8 Men will enter the ring at Rebellion XXIX. One will be awarded the Qest Infrastructure/Rebellion belt along with $25,000 AUD.
The 70kg tournament starts on August 12th. It’s an incredible line up of Australian and international talent.
Make sure to watch the live stream here
Victor Hugo - Phuket Fight Club - Phuket, Thailand
Brazilian star Hugo is a former WBC Muay Thai belt holder. He took the strap in Tunisia. Stylistically he is classic Phuket Fight Club. He uses timing and technique to chip away at his opponents.
“I think he's got over 51% of his wins coming by stoppage, which is pretty decent,” promoter Sy Nadji said.
There are three fights in one night for the winner. A record of stoppage wins will favor the Brazilian athlete.
Mohammaad Siasarani – Venum Muay Thai – Pattaya, Thailand
Iranian boxer Siasarani is a fighter that can stop a fight at any moment. His recent bout against Satanfah Sitsongpeenong was explosive. Siasarani was dropped. Then he got back to his feet and sent Satanfah down to the bottom of the abyss. He’s fought extensively on the Muay Thai entertainment scene in Thailand.
His goal is to fight Kongthailand.
“Especially Kongthailand. I really want to fight with him because he is a champion of Lumpinee,” Siasarani said.
Will he take on the current Lumpinee champ? Will he go home with the $25,000 AUD check?
Tamroypor Aor Kunsuek – Sitsongpeenong – Bangkok, Thailand
Sitsongpeenong is home to the best 70kg athletes in the world. Sittichai, Thananchai, and now Tamroypor fills out the ranks.
New to the gym, Tamroypor is a classic Muay Khao fighter. The 18 year old knows how to work his elbows and knees.
With a strong stable of teammates and internationally experienced trainers Tamroypor is coming in as a dark horse. But he just may be able to sprint to a climactic finish.
Kongthailand Kiatnavy – Kao Sok – Perth, Australia
Slick, evasive, and able to do splits, Kongthailand’s skills are unquestioned. The Thai athlete went on a massive run at Max Muay Thai. He racked up the wins and experience. His abilities took him to Lumpinee. He bested Victor Hugo’s stable mate Luis Cajaiba for the belt.
The former sailor is now in Australia. Based at Kao Sok in Perth he’s sure to be strong and fit for this fight.
“I think on a lot of people's books, he's probably the favorite coming into the card,” Nadji said. “But if he gets on the wrong side of the draw, there are some not friendly fights for him.”
Jonathan Aiulu – All Styles Gym – Queensland, Australia
Ranked by the WBC Muay Thai, Aiulu faced some high level opponents. He’s trained out of All Styles gym in Queensland.
“He’s a very strong starter… and the three round format, that's handmade for Jonathan,” Nadji said.
He’s also taken on fellow contestant Hugh O’Donnell. Aiulu battled O’Donnell at 1774 Promotion last year.
Athletes can make picks for their fights. Will Aiulu pick a rematch against the Ginger King from Sydney?
Damon Nelson – Lanna Prestige Muay Thai – Western Australia, Australia
Nelson comes from a family of fighters. His mother is an active referee on the IFMA and international scene. His father Andrew is his trainer.
“He was the WBC National Champion and medaled at the IFMA World Championships a couple of times,” Nadji said.
Taking home the gold at the international tournament is not easy. Nelson battled several times over a short period of time to get the win. He also battled a multitude of styles. That journey may help him with this massive one night show.
To top things off Nelson also took out fellow contestant Hugh O’Donnell with a head kick.
Hugh O’Donnell – Sitshoothon – Sydney, Australia
O’Donnell is a familiar face to Muay Thai Australia. A podcaster and fighter he went to Bangkok to ready himself for this tournament.
While there he trained with athletes like Yodiq, Ognjen Topic, Tawanchai and others.
The Ginger King from Sydney tossed leather with Tawanchai PK Saenchai.
“I go through anywhere from 5 to 7 rounds on the pads with Kru Son of PK Saenchai,” O’Donnell said. “He was Thailand Trainer of the Year.”
O’Donnell returned to Sydney to finish his camp with Kru Chet, Yodsanklai’s former trainer.
Will his time in Thailand pay off with the $25,000 AUD check?
Matt Stevens – Rikers Gym – Adelaide, South Australia
Known for his K-1 experience, Stevens has been involved with Muay Thai for more than a minute. He’s had more Muay Thai fights than kickboxing bouts though.
“He's also won an eight man before. It was Peter Hadden's Alpha Fight Series in August last year,” Nadji said.
The Rikers gym is known for studying up on the competition.
“He'll come in well planned out for all the guys that they're gonna fight out the field of eight,” Nadji said.
Can Stevens put his studies to the test in this final exam?