Sweden
Pro heavyweight clash to headline inaugural Superior Academy show on Sep 14th
Superior Challenge recently announced a pro heavyweight headliner for its inaugural Superior Academy show in Uppsala, Sweden were Swedish boxing champion and OKTAGON MMA vet Nermin Hajdarpasic will be squaring off against England’s Joffie Houlton in the Fyrishov Arena on September 14.
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Superior Academy is a brand-new initiative by Superior Challenge to put the spotlight on up-and-coming talent, primarily in the amateur divisions, while also featuring a couple of professional bouts on each card.
Hajdarpasic vs. Houlton was initially scheduled to go down at Superior Challenge 27 earlier this year. However, since that event got postponed, the heavyweight clash will now slide right into the main event slot for the launch of Superior Academy.
In light of the new booking, Hajdarpasic has also switched management teams. He is now officially signed to Viracci Sports Management led by Andres Viracca, who’s heavily involved in promoting the Superior Academy event series.
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Big knockouts, brutal wars and hilarious trashtalk made Nermin Hajdarpasic a fan favorite in Swedish MMA
In 2021, Hajdarpasic made his professional MMA debut without any amateur experience. He started off by going 4-0 on local shows, beating solid competition including multiple-time IMMAF champ Irman Smajic, and quickly saw his popularity skyrocket amongst the Swedish MMA fans. While his excellent boxing skills often leads to exciting brawls, he’s also a fun character outside the cage who often creates humorous buildups to his fights.
Hajdarpasic’s last three bouts have taken place in OKTAGON MMA, one of the leading promotions in Europe, where he lost twice and fought to a split draw at one occasion. In those fights, Hajdarpasic started to work his way down to light heavyweight. Now, he’s finally back on home turf and will also be moving back up to heavyweight where Houlton should be a fun matchup.
Houlton is 5-4 with all wins coming inside the first round. His most recent victory was a nine-second knockout in ARES FC.
“I’m so hungry to be back and fight, and it feels great to be back at heavyweight. He will taste my heavy hands,” Hajdarpasic told Frontkick following the fight announcement.
Superior Academy 1: Tickets available now – watch Sweden’s rising prospects on September 14th!
The Hajdarpasic vs. Houlton main event bout is the first fight to be officially announced for Superior Academy 1. More fight announcements are expected weekly, so make sure to keep and eye out for further news right here on Frontkick.online as well as on our Swedish-speaking sister site Maximum Sports.
We’re already hearing rumblings about several other interesting fights that are in the works, including a two-sport Swedish champion making his much-anticipated MMA debut. Stay tuned!
Also, you’d be wise to follow the official @superiormmaacademy account on Instagram for the latest event updates.
If you want to check out Superior Academy 1 live in person at the Fyrishov Arena in Uppsala, tickets are now available for purchase via Tickster.com.
Read more: Joffie Houlton on facing Nermin Hajdarpasic: “We will steal the show!”
