The Karate Combat Fan Experience

"Electrifying!"

That’s the only way I can describe the feeling of Karate Combat’s first live event open to the general public.

Just walking into the arena for the first time was like nothing else in combat sports. It felt more like entering a movie set with a live audience, combined with the feeling of a 4D ride. That latter part was due to how immersive the experience was for the general audience.

The seats weren’t regular seats but carefully crafted to fit into the “Neo-Paris” aesthetic that was being projected on the LED walls. It made you really feel like you were transported into the Karateverse.

Most importantly for immersion, were the little things that made us fans feel like we were part of the experience.

Karate Combat’s Cameramen got us all hype by having a “competition” before the fight to see what section of the general admission crowd was the loudest, and fighters rallied the crowd to make some noise, and exited their “portals” from the corners of two of the stands.

Each and every one of us had fun and felt like we were experiencing a giant party, to the extent that a group of people formed an impromptu dance team between one of the rounds.

But all of this would be for naught, if the fights themselves weren’t hype. And they were. (Spoilers Ahead for a few of the fights)

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Bruno Assis vs Gabriel Varga

The fight between Varga and Assis was an absolute war.

Varga showed ring rust early on (or a slowness to adjust to The Pit and new rule set), but gradually adjusted as the rounds progressed, eventually becoming too much for the experienced Brazilian prospect to handle.

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Rafael Aghayev vs Davy Dona

n the full-contact rematch of a sport karate match where Davy illegally KO'd Rafael, Aghayev re-asserted why they call him the GOAT.

Rafael Aghayev received one of the loudest pop offs of the night for his performance against Dona.

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Ross Levine vs Shahin Atamov

The only fighter who received louder cheers than Rafael Aghayev was Ross Levine.

Once Levine proved he was able to neutralize the grappling of Atamov, it just became a master class for striking. A new Champion was crowned and he’s looking to become the face of the organization.

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The fights were great, the show was hype, and everything lived up to our expectations.

All Karate Combat fans have wished for since the first season was the chance to be able to watch an event live. We finally were able to, and the event felt like a culmination of all that came before. As if Karate Combat earned its Black Belt as a promotion.

But as any Black Belt knows, this isn’t the end, just a new beginning. Karate Combat is going to new horizons and as a fan I’m excited that we have the opportunity to be there in person as it unfolds.

Be sure to join the hype train on August 27th for Karate Combat’s next live show, subscribe to their newsletter to find out more as information becomes available.