[Press Release] Two more big names have been added to the already stacked ACB Manchester card as Robert Whiteford and Nam Phan have both signed to throw down at the Manchester Arena on March the 11th.
Both fighters are UFC veterans and have fighting styles that have caught the eyes of MMA fans around the world and with this collision of styles this looks set to be a fight that will be one the that
Whiteford has already tasted victory inside the ACB cage back in October when he headlined a fight in his home country of Scotland. That fight saw him test the waters at 140lbs but after the experience, he has now returned to the featherweight division, the division he made a name for himself and one in which he became known for his KO power. This will be Whiteford’s 18th walk to the cage and, with this return to featherweight, he is looking to make a statement against another big name.
Despite being the younger of the two fighters Nam Phan is the far more experienced with a total of 37 pro fights under his belt. Nam made a name for himself in the UFC with ‘fight of the night’ performances against the very tough Leonard Garcia which solidified his place as a fan favourite. With a CV of ‘who’s who’ in the featherweight division including fights against Cole Miller, Vaughn lee, Denis Siver amongst other Nam will not be intimidated by Whiteford. Nam has a highly technical fighting style mixed with the ability and will to bite down on his mouthpiece and turn a fight into a brawl he will be looking to impose his skills against Whiteford to show MMA fans that he is still one of the toughest fights out there at 145lbs.
The unfortunate news broke last week that ACB Welterweight champion Brett Cooper was forced to withdraw from the March 11th card due to an injury meaning he would be unable to defend his title in the highly anticipated rematch with Aslambek Saidov. Saidov instantly made his desires clear that he would like to stay on the Manchester card to compete alongside his longtime training partner and friend Mamed Khalidov if an opponent could be found on short notice.
Today, SBG Irelands, Ion Pascu answered that call and will now step up to take on ACB’s number one contender on just 3 weeks notice.
Pascu is a devastating force in this division and has proved himself on major stages around the world and against some very impressive competition. During his 21 fight career, he has wins over tough competition like Lee Chadwick and current UFC fight Jack Marshman who he dispatched by KO in under a round. Marshman is not alone with that result as the tough Romanian, Pascu, has finished 11 of his 15 victories within 5 minutes of the opening bell. Now fighting out of the highly touted SBG Ireland camp under the guidance of John Kavanagh he is truly a force to be reckoned with and he will not be making the trip to Manchester with just the thought of a payday on his mind.
Saidov will be grateful to Pascu for taking the fight but don’t think that this will buy any grace or favour for him when the time comes to throw down on March 11th. Saidov is known for his fast starts and destructive performances. The former KSW champion is a well-rounded mixed martial artist and was just minutes away from being crowned ACB champion until he got caught in the third round by Cooper after dominating the American for the opening 10 minutes. Since that fight, he has made his frustrations and disappointment clear and is itching to get back in the cage to wipe that performance clean and show that he is ready to be the ACB Welterweight champion.
The misfortune that Cooper was unable to compete in Manchester could turn into a blessing for the ACB fans in attendance because this is a style match up that has ‘War’ written all over it! It may be a short notice fight but Ion Pascu has proved he only needs one chance and less than one round to stop most of the men that choose to stand across from him in the cage.
Tickets are available from just £30 via Manchester-Arena.com
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