WGP 76: Matheus Nogueira defeats Ivan Galaz and is the new champion of the Cruzadores

The WGP Kickboxing held another historic edition on the night of this Saturday, June 15, in Cuiabá. In the organization’s debut in the capital of Mato Grosso, the audience witnessed a high-level event, with true wars inside the ring. In the main fight of the night, Brazilian Matheus Nogueira defeated Chilean Ivan Galaz by unanimous decision and became the new Cruiserweight champion. The event also crowned André Martins, who defeated Fernando Amaya and Dioginis Overeem to win the Challenger GP trophy of the Welterweights and secure the position of the next challenger for the champion Petros Cabelinho's belt. Another highlight of the night was the victory of Brazilian Suellen Bitencourt over Chilean Maquinita Orellana in one of the great fights of the night.

The main fight of WGP 76 put two distinct generations face to face. On one side was Brazilian Matheus Nogueira, one of the greatest Brazilian prospects in the division. On the other, the experienced Chilean Ivan Galaz, one of the most important names in the history of martial arts in Chile. Inside the ring, both lived up to expectations. With a great battle that reached the fifth round tied due to the balance, the belt ended up in the hands of the Brazilian for his superiority in the decisive round. Now, Matheus Nogueira is the new Cruiserweight champion of WGP.

The Challenger GP of the Welterweights promised much anticipation to define the next challenger for champion Petros Cabelinho. In the first semifinal, Jones Coliseu and Dioginis Overeem had a well-balanced fight, with Jones slightly superior at crucial moments of the duel. As a result, he won unanimously. However, he ended up getting injured, which allowed Dioginis to gain a spot in the final, since the winner of the reserve fight, Marcio de Jesus, also got injured. In the other semifinal, Brazilian André Martins had a great duel with Argentine Fernando Amaya and won by unanimous decision after being more impactful with his strikes.

In the grand final, André Martins and Dioginis Overeem set aside their fatigue and put their hearts into a great battle in the WGP ring. At the end of the three rounds, André was superior in the first two rounds and won by unanimous decision to claim the Challenger GP trophy and the position of challenger for Petros Cabelinho's belt.

In the international women's fight between Brazilian Suellen Bitencourt and Chilean Maquinita Orellana, the audience witnessed a true war in the WGP ring. With much respect between the two athletes, they put on a great battle, with the Brazilian being more impactful and versatile. As a result, the judges awarded her the victory, to the delight of the crowd present in Cuiabá.

The Super Fights also excited the audience present in Cuiabá. In the fight between Marcio de Jesus and Matheus Gomes, the balance prevailed. With both alternating good moments, the fight went to whoever was more impactful. As a result, Marcio secured another triumph in WGP. In the duel among the Heavyweights, Carlão Lima and Jeffinho Almeida also thrilled the crowd with many exciting moments. At the end of the three rounds, Carlão was better, leveraging his greater strength and reach to take the victory by unanimous decision.

In the first three fights of the Super Fights, the highlight was the duel between Danilo Dias and Ahlan Yoschida. With plenty of exchanges, both athletes gave everything they had, earning many applause at the end of the duel, which Ahlan won unanimously. Claudinha Gomes and Oscar Schmidt also won their duels against Debora Santos and Octavio Henrique, respectively.

The Undercard of WGP 76 also heated up. The standout performances were by Wellynton Coringa and Mateus Cebola, who achieved two knockouts over Silas Rafael and Kallel França, respectively, and celebrated with the crowd. Another highlight of the night was the triumph of Silvio Augusto, who, after defeating Bruno Paolo, proposed to his girlfriend in the WGP ring. Another winner of the night was Bruno Castedo, who defeated Agnon Costa by unanimous decision.