Main card fights revealed for Hexagone MMA 8

HEXAGONE MMA has revealed three main card bouts for its 8th fight night on 3 June at Béziers Arena in France, HEXAGONE MMA 8.

WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT: DEAN GARNETT VS LUCAS CORBAGE

In the headliner, Dean Garnett (10-2-1, UK) faces Lucas Corbage (11-1, Argentina) for the world featherweight title. The Liverpudlian, Garnett, made his name across promotions such as Cage Warriors and Bellator, famously turning down his call to the UFC to meet Magomed Magomedov at ACB. The majority of his wins (50%) are by submission, with only 30% left to the judges’ scorecards. His most recent victory at HEXAGONE MMA 6 was by KO at 20 seconds into the first round.

Fighting out of Nova União Argentina, Corbage comes from a fight team traditionally renowned for its Brazilian jiu jitsu but which also boasts international MMA names, with José Aldo as its most prominent export. Corbage has 6 x 1st round finishes to his name with 36% obtained by submission and 36% via strikes over a nine-year professional career.

MEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT: BEN LAKHDHAR VS WANDERSON BARCELOS

Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar (6-0-1, France) meets Wanderson Barcelos (6-1, Brazil) in a men’s middleweight clash. Training out of Paris, “The Last Uchiwa” Lakhdhar stands undefeated. With 50% of his overall victories by strikes and 50% by decision, the fast-rising talent has attracted attention with a spate of 3 x first-round TKO finishes across his 5 bouts at Cage Warriors. His explosiveness is well reflected in his anime-inspired fighter name since the ‘Uchiwa’ (Uchicha) clan is defined by its combat skills and signature “Great Fireball Technique”. Wanderson “Gago” Barcelos fights out of Team Base MMA in Rio de Janeiro, with a history of finishing fights in the 1st or 2nd round and the majority also by strikes. HEXAGONE MMA 8 will mark Barcelos’ international debut.

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT BOUT: KARLA BENITEZ VS STEPHANIE IELO PAGE

Karla Benitez (19-16-1, Venezuela) and Stephanie Ielo Page (7-4-0, France) return to the HEXAGONE MMA cage to face each other in a women’s strawweight match-up. Both will be looking to redeem themselves from recent losses with the promotion. Benitez lost to former champion Laetitia Blot at HEXAGONE MMA 6, following a prior win over Lucie Bertaud at HEXAGONE MMA 3. Based in Spain, the Venezuelan brings long international experience from across shows that include Hombres de Honour, Bellator and Super Fight League. Of her recorded finishes, 63% have been obtained by strikes. 34-year-old Bellator veteran Stephanie Ielo Page lost to Eva Dourthe (France) by Unanimous Decision at HEXAGONE MMA 6. Born and resident in Brest, France, where she trains at the Boxing Lab, Page proudly celebrates her New Caledonian heritage. Before converting to MMA, Page first attained success as a striker with five world championships in Thai boxing and four world titles in K1.

HEXAGONE MMA 8: MAIN CARD (SO FAR)

World Featherweight CHAMPIONSHIP – Men’s 65.8kg / 145 lbs:

Dean Garnett (UK, 10-2-1) vs. Lucas Corbage (11-1, Argentine)

Lightweight Bout – Men’s 70.3kg / 155lbs:

Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar (6-0-1, France) vs. Wanderson Barcelos (6-1, Brésil)

Strawweight Bout – Women’s 52.2kg / 115lbs:

Karla Benitez (19-16-1, Venezuela) vs. Ielo Page (7-5, France via New Caledonia)