This Saturday, Dec. 16, the Palasport Le Cupole in Turin, Italy, is going to erupt with the raw energy of a fight night. Topping the bill is Italian featherweight Francesco Grandelli, who’s squaring up against the still-unscathed Belgian, Stefan Voda, for a marathon 12-round main event.
In the co-main event, there’s an eight-round junior welterweight showdown. Spanish powerhouse Sandor Martin is throwing down with Belgium’s Mohamed El Marcouchi. Expect sparks to fly!
A quick dive into the fighters’ past: Grandelli (17-2-2, 3 KOs) kicked off his pro career back in 2015, swinging to a decision win over Marco Iuculano. He’s had a bit of a rollercoaster ride since then, with a mix of wins, a draw, and a couple of losses. He’s bouncing back from a first-round knockout loss and is ready to rumble. Voda (14-0, 5 KOs), on the other hand, is still riding the unbeaten wave, having spent his entire pro career knocking out competition in his homeland.
Martin (41-3, 14 KOs) turned heads in 2021 by sending Mikey Garcia into retirement. He’s had a bit of a stumble since but came back strong with a knockout win in July. El Marcouchi (29-3, 12 KOs) is also coming in hot off a knockout win, ready to bring the heat.
Also streaming on ESPN+: Maxim Prodan (21-2-1, 16 KOs) will engage in an eight-round welterweight tussle with Argentina’s Miguel Cesario Antin (20-12-1, 8 KO). Prodan, the Ukrainian-born Italian resident, is all charged up from a knockout win in March.
And let’s not forget the eight-round lightweight rematch with Italian southpaw Biagio Grimaldi (5-1, 3 KOs) looking to settle scores against Darwin El Badaouy (2-2-1, 1 KO). Badaouy claimed victory over Grimaldi last March, so expect some fiery exchanges!
