WOW Gathers 14,000 People at the Roig Arena, Setting an Attendance Record in Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo and Ilia Topuria’s project establishes itself by organizing the largest MMA event in the country's history.
Valencia’s own Enoc Solves announces his retirement after retaining his light heavyweight belt, despite his bout ending in a "no contest."
WOW 29 Valencia, held yesterday at the Roig Arena, brought together nearly 14,000 spectators, achieving the highest attendance for an MMA event in Spain to date. The event at the Valencian venue served as the international consolidation of the project, in which Cristiano Ronaldo and double world champion Ilia Topuria are partners.
A major highlight was the post-event press conference, which marked Ilia Topuria's final appearance before traveling to the United States for his first UFC lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at the White House. "El Matador" will cross the Atlantic next week, but before doing so, he emphasized to the media that this event has positioned WOW FC as the second-best MMA promotion in the world.
Another surprise of this historic evening was when Chimo Bayo took to the decks following Topuria's entrance, turning the Roig Arena into a massive dance floor with the entire crowd singing along to his iconic tracks. However, the true stars were the fighters, who gave meaning to an event that will live long in the memory of everyone present.
Fight Highlights and Performances
In the co-main event, Damian Rzepecki and Corneliu Rotaru thrilled the fans. The Polish fighter is one of the top lightweight prospects globally; in his WOW FC debut, he earned the "Performance of the Night" bonus, proving that the hype is real. Equal credit goes to Rotaru’s heart and grit, as he showed a warrior's soul by becoming the only fighter Damian has failed to finish in his entire career.
The other bonus of the night went to David Hervías, who, in his highly anticipated WOW FC debut, submitted Yunus Emre Batan in the third round, demonstrating why he is one of the biggest prospects in Spanish MMA. Other notable performances included Geison Santana’s first-round submission of Cristian Valencia, Antonio Fofirca’s TKO victory over Jhonatan Venancino in his WOW welterweight debut, and the absolute war between Mor Dieye and Nico Medina.
An Emotional Farewell
The most emotional moment of the card was the main event between Enoc Solves and Daniel Ladero. The Valencian fighter was defending his light heavyweight belt for the first time at home, in front of his people, against a veteran of the national scene. Although the fight ended in a "no contest" due to an illegal action, the headline was Solves announcing his retirement. He concludes a storied career that cements him as one of the greatest fighters in Spanish MMA history, fittingly saying goodbye in front of his home crowd.
The evening also saw a significant presence of personalities from the worlds of sports, culture, entertainment, and government institutions, reinforcing WOW FC’s cross-disciplinary status as a benchmark sporting and social event.