‘ZFC 2: Pride of Bangladesh’ Set to Take Place at Bashundhara Sports City

A new chapter in Bangladesh’s combat sports scene is set to unfold as Zulcan Fighting Championship (ZFC) 2: Pride of Bangladesh takes place today, Friday (September 18), at the Zulcan Indoor Arena of Bashundhara Sports City.

Organised by Tanvir Bashundhara Group (TBG), the international tournament will feature fighters from seven countries, including Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the United States, Iran and Malaysia.

The tournament was officially announced at a press conference held at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) on Thursday (September 17). International fighters representing the participating countries attended the event.

The fighters went through their official weigh-ins before facing their respective opponents in a traditional face-off. A lively question-and-answer session involving journalists and organisers followed the weigh-in ceremony. Ahmed Ibrahim Sobhan, managing director of Tanvir Bashundhara Group, was also present.

The second edition follows the successful staging of ZFC 1: The Takeover in April. A total of 10 bouts will be held in the latest edition, with five of them featuring championship title fights.

One of the major attractions of the event will be the country’s first bare-knuckle boxing bout. In the three-round contest, experienced American fighter Will Chope will face Iran’s Mostafa Ashouri.

In the main event, Bangladesh’s Masjidul Reza Omio will take on Thailand’s Thanapat Thitam in a five-round contest for the WMO Asia Muay Thai title.

The co-main event will feature a six-round ZFC Boxing Championship bout between Bangladesh’s Sur Krishna Chakma and Indonesia’s Kundimang.

Another championship bout will see Bangladesh’s Muhammad Rashid face Malaysia’s Erwandi Kalaiyer for the ZFC Muay Thai Championship.

In another ZFC Boxing Championship contest, Singapore’s Sean Rafael Sunny will face Bangladesh’s Sirajul Rabbi.

The event will also feature a number of professional and semi-professional contests.

In the Pro-MMA category, Bangladesh’s Manzur Alam will compete against Indonesia’s Filipus Ranga.

In a six-round women’s professional boxing bout, Bangladesh’s Sanjida Jannat will face Malaysia’s Meredy Michael.

In other professional boxing contests, Bangladesh’s Rakib Hossain will take on Indonesia’s Dedy Imprax, while Singapore’s Donovan McIntyre will face Bangladesh’s Gonadan Chakma.

The opening bout of the day will be a women’s semi-pro Muay Thai contest between Gazi Arnaz and Shampa Islam.

According to the organisers, each round in all bouts except the women’s professional boxing contest will last three minutes. The main event will have a two-minute interval between rounds, while the other bouts will have one-minute intervals.

TBG authorities said the Zulcan Indoor Arena was developed and the tournament organised with the aim of creating an international-standard platform for young Bangladeshi fighters and providing them with opportunities to represent the country on the global combat sports stage.

The organisers expect ZFC to create a stronger connection between Bangladesh’s emerging combat sports community and the international circuit by bringing fighters from multiple countries to compete on the same platform.