Kickboxing: top of the range for the fourth edition of the Boxing Fighters System Event in Nîmes

Stéphane Manquenouille, Olivier Cerdan et Habib Bakir, membres de l’Américaine Contact Club de Nîmes et organisateurs du Boxing Fighters System (BFS) Event. Midi Libre – Thierry Albenque

The gala organized on Saturday March 9 by the American Contact Club of Nîmes leaves Pablo-Neruda to settle this year at Parnasse. Ten professional fights including a WKN world championship are on the program.

The Boxing Fighters System (BFS) Event has grown a lot. After three editions at Pablo-Neruda, the K-1 gala organized by the American Contact Club of Nîmes (ACCN) is moving to Parnasse this year. Saturday March 9, the usual den of Usam handball players will host eleven fights, including ten professionals.

"Over the years, we strive to move up in terms of quality and for this fourth evening, spectators will not be disappointed. It will be high level,” praises Habib Bakir, head of the competition division of the ACCN.

Franco-Algerian Hamidi puts his belt back on the line

The main event (five three-minute rounds) will be a WKN world championship which will pit, in less than 55 kg, the Korean Jae Yoon Deok and the 24-year-old Franco-Algerian Akram Hamidi (Elite boxing 67 of Strasbourg). The latter, already three-time ISKA world champion, is putting his title back on the line. Title won last November in Alsace, in front of his audience, against the Thai Amornchai, sent to the mat with a right hook in the first round.

"Physically, these two champions will normally be at the same tempo. The difference will be made on the technical-tactical preparation and the strategy, explains Habib Bakir, who specifies: "It’s really a chance to have Akram Hamidi in Nîmes. Six months ago, he joined ONE Championship, the world's largest fist-and-foot sport organization, and we risk seeing him fight less and less in France."

International and local

It’s an international evening that was set up with boxers from Belgium (Morro Veccio and Sofiane Filali), Korea (Jae Yoon Deok), Tunisia (Abdel Hak Jouba) and Italy (Francesco Picca). On the bill, eleven fights, ten of which are professionals. There will not be many of them but the premises have not been forgotten. A demonstration will be provided as a curtain raiser by four young people from RM Boxing, a club from Chemin-Bas in Avignon. And the evening will begin with a 100% Gard amateur duel in less than 71 kg between Alésien Romann Larroudie (Full Contact Cévenol), member of the French team, and Nîmes Ayou Doudou (RM Boxing).

"I confirm, Akram, on display in the coming months in Bangkok and Qatar, will be rare in France, assures his trainer Steeve Valente . In Nîmes, it will be super important for him to confirm his world title. Coming out of a very big preparation, he is in very good shape and he can't wait to do battle. His opponent, who plays a lot on the Japanese circuit, is very good with fists but we remain more focused on Akram. He's the one with the belt, he's going to behave like a champion!"

Aurore Llorens – Clara Pennequin, a sacred feminine duel

Another nice successful move, that of bringing together in the center of the ring the two best French women, both professionals, in less than 61 kg: the Catalan Aurore Llorens, 23 years old, who became European champion last April in Alès at the expense of Czech Tereza Dvorakova; and the Roubaisian Clara Pennequin, 19 years old, member of the French team, a true phenomenon of French women's kick-boxing, who signed a five-year contract in December with Enfusion, a major league in world kick-boxing, crowned WAKO world champion in Portugal in November 2023 and reigning French champion.

"This fight, many people dreamed of mounting it, it’s us who are organizing it, welcomes Habib Bakir. They are both undefeated, they have never faced each other, we will find out who is the better Frenchwoman."

"We are dealing with two warriors. They will not observe each other but go directly to the confrontation, predicts Olivier Cerdan, president of the ACCN, which has around sixty licensees and is awaiting a successor to Karin Benmansour (international title WKN in less than 76 kg in 2015).

Kamara-Tavares, style opposition

The third fight put forward by the organizers will be "a style opposition between Alassane Kamara, the best Frenchman in the 71 kg category in French savate boxing, and Mathieu Tavares, one of the best French in K-1,” summarizes Habib Bakir.

4th edition of the BFS Event Saturday March 9 at Parnasse, from 6:30 p.m. Prices: 25 €, 15 € for children under 15; online ticketing at https://www.billetweb.fr/bfs-event or on site on the day of the gala. Weigh-in Friday March 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Audi dealership in Nîmes. I subscribe to read more