Take a look at the stacked Victory 13 main card, which includes Harry Purvis, who will face off against Amadeusz Sakowicz
Take a look at the stacked Victory 13 main card, which includes Harry Purvis, who will face off against Amadeusz Sakowicz
The Victory 13 main card is set for a must-see night of Muay Thai and kickboxing on June 1st at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Three senior pro titles will be on the line, as well as an English semi-pro belt, and bragging rights for a host of talented rising stars.
At the top of the card, there has been a change in the main event.
Joe Welch will still defend his WBC MuayThai European Middleweight Title for the first time, but now he will face Lucas Da Silva after Cristian Vasile was forced to withdraw.
Da Silva is a powerful striker out of the renowned Dinamite Team in Portugal and has mixed it up with some of the world’s top fighters. Welch will need to be at his best to beat him.
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Along with Welch vs. Da Silva and the 76kg KGB British Title showdown between Jack Bullock and Joe Johnson, the 70kg WBC MuayThai British Welterweight Title is also on the line between Flynn Shanks and Johnny Craig.
Shanks comes into this fight on fire after winning his last three fights by first-round KO. That included a stoppage of Dean Logan, who won the fight of the night at Victory 12.
As one of the standout fighters from Fighters Hive under coach Ashe Mohammed, Shanks can help to enhance his gym’s reputation by bringing another belt home to Bathgate.
He will have to get past Craig, who has lost just once before as a senior competitor.
The son of SMTC coach John Craig was brought up around Muay Thai, and has already earned a reputation for putting on a show every time he steps in the ring.
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Also on the main card, Paul Morris will take on Hassan Imran in an A-class contest.
Morris is a staple of Victory Promotions – he has appeared on every show and never fails to put on an exciting performance with his technical, kick-heavy style.
He came up on the wrong end of a razor-close majority decision in his last bout at the Vertu Motors Arena, but his stock didn’t drop at all after an all-action battle.
Hassan fights out of Liverpool’s MASDA Gym and won an ISKA title in his last fight. Fresh off a month of honing his skills in Thailand, he is gunning to upset the hometown fighter.
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Victory 13 also sees the return of the UK’s #3 super middleweight as Harry Purvis takes on Amadeusz Sakowicz in another A-class contest.
Sakowicz went five hard rounds with Purvis’ teammate Jack Bullock at the last Victory, and has a big experience advantage in this fight.
However, Purivis is gaining a reputation for performing against stiff competition. He began this year with a convincing win over Ruaraidh Watson in Jersey.
He also looked spectacular at Victory 12 with a dominant victory over Scottish veteran Charlie McGhee.
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Two of the top-ranked fighters in UK Muay Thai will face off when Louis Fairhurst takes on Josh Duncan at 55kg.
Fairhurst holds the #8 spot in the bantamweight division and seems destined to rise to even greater heights in the future.
The man from Manchester has established himself as one of the best in the country with a long undefeated streak.
With a slot on the next Road to ONE tournament booked for later this year. Fairhurst will aim to maintain his momentum with a win on Victory 13.
That won’t be easy against MASDA Gym’s Duncan, who has claimed the #7 ranking at junior featherweight, despite being just 15 years old.
This year, Duncan claimed the WMO Pro-Am British Title with a win at Hitman Fight League in February, then impressed at Rajadamnern Stadium against a former Omnoi Stadium and Channel 7 Stadium champion.
Both of these athletes are strong, technical, experienced, and look set to be stars of the next generation of Muay Thai. This is a must-see fight.
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Victory 13 also sees the return of one of Britain’s most talented rising stars after two years out of action.
A serious knee injury stopped Callum Patterson’s rise through the rankings in 2022, but now he is back at 100% and ready to compete again.
The Northern Kings representative has wins over multiple ranked fighters, and on June 1st, he’s aiming to resume his win streak and reclaim his place among the nation’s elite.
To do that, he will have to get past the current #8 in the super lightweight division, Jason O’Hara.
Fighting out of Imperial Gym in Southport, O’Hara is known for exciting fights and taking on all-comers. He has fought top names in the UK from 63.5kg to 72.5kg.
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Two rising stars will compete for the KGB English Semi-Pro Title when Ethan Short and Izack Watson face off.
Short is the latest in a long line of tough and talented fighters to come out of Millennium Martial Arts in Blyth.
Though he’s just starting out in his kickboxing career, he’s shown the kind of ability that could take him a long way in the sport.
Watson also comes from a highly-respected gym – Legions in York.
He has just turned 18, but is recognised as a bright up-and-comer with huge potential in the ring.
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Finn Welch vs. Brooks Sowerby will see two more potential stars of the future go to battle in a 63.5kg Pro-am Muay Thai contest.
Northern Kings’ Welch is the brother of Victory 13 main event star Joe, and has a similar, powerful southpaw style.
Following his debut at Victory 12, Welch has collected three more wins, including one in his pro-am debut in April.
Sowerby will give Welch the toughest test of his career so far.
The young man from Iron Monk Gym in Durham has had dozens of fights since he started competing as a junior and has amassed a collection of domestic and international WBC MuayThai belts.
These two young men are sure to compete at a high level for years to come, so don’t miss the chance to see them live as they aim to make their mark in the senior ranks.
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A women’s 50kg Pro-am Muay Thai contest will match two women on the cusp of breaking into the rankings.
Danielle Ellis from Sabai Warriors Muay Thai in Ashington and Abbie Moore from K-Star Muay Thai Academy in Sheldon, Birmingham, are two of the most promising flyweights in the UK.
The division’s UK rankings are stacked with talent, but the winner of this encounter will make a strong case to break through as one of the top names in the country.
Both women wanted this fight and they will get their wish on June 1st.
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Tyler Weeks and Tyler McKenzie will meet for the second time in a 63.5kg pro-am Muay Thai matchup, and this is a showdown with some needle behind it.
Weeks won their first fight, but McKenzie and his team thought they were robbed when the judges gave their decision after the final bell.
In response, Weeks’ coach Tony Ellis asked for the rematch and promised that his fighter would leave no doubt about the result this time and win via KO.
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Rounding out the main card is a three-round pro-am showdown that promises action from bell to bell.
Will Baxter was one half of the fight of the night at the last Victory show, and he has gone from strength to strength since then.
His unanimous decision win at Hitman Fight League showed off his heavy-handed southpaw style once again.
However, he will not have an easy night against the tall and rangy Will Bolger.
He is one of the latest talents to emerge from one of the UK’s most respected training centres – Majestic Gym in Wigan, which boasts the likes of Josh Hill and Dan Bonner among its ranks.
Bolger has just turned 18, but he is already seen as a potential star of the future. A win against the skilled and dangerous Baxter will prove it.
Tickets for Victory 13 are still available from the Victory Promotions website.
Any tickets ordered before Tuesday, May 28th will be posted out to customers. Any tickets purchased after that can be picked up at the venue, on fight day.
Tickets will also be on sale at the venue on fight day. Tickets for under 14s will be for sale on the door only for a special price of £20.
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Victory 13 Main Card
