Sports | Marseille: the Octofight bets on MMA
Between confinements, access restrictions and curfews, the Covid-19 pandemic has put a stop to the Octofight over the past two years, the spring event concocted by the Roméas family, already at work on the unmissable Night of Champions. This bracketing (we will not dare to write in quarantine given the circumstances…) of this event will perhaps allow it to come back stronger this year.
This is, on paper in any case, the bet taken by the organizers who, for this 2022 edition, will put on MMA. “We must highlight the young athletes, women and men, from our city, our department and our region where the culture of the ball reigns but also that of the arts and combat sports.said Érick Roméas yesterday during the presentation press conference which took place at the hotel in the Department of Bouches-du-Rhône. And I can assure you that the athletes present have a sacred character to get into the ring, which is more locked in a cage.“
Two amateur fights and ten professionals will punctuate the evening. Each time, the match maker Anthony Roméas is attached to composer of the oppositions between regional athletes and foreign fighters, or come beyond the borders of Provence. “We didn’t want to give anyone a gift,” he insisted.
The icing on the cake, the main event of the evening will pit Mickaël Lebout, one of the rare Frenchmen to have fought in the prestigious UFC, against the Swiss Kevin Ruart. “Even if he fought for an organization which is to MMA what the NBA is to basketball, Mickaël is a simple, humble, recalled Érick Roméas. We quickly got along and, sometimes, some boxers much less strong than him nitpick more…” All the ingredients are there for the Octofight to sign a winning comeback.