Why is there straw here? Simply because “Sparta Royale” does groundbreaking work in the field of martial arts, with tough fighters fighting each other for the first time in a hay ring! Krone+ subscribers (our offers here) can watch the livestream exclusively this Saturday from 6 p.m.
“Mago” knows them all. After all, he has fought his way through every cage in the world as an MMA fighter for years. They were sparkling clean, highly polished, dusty and worn in places, yet soaked in sweat and blood.
For ‘Sparta Royale’, Magomed Ozniev – as ‘Mago’ is actually called – wanted to create a new, unique battle arena: made of straw. “A sign of our deep connection with power and nature,” he explains in the promotional video.
The next exclamation point from the top organization Sparta CF, which Ozniev created with a team after Corona. “My contract in a Ukrainian league had ended at the time, so I looked at local events. When it comes to martial arts, we often still live in the Stone Age here. I wanted to make it better!”
Spartans want to keep growing
Which resonated with the fans. In the founding year of 2022, 1,300 visitors came to the first Sparta event. The next was 4500. And last October there was a huge show in the Wiener Stadthalle with almost 8000 spectators! Impressive – but not enough. This year, even more larger and smaller fighting events will be organized and the DACH region will be further conquered.
As part of this, the multi-part series “Sparta Royale” now starts with the first event on Saturday in Vienna’s Ariana Hall in a smaller (max. 1000 visitors) but equally nice setting. Kicks, holds and chokeholds known from mixed martial arts are not allowed here. The fight will take place according to boxing rules over three rounds of two minutes each with an optional bonus round. However, instead of thick boxing gloves, thin MMA gloves are worn.
Brutal and rustic
It will be bold and rustic. “That’s why we don’t let amateurs or street fighters get involved,” emphasizes the Sparta captain. “All participants have sufficient wrestling or professional experience!” Ozniev lived in Thailand for two years and draws on a broad, international network. Renato Eni Kepi acts as matchmaker. The result was an illustrious fight card featuring Daniel Matusic, Khalid Ott, Tamirlan Dadaev and Austrian heavyweight “bull” Aleksandar Mraovic.
According to Ozniev, the fact that things got heated during the official press event, with the athletes sometimes exchanging pleasantries below the belt and not just verbally clashing (see below), is part of the program: “Since day 1, the entertainment factor has not been neglected for us. People want entertainment in and outside the ring, we provide it.”
“It must remain sporty and fair!”
The social media community is provided with informative video clips on TikTok, Insta and Co., but also with trash talk and interventionist safety, or pure action. And that works. “But – and this has always been important to us at Sparta: everything must be sporty, everything must be fair!” In the boxing ring, in the octagon, but also between the bales of straw…
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
