Australian Fighting Championship
Private
Founded2010
FounderAdam Milankovic
IndustryMixed martial arts promotion
Websitehttp://afcmma.com.au/
Hq location countryAustralia
Key peopleKelly Seif, Shaun McIntyre

Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) was an Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation based in Melbourne. In 2013, AFC was described as Australia's leading MMA organisation by MMA Kanvas[1] and was part of Sherdog's list of top 50 global MMA organisations (2014). Since AFC 4, all events were successfully streamed live via pay-per-view.

AFC was the second-ranked Australasian promotion in 2013 according to MMA media outlet Fight Sport Asia.[2] AFC CEO Adam Milankovic has had multiple media appearances promoting the sport of MMA to the public. AFC has showcased the talents of elite Australian and New Zealand mixed martial artists alongside international talent.[3] 2017 saw the expansion of the promotion into Mainland China and a major rebranding to the Australasian Fighting Championship (AFC).[4]

Cage ban

The 2008 "cage ban" in Victoria meant MMA competitions, while legal, had to be conducted inside a boxing ring and not a purpose built cage (with the exception of AFC 9 in Albury, New South Wales).[5] In the Victorian State election in November 2014, The Victorian branch of the Labor Party campaigned to revoke the cage ban. With success in the election the ban is set to be repealed allowing AFC to promote MMA in a caged enclosure to ensure optimum safety of fighters.[6]

Final champions

See also: List of current mixed martial arts champions and Mixed martial arts weight classes
DivisionUpper weight limitChampionSinceTitle defenses
Heavyweight265 lb (120 kg; 18.9 st)Tai Tuivasa15 October 20160
Light Heavyweight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)Rameau Sokoudjou28 October 20170
Middleweight185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)Glenn Sparv7 April 20180
Welterweight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)Theo Christakos7 April 20181
Lightweight155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)Blake Donnelly1 December 20190
Featherweight145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)Alexander Volkanovski19 March 20160
Bantamweight135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st)Gustavo Falciroli17 May 20140

Australian Fighting Championship Title history

Australian Fighting Championship Heavyweight Championship

Weight limit: 120 kg (264.6 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1Soa Palelei
def. Joe Kielur		AFC 3
Geelong, Australia		14 April 20121. def. Sean McCorkle at AFC 4 on 7 December 2012
Palelei vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.
2Brandon Sosoli
def. Andre Meunier		AFC 13
Melbourne, Australia		14 June 2015
3Tai TuivasaAFC 16
Melbourne, Australia		18 June 20161. def. James McSweeney at AFC 16 on 15 October 2016
Tuivasa vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.

Australian Fighting Championship Light Heavyweight Championship

Weight limit: 93 kg (205.0 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1Jamie Abdallah
def. Daniel Almeida		AFC 12
Melbourne, Australia		22 March 20151. def. Randall Rayment at AFC 14 on 12 September 2015
2Rameau SokoudjouAFC 21
Melbourne, Australia		28 October 2017

Australian Fighting Championship Middleweight Championship

Weight limit: 84 kg (185.2 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1Steven Kennedy
def. Manuel Rodriguez		AFC 7
Melbourne, Australia		14 December 2013
Kennedy vacated the title.
2Zein Saliba
def. Daniel Way		AFC 12
Melbourne, Australia		22 March 2015
Saliba vacated the title.
3Rob Wilkinson
def. Jamie Abdallah		AFC 15
Melbourne, Australia		19 March 2016
Wilkinson vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.
4Israel Adesanya
def. Melvin Guillard		AFC 20
Melbourne, Australia		28 July 2017
Adesanya vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC.
5Glenn Sparv
def. Stu Dare		AFC 22
Melbourne, Australia		7 April 2018

Australian Fighting Championship Welterweight Championship

Weight limit: 77 kg (169.8 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1Jacob S Lee
def. Callan Potter		AFC 9
Melbourne, Australia		17 May 2014
2Manuel RodriguezAFC 14
Melbourne, Australia		12 September 2015
Rodriquez vacated the title after suffering an early first round loss to 24-year-old Jacob Stephen Lee, securing Jacob’s 4th championship victory 2 Feb 2016.
3Barry O'Meara
def. Anton Zafir 22 Dec 2016		AFC 22
Gold Coast, Australia		2 February 2016 – 7 May 20191. def. Jennys Box by way of knock out in the first second of the first round during AFC 5 on 10 May 2017
2. def. Greg Goodchild by way of technical knock out to end. this flattened Gregs nose AFC 6 on 24 August 2018

Australian Fighting Championship Lightweight Championship

Weight limit: 70 kg (154.3 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1Dan Hooker
def. Rusty McBride		AFC 3
Geelong, Australia		14 April 20121. def. Rusty McBride at AFC 5 on 10 May 2013
2. def. Nick Patterson at AFC 6 on 24 August 2013
Hooker vacated the title when he signed with the UFC.
2Bernardo Magalhaes
def. Kieran Joblin		AFC 10
Albury-Wodonga, Australia		16 August 2014
Magalhaes vacated the title.
3Issac Hardman
def. James Bishop		AFC 19
Shaanxi, China		15 April 20171. def. Rob Hill at AFC 21 on 28 October 2017

Australian Fighting Championship Featherweight Championship

Weight limit: 66 kg (145.5 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1Alexander Volkanovski
def. James Bishop		AFC 13
Melbourne, Australia		14 June 20151. def. Jamie Mullarkey at AFC 15 on 15 August 2016
Volkanovski vacated the title when he signed with the UFC.

Australian Fighting Championship Bantamweight Championship

Weight limit: 62 kg (136.7 lb)
No.NameEventDateDefenses
1Gustavo Falciroli
def. Kai Kara-France		AFC 9
Melbourne, Australia		17 May 2014

Scheduled events

Event TitleDateArenaLocation

Past events

Event TitleDateArenaLocation
23AFC 231 December 2019Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
22AFC 227 April 2018Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
22AFC 2128 October 2017Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
21AFC 2028 July 2017Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
20AFC 1915 April 2017AFC ArenaXi'an, Shaanxi, China
19AFC 1814 April 2017AFC ArenaXi'an, Shaanxi, China
18AFC 1715 October 2016Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
17AFC 1618 June 2016Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
16AFC 1519 March 2016Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
15AFC 1412 September 2015Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
14AFC 1314 June 2015Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
13AFC 1222 March 2015Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
12AFC 1122 November 2014Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
11AFC 1016 August 2014Bunton ParkAlbury, Australia
10AFC 917 May 2014Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
9AFC 822 February 2014Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
8AFC 710 May 2013Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
7AFC 624 August 2013Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
6AFC 514 December 2013Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
5AFC 47 December 2012Melbourne PavilionMelbourne, Australia
4AFC 314 April 2012Geelong ArenaGeelong, Australia
3AFC 23 September 2011Melbourne Sports & Aquatic CentreMelbourne, Australia
2AFC Fight Night25 June 2011State Netball & Hockey CentreMelbourne, Australia
1AFC 112 November 2010State Netball & Hockey CentreMelbourne, Australia

[7]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ Adam Ireland (23 April 2013). "Aussie MMA fans set for live-streaming action with Epicentre.tv". Mmakanvas.ninemsn.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Fight Sport Asia’s 2013 Asian MMA Awards Results - FSA - FightSport Asia". FSA - FightSport Asia. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Australian Fighting Championship heads to Melbourne for Saturday’s AFC 7 - FSA - FightSport Asia". FSA - FightSport Asia. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  4. ^ "The latest on Australian Fighting Championship 18 and the promotion’s china expansion". Fight News Australia. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
  5. ^ "The cage-fighting boom - all that's missing is the cage". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Victorian state election opens door to UFC mega-event in Melbourne". FSA - FightSport Asia
  7. ^ Sherdog.com. "Australian Fighting Championship Fights, Fight Cards, Videos, Pictures, Events and more". Sherdog. Retrieved 2017-09-04.