Sanny Dahlbeck and Max Vorovski may not be household names in the world of kickboxing, but insiders are very excited about this match between two young prospects that will be looking to prove a point on the world stage.
Dahlbeck has the home advantage, being from Stockholm and having fought in the Ericsson Globe Arena previously for top Swedish promotion Rumble of the Kings. From across the Baltic Sea in Estonia comes Vorovski, giving the match a Scandinavia derby element. Those in the know say that caution is the last thing you can expect to see in this fight. It is a massive opportunity for both of them to break out in front of a world audience and as they are well aware that the kickboxing fans of the world highly favor the fast-paced action fighter above all else, that is what we are likely to see. Dahlbeck in particular will want to show himself off as much as possible. A flamboyant 21-year-old, he is always ‘the ladies choice’ when he appears on kickboxing cards, with a notably high number of female fans compared to the average fighter. He isn’t all chiseled good looks and hairstyle though - Dahlbeck can really put a fight on. Generally speaking he tries to outclass his opponents and show them up by catching them with something unorthodox that will really make an impact with the crowd. Under full Muay Thai rules he likes to throw elbows from all angles, as well as the spinning variety. Under kickboxing rules, opponents should be wary of backfists and spin kicks, plus his impeccable timing for the counter-attack.
Timing is something that Vorovski also has, although in fighting style he is much more prosaic. If Dahlbeck is the dashing Prince Charming, all shining armour and bright gold sword, Vorovski is a Viking captain, dark and brooding with murderous intent. Theirs is a clash of styles and philosophies as much as it is a clash of nations and individuals. Some time ago, Vorovski made his way to Holland and sought out the Muay Thai legend Ramon Dekkers, famed in kickboxing circles for the havoc he wreaked in the rings of Thailand during the 1980s and 90s. Dekkers was infamously savage and was the first European to really conquer the Thai ring, which makes him an icon to modern-day fighters everywhere. Few of them have achieved what Vorovski did though: having met with Dekkers and trained a little bit, Vorovski found himself being taken under the ageing hero’s wing. He is in fact the only fighter who can currently lay claim to being Dekkers’ student, as Dekkers had - until meeting Vorovski - been on hiatus from the fighting world. Instead he could most often be found off-road biking around the countryside. Vorovski has got very good hands and boxing is one of his main strengths. The fact he caught Dekkers’ eye underlines his fighting style - Dekkers was a non-stop whirlwind of merciless aggression, advancing implacably against any odds. Vorovski has a similar mentality, although we will have to wait and see if he echoes Dekkers entirely.
Dahlbeck has beaten all his Swdish opposition but has yet to be tested on a truly international level, while Vorovski fought some big names very, very early in his professional career and came up short, albeit in impressive performances. This is the biggest fight of their respective careers. Whatever happens, the insiders are watching this one closely and most are picking it as a potentional Fight of the Night. Will it be a win for slick style or sledgehammer savagery? Opinions are divided and msot have it down as a 50-50 fight. We will only find out on fight night.