs and will be looking to be claimed by their inaugural champions.
Topping the amateur card is the lightweight title bout between Shamil Ghadziev and Beau Gavin.
This is a match-up that brings together some two of best amateurs out there and once again shows the quality of matchmaking that goes into both the pro and amateur cards on a Tanko show. Both fighters have held titles in other promotions, both come from highly respected gyms and both have had a winning start to 2017. Ghadziev defended a title and Gavin claimed yet another first round finish. Gavin is by far the more experienced and, in many eyes, the harder hitter of the two, but Ghadziev has shown how well rounded a fighter he is and has yet to taste defeat. This will be by no means an end for whoever loses on May the 12th but, for the winner, taking this belt will cement their place as the best amateur lightweight out there.
Warming us up for the lightweight battle will be an equally exciting battle for the Bantamweight title as Callum MacDonald takes on Vacilio Barbosa.
This will be Barbosa’s third trip to the Tanko cage, a home he has found success in both times, with two tough fought decision wins against some excellent high-level competition. The athletic and powerful fighter showed some big developments in his game between those fights and, despite coming to the sport of MMA only recently, he has found a style and a formula that have kept him undefeated and that has caught the eyes of the Tanko fans to set him up for this title shot.
Taking on Barbosa will be the more experienced submission expert MacDonald who is riding a vein of form that makes the young man look unstoppable at this weight class. After a tough run of defeats at featherweight, he has gone on three-fight win streak since dropping down a division and if he can get a win on May the 12th against Barbosa that will be another mark of proof that this was the right move for him.
On the run into these two epic battles for Tanko titles is yet another tantalising undercard full of rising stars, anticipated debuts and some of the best young talent in this ever-growing landscape of MMA.
Tanko 4 goes down on May the 12th at the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester. Grab your ticket now to the fastest growing MMA promotion in the UK for your chance to see the MMA stars of tomorrow, today!
