All levels jumping in the ring

The Dunedin City Council has revealed plans for a new roof for the Edgar Centre. PHOTO: STEPHEN...
The Edgar Centre. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
You might find the next Dan Hooker or Kai Kara-France at the Edgar Centre this weekend.

There are big match-ups right across the highly anticipated XFC x Bucketlist fight night, which blends some of the country’s best fighters and Dunedin locals taking on the sport for the first time.

The best of the best will go toe to toe in the XFC section, while the boot camp members will come up against one another in the undercard.

Eight fights will feature on the XFC side, including heavy hitters in the main card with Peter Clinch v Jackson Afaese.

Promoter Matt Toa said Clinch, fighting out of Dunedin’s Hammerhead MMA, was one of the city’s top fighters.

His opponent, Afaese, fighting out of Oliver MMA in Auckland, recently made it through to the finals of Hooker’s backyard fight spectacle in Auckland.

They are joined by co-main event Tim McEwan, of Hammerhead Central, coming up against Ben Mitchell, from Universal Vale Tudo in Christchurch, in the welterweight division fight.

Several fighters are making their return to the sport this weekend, including Dunedin’s Chris Eden.

The Hammerhead Dunedin fighter is back after a six-year hiatus and will get in the ring with Jackson Gray, from Christchurch, in the featherweight fight.

Hamilton fighter Rickson Hill will make his debut, but is no stranger to the big time after being a national wrestling champion from a young age.

Hill comes from MMA royalty with his father, Terry, inducted into the New Zealand Mixed Martial Arts hall of fame and the current president of the association.

He will face Tom Furlong, from Tauranga, in the middle weight division bout.

Dunedin locals will be putting their best foot forward in the ring in the Bucketlist undercard.

Fourteen contenders have been put through their paces in a 12-week boot camp at the Otago Fight Centre and wrap up with an MMA match-up with "all the bells and whistles" on Saturday.

Boot camps are a regular on the programme for the centre and Toa enjoyed seeing their growth.

"This has been a real interesting one because basically most competitors are under the age of 30, so it’s been a very young group," Toa said.

"We’ve actually been able to get a lot of skills put to them probably more than other years just because they’ve been able to learn so much quicker."

The event had already been well supported by the public, who were in for a show.

"Especially backing up after the rugby as well ... we realised there’s only a certain pool with money in the town and to have the Dunedin locals supporting us is always appreciated."

kayla.hodge@odt.co.nz