Tag: Melissa Balic

2024 PFL 4 loses fight days out from event

PFL will make its Mohegan Sun debut Thursday and hot prospect Melissa Balic will not be a part of the action.

It’s fight week for PFL, though the card is one fight less than expected.

Spotlighted amateur prospect [autotag]Melissa Balic[/autotag] is out of 2024 PFL 4 due to injury. Two people, including a promotion official, recently informed MMA Junkie of the situation.

Balic (0-0) was expected to fight [autotag]Kristina Katsikis[/autotag] (1-2) in a flyweight showcase bout on the preliminary card Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The fight has been scrapped.

Balic, 26, has a 3-1 amateur record with a handful of amateur kickboxing bouts prior. Balic is a New York native and member of Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts, a gym that encourages fighters to begin with kickboxing bouts. Balic was heavily influenced by Lyman Good, Shane Burgos and Julio Arce, among others.

Nicknamed “Statick,” Balic currently holds the Flex Fight Series amateur women’s flyweight title. Of her three amateur wins, two came by unanimous decision and the third by submission.

With the removal, the updated 2024 PFL 4 fight card includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Valentin Moldavsky vs. Linton Vassell
  • Dakota Ditcheva vs. Chelsea Hackett
  • Denis Goltsov vs. Thiago Santos
  • Liz Carmouche vs. Kana Watanabe

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

  • Jena Bishop vs. Taila Santos
  • Davion Franklin vs. Oleg Popov
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Marcelo Golm
  • Ilara Joanne vs. Shanna Young
  • Tim Johnson vs. Danilo Marques
  • Lisa Mauldin vs. Juliana Velasquez
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Saray Orozco

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 4.

PFL signs Melissa Balic to multifight deal ahead of professional debut

Top amateur Melissa Balic has signed a multifight deal with PFL before her pro debut, a rare move.

[autotag]Melissa Balic[/autotag] hasn’t made her professional debut yet, but she’s already caught the attention of a major promotion.

PFL has inked Balic (0-0) to a multifight deal announced Wednesday as she will enter what the promotion calls its “athlete development program” with a pro debut expected this summer. Balic told MMA Junkie on Wednesday she expects to debut June 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

“It kind of made sense to me because I knew something really good was coming,” Balic said. “I could feel it. … With PFL now, I’m very excited to make my debut. From there, let’s just see where the path takes me. I’m interested.”

Balic, 26, has a 3-1 amateur record with a handful of amateur kickboxing bouts prior. Balic is a New York native and member of Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts, a gym that encourages fighters to begin with kickboxing bouts. Balic was heavily influenced by Lyman Good, Shane Burgos and Julio Arce, among others.

Nicknamed “Statick,” Balic currently holds the Flex Fight Series amateur women’s flyweight title. Of her three amateur wins, two came by unanimous decision and the third by submission.

Originally, Balic was expected to make her professional debut outside of PFL in January. However, a knuckle injury forced her out of the bout. Reflecting on it, Balic sees the injury as a potential blessing in disguise.

“Was like, ‘Why is this happening right now? Are you kidding?’ Balic said. “Then something way bigger and better came along. That’s why. That needed to happen.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6JnQOIr5On/?img_index=1

Signing with a major promotion before a pro debut is unusual, but Balic agrees with PFL’s decision and aims to live up to expectations.

“I know who I am, and I know how hard I work,” Balic said. “I don’t doubt really good things are coming to me. … I don’t necessarily thrive off the pressure, but I do embrace it. I’m embracing all of this, so I’ll be ready when the time comes.”

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