King in the Ring is returning to the post COVID-19 New Zealand sporting landscape with a vengeance, and will be the first major televised combat sport event to take place since lockdown.

Having been forced to cancel just four days before the event was due go ahead in March, New Zealand’s premier fight show will now take place at Auckland’s  EVENTFINDA STADIUM on Saturday, July 19 and be screened live on SKY Sport.

The stacked card features a super middle weight eight-man tournament in perhaps the most talent rich division in Oceania.

Twenty-year-old welterweight champion, Arshia Ebadi, moves up in weight, hoping to become a two division champ.

Standing in his way, 31 year old, 75 fight veteran and inaugural middleweight king, Mike “Blood” Diamond will be looking to reclaim his crown after being narrowly outpointed in the final last year. 

In a dangerous field, where every fighter has either a national or international title, the dark horse stands out as KO specialist, Oscar Remihana. With 22 KO’s out of his 29 wins, the 23-year-old is not a man to make a mistake with.

The undercard also delivers world class talent with English born world champion and former GLORY number 10 Mark Timms, stepping up to face local stalwart and former South Pacific Champion, Hayden “Tat North” Todd.

Timms is coming out of a torrid champ with Isreal Adesanya as the middleweight UFC Champion’s main sparring partner in preparation for Paulo Costa.

In keeping with the theme of young up an comers breaking out, World Amateur Champion 21 year old Hayellom Tesfay also returns with his spectacular brand of kickboxing against Wellington’s Jordon Smart.

The official weigh in will be:

Date: Friday, July 17

Time: 6.30pm

Venue: ETK Head Quarters

Address: 701 Great South Road, Penrose.

King in the Ring Middleweight III.

Date: Saturday, July 18

Time: Doors open 7pm

Venue: EVENTFINDA STADIUM

Address: 17 Silverfield Road, Wairau Valley.