WGP 71: Jonas Salsicha wins against Lucas Rafael and Vinicius Mestrinier clinches Challenger GP

The WGP Kickboxing held another historic edition on the night of Sunday, July 9, in São Paulo. The Mauro Pinheiro gym in the capital received edition 71, which crowned the main names of the night with victories, belts, and trophies. In the main event of the night, Jonas Salsicha defeated Lucas Rafael by split decision in a match that no longer counted for the Super-Middleweight title after challenger Gustavo Jones contracted dengue and had to be removed from the card at the last minute. In the Challenger GP for the Super-Lightweights, Vinicius Mestrinier excelled by defeating Paulo Tebar and Ignacio El Fino in two great fights to become the champion and secure the spot as the challenger for the Argentine Tomas Chacal's belt. Another highlight of the night was Hector Santiago's victory by knockout over Venezuelan Luis Lugo, earning the WAKO Pro Pan-American belt in the lightweight division. The event also featured 12 other fights that thrilled the audience in the capital.

The Main Event of WGP 71 was not exactly what the audience expected after the challenger for Jonas Salsicha's belt, Gustavo Jones, contracted dengue in the week of the fight and had to be removed from the card. The substitute was Lucas Rafael from Sorocaba in a match that did not count for the Super-Middleweight title for obvious reasons. Inside the ring, the balance was greater than expected. Lucas played a very intelligent game and posed difficulties for Salsicha, who tried to control the fight based on his experience. At the end of the three rounds, the champion emerged victorious and is now waiting for the date of the anticipated rematch against Gustavo Jones.

The Super-Lightweight division saw its next challenger for the belt of Argentine Tomas Chacal today. The Challenger GP in the category gathered the top four ranked fighters, and the title was claimed by the least-ranked athlete among the four. In the first semifinal, former category champion Paulo Tebar faced Vinicius Mestrinier and was taken by surprise by the adversary's great performance, who, with impressive speed, kept Tebar uncomfortable and won by unanimous decision. In the other semifinal, Argentine Ignacio El Fino, the division’s last challenger, had a great battle against Brazilian Diego Piovesan. The match was decided on details in favor of the Hermano, who was slightly superior.

In the grand decision, the best fight of the night of WGP 71. Vinicius Mestrinier and Ignacio El Fino didn’t seem like they had already fought on the same night. The two engaged in a true battle in the ring, with great moments for both sides. After three very intense rounds, the Brazilian came out on top by unanimous decision, thus securing the Challenger GP trophy and the position of challenger for the Super-Lightweight title.

WGP 71 also put the WAKO Pro Pan-American belt on the line in the lightweight division. Brazilian Hector Santiago and Venezuelan Luis Lugo faced off for the division title. What was seen inside the ring was a true masterclass from Hector, a former WGP champion in the division. He imposed his pace and even achieved a knockout after a devastating sequence in the first round. Another fighter who also made a mark with a beautiful knockout on the main card was Paulistano Nichollas Pestilli. He took on Hiago Pereira and stormed through with an aggressive and impactful performance until achieving the knockout in the second round.

The Super Fights of WGP 71 also excited the crowd present at the Mauro Pinheiro gym. The international duel between Venezuelan Ebert Arraga and Argentine Metralleta Torino sparked fireworks, with Torino imposing a frantic pace from start to finish and achieving a knockout in the third round. The same excitement occurred in the fight between Robson Bull Terrier and Luanzin Rios, with Bull Terrier showcasing a vast repertoire and dominating the fight to win by unanimous decision. In the other two duels of the Super Fights, Marcelo Coliseu also shone against Bruno Torpedo, who joined the fight just one day before the event due to Lucas Rafael's entry, and won by unanimous decision. Julia Alves imposed her will against Angela Rosa to also win by unanimous decision.

In the Undercard of WGP 71, more excitement. Among the seven initial fights of the night, the highlights were Dioginis Overeem, who scored a beautiful knockout over Wagner Santos, and Thiales Kaiser, who despite winning by decision over Marcos Gabriel, delivered a stunning knockdown in the first round that thrilled the audience. The battle between Paulo Sergipe and Vicelazio Neto also drew attention for the true battle fought inside the ring, with Sergipe winning by unanimous decision.