First event in Dortmund
“Flagship” Westfalenhalle to push MMA in Germany
03/22/2023, 18:01
Mixed martial arts is booming in Germany, but the sport is not yet suitable for the masses. With the first MMA event in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle, another milestone is to be set.
Max Coga, Khalid Taha and Mert Özyildirim – the cage fighters are well-known names in the German mixed martial arts scene, at the event of the National Fighting Championship (NFC) on Saturday (11 p.m. / Sport1) they should ensure that the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund is full.
The NFC has grown steadily as an organizer in recent years and even held events during the Corona period – albeit without an audience. The promotion now regularly sells out halls with 2,000 to 3,000 spectators. The Westfalenhalle should now become a “milestone” for MMA Germany, as matchmaker Max Merten tells ntv.de. 5500 of 7000 tickets have already been sold.
“MMA no longer takes place in backyards”
MMA is not yet suitable for the masses in Germany – “but the Westfalenhalle is known to everyone. We want to show that the sport no longer takes place in some backyard.” Merten also noticed from the interest shown by the media and sponsors that the venue had a special effect. However, an event of this magnitude brings with it new logistical challenges. “The cage is set up as always, light and sound change in a hall like this, of course.” 14 fights are on the program in Dortmund, 10 to 12 are actually enough according to Merten. However, the NFC wants to be on the safe side and be able to react if unforeseen things happen, if a fighter gets injured or misses the weight.
The 35-year-old is a former MMA fighter himself and, in his role at the NFC, makes sure who competes against whom. The pressure is so great that it depends on his work whether people say: I want to look at that. “It’s not just sporting aspects that play a role, there must also be fighters who fit the location and who can help with marketing. Combining sporting quality and this mainstream character is often difficult.”
With Khalid Taha, the NFC was able to win a fighter with this profile. For the former UFC fighter and native of Dortmund, his appearance in the Westfalenhalle against the Brazilian Giovanni da Silva Santos will be a real home game. “I can’t wait. It doesn’t get any more blatant than Dortmund. This is my home. In recent years I’ve always fought abroad. Now I’m preparing here, training here and doing weight. It’s all unusual, but in positive sense.”
Taha: “The fight card stands for itself”
Standing in the main event of the evening: Özyildirim and Coga.
(Photo: NFC)
The effects the event will have on sport in Germany will only be seen afterwards, says Taha. “It’s going to be a blatant show that Germany hasn’t seen before,” explains the 31-year-old. “The fight card is there for itself. You can’t say for sure who’s winning in any fight. That will whet your appetite for more.” With the event, the NFC will also attract international attention.
The organizer is now the market leader in Germany and is attractive to many MMA fighters. “It gets easier from event to event. Fighters from home and abroad contact us,” says Merten. The NFC is clearly positioning itself as a springboard for cage fighters. If the call comes from one of the big promotions like UFC, Bellator or PFL, the NFC doesn’t put any obstacles in the career path of the fighters, but uses the story for self-promotion.
This was recently the case with Dutchman Jarno Errens. The featherweight fighter was NFC champion, the title that Max Coga and Mert Özyildirim are fighting for on Saturday. Errens had won the belt against Coga, but lost again against Özyildirim. The Dutchman won his last fight in the NFC, which was followed by a contract offer from the UFC. “That’s a good sign for us. The big UFC also looks at our fighters,” said Merten. The NFC would like to continue to offer its fighters this stage. The Westfalenhalle is to serve as a “flagship” in order to continue to host events of this magnitude in the future.