EVT rapport från FC Fighter

”Ragnarok” Rings True in Sweden:

European Vale Tudo Holds Last Event Under Pending MMA Ban

Report and photos by Keith Mills

Wallen on top of Boiko

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 6 — Eleven fights transpired on the European Vale Tudo 6 card aptly titled ”Ragnarok,” the Norse mythos denoting the twilight of the Gods. With the Swedish parliament expected to ban MMA in the Nordic country in just under three weeks as MMA’s popularity reaches an all-time high in the U.S. and elsewhere, the event’s name was not been lost on the sport’s local proponents, who contend the move is attributed to election year politics in the city renowned for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Full Contact Fighter was on hand for the first EVT in Stockholm two years ago and was also in attendance here for its last, a first installment of FCF’s ”European Vacation” series.

This card was still a landmark despite the black cloud of impending doom settling over this country’s MMA community. The first women’s fight in Scandinavia was won by Nadia Van Der Wel, even after her opponent Elina Nilsson was getting the better of the striking. Top-ranked European Shooto contender David Baron was def.eated by Sweden’s own Per Eklund, and local legend August Wallen made submitting Brazilian Top Team member Paulo Boiko look easy. However, the fight of the night had to go to Matti Makela and Thomas Valentin for their back-and-forth war. Makela finally won with a succession of knees to the head.

The only downside to the evening was the amount of warnings handed out for fighters kicking at the head of their downed opponents, not too surprising considering this show booked fighters from France, Holland, Denmark, Brazil, and the UK.

Even with the sport set to be banned in the country, there is still hope. MMA is set to get its debut on Swedish television with a PRIDE event tomorrow night and this EVT show in the near future. One would think that this exposure, two local MMA magazines, and the extensive Shooters Gym network would have an influence with the government’s pending decision, but that remains to be seen.