WGP 73 kicks off the year in style with victories by Petros Cabelinho and Jennifer Maia

The WGP Kickboxing opened the 2024 season in the best possible way. A card filled with great fights, title wins, Super 8 Challenger GP, and much more. On the night of Saturday, March 23, in Curitiba, the audience present at the Tarumã gym saw the Welterweight champion, Petros Cabelinho, confirm his dominance and secure another title defense by knocking out Marcio de Jesus in the fourth round. In the co-main event, Jennifer Maia showcased her striking skills by defeating Argentine Yanet Maestrojuan via knockout and secured the interim Women's Lightweight title.

The card also featured victories by Vinicius Mestrinier and Gabriel de Lima, who advanced to the semifinals of the Super 8 Challenger GP. The next edition of WGP will take place in Buenos Aires on April 27 and will put the Lightweight title on the line in a rematch between Tomas Chacal and Ignacio El Fino.

Petros and Jennifer celebrate with fans in Curitiba

The main fight of the season opener was filled with anticipation. Petros Cabelinho was making his third title defense against challenger Marcio Jesus with the whole gym in his favor. Inside the ring, both athletes sought the fight at all times, showing great balance in the first three rounds. In the fourth round, the champion landed a combination ending with a fatal low kick that Marcio de Jesus couldn't counter. Another title defense and victory for Petros Cabelinho by knockout.

The co-main event of WGP 73 featured the interim Women's Lightweight title on the line. On one side was the Brazilian ex-UFC fighter Jennifer Maia returning to striking against Argentine Maestrojuan. What unfolded in the ring was a fierce battle, with the Brazilian dominating the center of the ring and being more impactful. In the fourth round, after a shoulder strike, the Argentine suffered an injury and was unable to continue the fight. Victory and interim title for the Brazilian.

Super 8 Challenger GP sees its first semifinalists

WGP73 also launched the Super 8 Challenger GP for the Lightweights with the first two quarterfinals. In the first match, the last title challenger Vinicius Mestrinier made quick work of Paraguayan Braian Venega and landed a sequence to achieve a knockout in the first round, advancing in the GP. In the other quarterfinal, Argentine Niko Vega and Brazilian Gabriel de Lima had a very balanced bout, with a slight advantage for the Brazilian, who pushed for the action and managed a knockdown in the final round to secure the victory and a spot in the semifinals against Vinicius.

In the Special Fight between Matheus Nogueira and Anderson Boyka, there was even more excitement. With plenty of aggression and movement, the two delivered a real battle, won by Matheus by unanimous decision for being more impactful and precise. Before the Main Card, the Super Fights heated up. Allyson Campos and Marcos Carvalho performed beautifully against Irwing King Kong and Gilberto Naka, winning by unanimous decision with great superiority. But the highlight of these fights was undoubtedly Kadu Lima's victory over Otacilio Cena with a beautiful knockout in the first round after a high kick.

In another international matchup, Brazilian Fernando Mineiro and Argentine German Badallo had a very active and aggressive fight, with a slight advantage leading to a split decision victory for the Brazilian. In the first two fights of the Super Fights, there was a lot of intensity. In the bout between João Fejaozilla and Ricardo Treta, the striking flowed freely until the last second, with João winning by unanimous decision. The clash between Guilherme Antunes and Hygor Vieira was very close and decided by details in a split decision in favor of Hygor.

The Undercard of WGP 73 opened the event in great style, featuring nine bouts that thrilled the audience. The highlights were Heliazir Estefani, João Victor, and Maycon Souza. The first achieved a devastating knockout over Gabriel Menezes. The second had a great match against LK Ramos and delighted the crowd by winning unanimously. Meanwhile, Maycon Souza defeated Paraguayan Ariel Villalba, one of the country's great prospects, by knockout in the second round. Defu Monteiro, Gilmar Alves, Leidy Dai, Ryan Formaio, Victor Gabriel, and Marcos Rodrigues were the other winners of the night.