Australian Fighting Championship
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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 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. 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. 2017 saw the expansion of the promotion into Mainland China and a major rebranding to the Australasian Fighting Championship (AFC).
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). 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 With success in the election the ban is set to be repealed allowing AFC to promote MMA in a caged enclosure to ensure optimum safety of fighters.
Final champions
| Division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 265 lb (120 kg; 18.9 st) | Australia Tai Tuivasa | 15 October 2016 | 0 |
| Light Heavyweight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) | Cameroon Rameau Sokoudjou | 28 October 2017 | 0 |
| Middleweight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) | Finland Glenn Sparv | 7 April 2018 | 0 |
| Welterweight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) | Australia Theo Christakos | 7 April 2018 | 1 |
| Lightweight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) | Australia Blake Donnelly | 1 December 2019 | 0 |
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) | Australia Alexander Volkanovski | 19 March 2016 | 0 |
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) | Brazil Gustavo Falciroli | 17 May 2014 | 0 |
Australian Fighting Championship Title history
Australian Fighting Championship Heavyweight Championship
Weight limit: 120 kg (264.6 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia Soa Palelei def. Joe Kielur | AFC 3 Geelong, Australia | 14 April 2012 | 1. def. Sean McCorkle at AFC 4 on 7 December 2012 |
| Palelei vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC. | ||||
| 2 | Australia Brandon Sosoli def. Andre Meunier | AFC 13 Melbourne, Australia | 14 June 2015 | |
| 3 | Australia Tai Tuivasa | AFC 16 Melbourne, Australia | 18 June 2016 | 1. 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. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia Jamie Abdallah def. Daniel Almeida | AFC 12 Melbourne, Australia | 22 March 2015 | 1. def. Randall Rayment at AFC 14 on 12 September 2015 |
| 2 | Cameroon Rameau Sokoudjou | AFC 21 Melbourne, Australia | 28 October 2017 |
Australian Fighting Championship Middleweight Championship
Weight limit: 84 kg (185.2 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia Steven Kennedy def. Manuel Rodriguez | AFC 7 Melbourne, Australia | 14 December 2013 | |
| Kennedy vacated the title. | ||||
| 2 | Australia Zein Saliba def. Daniel Way | AFC 12 Melbourne, Australia | 22 March 2015 | |
| Saliba vacated the title. | ||||
| 3 | Australia Rob Wilkinson def. Jamie Abdallah | AFC 15 Melbourne, Australia | 19 March 2016 | |
| Wilkinson vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC. | ||||
| 4 | Nigeria Israel Adesanya def. Melvin Guillard | AFC 20 Melbourne, Australia | 28 July 2017 | |
| Adesanya vacated the title when he left AFC for the UFC. | ||||
| 5 | Finland Glenn Sparv def. Stu Dare | AFC 22 Melbourne, Australia | 7 April 2018 |
Australian Fighting Championship Welterweight Championship
Weight limit: 77 kg (169.8 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia Jacob S Lee def. Callan Potter | AFC 9 Melbourne, Australia | 17 May 2014 | |
| 2 | El Salvador Manuel Rodriguez | AFC 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. | ||||
| 3 | Australia Barry O'Meara def. Anton Zafir 22 Dec 2016 | AFC 22 Gold Coast, Australia | 2 February 2016 – 7 May 2019 | 1. 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. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand Dan Hooker def. Rusty McBride | AFC 3 Geelong, Australia | 14 April 2012 | 1. 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. | ||||
| 2 | Brazil Bernardo Magalhaes def. Kieran Joblin | AFC 10 Albury-Wodonga, Australia | 16 August 2014 | |
| Magalhaes vacated the title. | ||||
| 3 | Australia Issac Hardman def. James Bishop | AFC 19 Shaanxi, China | 15 April 2017 | 1. def. Rob Hill at AFC 21 on 28 October 2017 |
Australian Fighting Championship Featherweight Championship
Weight limit: 66 kg (145.5 lb)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia Alexander Volkanovski def. James Bishop | AFC 13 Melbourne, Australia | 14 June 2015 | 1. 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. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil Gustavo Falciroli def. Kai Kara-France | AFC 9 Melbourne, Australia | 17 May 2014 |
Scheduled events
| # | Event Title | Date | Arena | Location |
|---|
Past events
| # | Event Title | Date | Arena | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | AFC 23 | 1 December 2019 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 22 | AFC 22 | 7 April 2018 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 22 | AFC 21 | 28 October 2017 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 21 | AFC 20 | 28 July 2017 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 20 | AFC 19 | 15 April 2017 | AFC Arena | Xi'an, Shaanxi, China |
| 19 | AFC 18 | 14 April 2017 | AFC Arena | Xi'an, Shaanxi, China |
| 18 | AFC 17 | 15 October 2016 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 17 | AFC 16 | 18 June 2016 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 16 | AFC 15 | 19 March 2016 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 15 | AFC 14 | 12 September 2015 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 14 | AFC 13 | 14 June 2015 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 13 | AFC 12 | 22 March 2015 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 12 | AFC 11 | 22 November 2014 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 11 | AFC 10 | 16 August 2014 | Bunton Park | Albury, Australia |
| 10 | AFC 9 | 17 May 2014 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 9 | AFC 8 | 22 February 2014 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 8 | AFC 7 | 10 May 2013 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 7 | AFC 6 | 24 August 2013 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 6 | AFC 5 | 14 December 2013 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 5 | AFC 4 | 7 December 2012 | Melbourne Pavilion | Melbourne, Australia |
| 4 | AFC 3 | 14 April 2012 | Geelong Arena | Geelong, Australia |
| 3 | AFC 2 | 3 September 2011 | Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre | Melbourne, Australia |
| 2 | AFC Fight Night | 25 June 2011 | State Netball & Hockey Centre | Melbourne, Australia |
| 1 | AFC 1 | 12 November 2010 | State Netball & Hockey Centre | Melbourne, Australia |
Notable alumni
- Israel Adesanya (UFC)
- Hector Lombard (UFC)
- Soa Palelei (UFC)
- Dylan Andrews (UFC)
- Richie Vaculik (UFC)
- Peter Graham (Bellator)
- Bec Rawlings (UFC)
- Dan Kelly (UFC)
- Jake Matthews (UFC)
- Dan Hooker (UFC)
- Damien Brown (UFC)
- Alexander Volkanovski (UFC)
- Tai Tuivasa (UFC)
- Luke Jumeau (UFC)
- Tyson Pedro (UFC)