Theo Kolehmainen fought for the first time after losing to Makwan Amirkhani in the Ice Cage.
Theo Kolehmainen photographed at the Ice Cage evening. Sami Nurmi
Theo Kolehmainen25, was watching the Hamara MMA fight night organized at Kupitta in Turku on Saturday.
Kolehmainen returned to the same corners where he lost to Makwan Amirkhani with an anaconda choke just two months earlier. At that time, the loss came in less than a minute in the Ice Cage at Turku’s Gatorade Center.
Kolehmainen, representing Espoo’s Kehähait, faced the Italian Simone Mannon.
The struggle was dramatic. Kolehmainen won in the first round with a fierce knockout punch.
The result could have been different. The match started with several leg kicks on both sides, but suddenly Manno was close to knocking out Kolehmainen with a hard knee to the head. Kolehmainen’s defeat seemed inevitable.
However, the Finn was moved to the wrestling phase of the match, and in the vertical match he found the perfect striking angle and knocked Manno to the canvas.
The match was the third match of a professional career for Kolehmainen, known by the nickname “Ei leiki”.
Next, Kolehmainen will face the one on a four match losing streak Toni Lampinen (8–8) at the Ice Cage event in Espoo in December.
In the main match of the evening Olli Santalahti grabbed a first round choke win over the Brazilian From Renan Martins.
In previous matches on Hamara’s main card, familiar names from the last Ice Cage were seen. Rasmus Vauhkonen beat the Czech Republic in overwhelming style by Radek Stadler a little over a minute and Verner Hakkinen took a stranglehold win Rasberg from Gwanzura.
The Turku audience was delighted by Hakkinen’s winning song, which was used as TPS’s winning song Kai Hyttinen Dirlanda.