The highly anticipated 8TKO was supposed to become Enfusion's label to challenge the big organizations, unfortunately for Enfusion, they faced an unfortunate setback right from the start. Their promotional partner, Andrew Tate, was arrested in Romania forcing the organization to cut ties. However, undeterred by this misfortune, Enfusion proceeded with their plans, and in March of this year, 8TKO made its promotional debut with the qualifiers. Finally, this weekend marked the first 8-man tournament.
The quarter-finals kicked off with some thrilling fights, although no major upsets occurred. The favorites, Younes Smaili and Fouad Chahbari, both secured convincing decision victories in their respective bouts. Youssef el Haji managed to get his revenge against Italian opponent Angelo Volpe in spectacular fashion. Securing a first-round KO finish and setting the score between them to one in favor of the Belgian Moroccan. Patrik Zadera emerged victorious in a closely contested match against Marian Lapusneanu, while Zahid Zairov easily dominated his opponent, Elkass, for an easy victory in the reserve match.
The semi-finals began with an explosion of action as Chahbari lived up to his nickname 'Fast Fouad' by securing a first-round TKO victory. His skills proved to be on a different level compared to his Czech opponent, Zadera. Chahbari's quick finish put some extra pressure on the other semi-final match between Smaili and El Haji, both of whom were also considered favorites to win the tournament. With fans from both corners vocally very present, the fighters delivered on expectations by pushing the pace as the fight went on. Although El Haji managed to land some significant strikes, it was Smaili that had the better of the exchanges and walked away with the victory.
Before the tournament final, a rematch between Bantamweights Matthew Daalman and Muhammed Simsek took place. Over a year ago, Daalman won the belt from Simsek in spectacular fashion when he finished the Turk with a powerful right high kick, after tasting the canvas himself twice in the first minute.
This time, Daalman's kicks again played a critical role, although the knockout stayed out. Simsek showcased superior boxing skills, dominating the earlier rounds. However, as the fight progressed, Daalman's kicks and punishing knees to the body took their toll, leading to his victory. Simsek, immensely popular with the Enfusion crowd, shared he was suffering from a bicep injury he had sustained during his preparation for the fight. It wouldn’t be surprising if Enfusion would use this as an opening for a possible rematch in the foreseeable future.
After 13 fights, the hall had turned into a steamy sauna due to the hot temperatures outside, leaving the ring covered in a thick layer of fog.
Chahbari's seemingly effortless journey to the final had leveled the odds, intensifying the anticipation for the ultimate showdown. The fight started well for Chahbari, using his jabs and movement to score points. However, Smaili had come to Alkmaar with a determination to make a statement. Showcasing the power difference when he pinned his fellow Moroccan down to the ropes and knocked him down with heavy blows. Although Chahbari managed to survive the first round, he was clearly on unsteady legs. The second round saw Smaili dominate even more, leaving Chahbari with little chance of a comeback. After a second hard Knockdown Chahbari’s corner did not see another option than to throw in the towel. With a dominant performance, Smaili emerged as the champion of the first 8TKO tournament, solidifying his position as one of the best in the promotion. His achievement is even more impressive knowing he broke his foot in the first fight, according to an Instagram post posted by the organization.
8TKO FINAL 8 -70KG RESULTS
Younes Smaili def. Fouad Chahbari – TKO in R2 – Final
Matthew Daalman def. Muhammed Simsek – Unanimous Decision – Enfusion Bantamweight Title
Younes Smaili def. Youssef el Haji – Unanimous Decision – Semi final
Faoud Chahbari def. Patrik Zadera – TKO in R2 – Semi final
Zahid Zairov def. Marouane Elkass – Unanimous Decision – Reserve bout
Youssef el Haji def. Angelo Volpe – KO in R1 – Quarter final
Patrik Zadera def. Marian Lapusneanu – Unanimous Decision – Quarter final
Younes Smaili def. Mervin Moor – Unanimous Decision – Quarter final
Faoud Chahbari def. Jordy Laret – Unanimous Decision – Quarter final
ENFUSION 123 RESULTS
Dina Ghabri def. Anastasia Kokloni – TKO in R3 – Enfusion Super Strawweight Title
Thian de Vries def. Chalid Chaquibi – TKO in R2
Bilal el Alaoui def. Soufian Sarping – Unanimous Decision
Robbie Kappetijn def. Kiril Dimitrov – KO in R2
Guevero Nijhove def. Abdellah Benali – Unanimous Decision
