This Saturday, the Chinese MMA scene will see a new promotion have its grand opening: Shui Combat.
The new organization, put together by China Top Team owner Ren Zhongxian, will host Shui Combat 1 on Saturday, August 10th. The event takes place in northwest China's Xinjiang province, at the Yining Stadium in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The mountainous region is near the Chinese-Kazakh border and home to mostly ethnic Kazakh minorities.
For the inaugural Shui Combat card, Ren and the team with Shui Combat wasted no time to pick up some of China's top fighters for the event. The main event will feature Naiza FC, JCK, and Road to UFC veteran Taiyilake Nueraji (10-1) against Kazakh Kirill Karpekin (1-1). Nueraji has cemented himself as the top prospect from China at the moment and likely on the cusp of a major promotional signing should he continue winning.
After winning one of the best fights- and knockouts- of the year in 2023 in Road to UFC against Kim Han Seul, Nueraji has only continued to blaze through the competition, finishing Dhouglas Ribeiro at Naiza FC and Maxim Shimchenko at WKG / M-1 Global. Many consider him as the most exciting Chinese fighter outside the UFC at the moment.
His opponent, Karpekin, will admittedly be at an experience disadvantage against Taiyilake. However, the promotion reportedly had a bear of a time finding an opponent willing to face Nueraji, and Karpekin stepped up to enter the fray as an enormous underdog.
Another big fight takes place in the co-main event, as Enbo Fight's Regezhen (7-0) fights fellow unbeaten featherweight Bekmerey Marks (4-0). Regezhen has been steadily risen as a prospect to watch, finishing five of his seven opponents so far. His opponent, Marks, is a Kazakh with a perfect finishing rate through four fights and competes for the first time outside of Kazakhstan.
Another solid addition to Shui Combat 1 is Road to UFC veteran Wuziazibieke Jiahefu (33-12-1) fighting Brazil's Filipe Zacaron (8-2). Wuziazibieke, an ethnic Kazakh, has won two straight since his appearance on season two of Road to UFC. Zacaron recently won his Chinese debut fight at WLF MMA 75 against Luo Zhou in June.
The event starts at 7:30pm local time on Saturday (7:30am EST / 4:30am PST). No broadcast plans have yet been announced, but any live streams will be posted below on fight day.
Full Shui Combat 1 card:
Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kirill Karpekin
Regezhen vs. Bekmerey Marks
Wuziazibieke Jiahefu vs. Felipe Zacaron
Yere Duman vs. Huadanduoji
Zanghaer Batebolati vs. Rovasoa Andrianantenaina
Yedeli Muheiyati vs. Yermakhan Oryntaev
Xu Wanying vs. Polyana Miller
Wulanbateer vs. Songhaer Huoyishibai
Yesibosen Duishan vs. Yedeli Muheiyati
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