Stefano Paterno put himself on the verge of a UFC call-up after securing another Knockout of the Year contender in the CW 179 Rome Main Event.
The sold-out PalaPellicone arena erupted as Paterno’s fans cheered him on, and he delivered a walk off KO for the ages.
In the co-main event, another jaw-dropping KO silenced the crowd when Konstantinos Ntelis stunned the arena and set social media wild with his brutal finish.
The Roman crowd was firmly behind Khadim Dia, who put on a dominant display in the cage, relentlessly pressuring Leon Aliu until Aliu was unable to continue after two rounds in their welterweight clash.
Anticipation was high for Naples’ own Alessandro Giordano, who fought through an injury to secure a hard-earned victory, cementing his reputation as Italy’s best bantamweight.
In one of the night’s most dramatic finishes, Solomon Simon pulled off yet another buzzer beater with his ninja choke to secure a thrilling victory.
Rome’s support was electric for Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo, who put on a dominant three-round display to extend his undefeated record to 6-0, setting the tone for the main card.
The prelims saw local favourites Luca Borando and Niko Ceraglia bring the crowd to its feet with decisive victories in front of their home fans.
Meanwhile, standout performances from visiting fighters Manuel Del Valle and Conor McCarthy showcased their potential as promising prospects, both earning valuable wins on enemy turf.
FIGHT RESULTS
Main Card
Stefano Paternò def. Jorge Bueno via KO (punch) after 2:43 of round two
Konstantinos Ntelis def. Simone Patrizi via KO (Punch) after 1:30 of round one
Khadim Dia def. Leon Aliu via TKO (injury) after 5:00 of round two
Alessandro Giordano def. Emanuele Zaccaria via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Solomon Simon def. Walter Cogliandro via Submission (ninja choke) after 4:54 of round three
Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo def. Itay Tratner by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Prelims
Giacomo Michelis def. Olli Santalahti via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Luca Mele def. Daniele Battaglia via Submission (rear-naked choke) after 3:04 of round two
Manuel Del Valle def. Sergio Gavinelli via Submission (anaconda choke) after 3:23 of round two
Michelangelo Lupoli def. Gerasimos Sioutis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Damiano Scogna def. Emanuel Caperna via Submission (rear-naked choke) after 1:53 of round one
Emanuele Tetti def. Angelo Terenzio via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Niko Ceraglia def. Andrea Flamminio via TKO (punches) after 4:33 of round three
Luca Borando def. Nicolae Mezdrea via TKO (punches and hammerfists) after 1:18 of round three
Mario Mingaj def. Zurab Zarnadze via Submission (triangle choke) after 1:50 of round 1
Conor McCarthy defeated Gianluca Rocca via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)