The growth of mixed martial arts (MMA) is reaching unsuspected limits. It is in this context where figures such as Iván Batalanto ‘Rocka’ and his project, 4Ovenarise. They are figures that long to give a twist to the establishedto look for what is different and find a place in the discipline in a unique way. What Iván brings to the scene is an idea that can change the way in which sport is consumed. “Suddenly one day I have an epiphany, I start writing and developing this project,” Iván commented for ABC. From an “epiphany” 4Four was born. But what is this and what does it bring different?
This new format brings events in which surprise is the key. The surprise is not only for the fans, but also for the fighters themselves. «The fighters know who they are going to fight, at what weight they are going to fight, but they don’t know in what discipline they are going to fight. And this is the interesting thing about this new platform,” says Iván, CEO of 4Four.
And 4Four is not an exclusive MMA platform, but there are four combat modalities in which you can fight. The discipline is chosen in a curious way. “The fighters get into the ring, the referee rolls a dice, and depending on the discipline he plays is the one in which the fight will take place,” he explains. This element of the die is something very new, in which chance becomes the protagonist. But this is not the only game-like aspect. «The die has two wild cards. One for the red corner and one for the blue corner. If one of these wild cards comes out, this corner chooses in which discipline the fight will be held,” reveals Iván.
This way of choosing the type of combat is not the only new thing that 4Four brings. “Each corner has a timeout, which you can use any minute or second you want,” he explains. This changes everything. The moment a fighter is close to being knocked out or submitted, the fight can be stopped for one minute and he can be saved by his corner. Without a doubt it is an addition that changes the game, and in which fighting strategy becomes essential during the only 10-minute round of the fight.
The modalities
But what are the different modalities that surround 4Four and what do they consist of? “This Bokatorwhich would be Muay Thai with certain additional rules to make it more spectacular. This Extreme BJJit is Gone and it is Extreme Knuckle Combat», reveals the CEO. These four disciplines will be the ones that you can get on the dice, in addition to the wild cards.
Bokator is a kind of Muay Thai with special rules. Eight-ounce gloves will be used and the special rules consist of “kick to the calves, you can catch and take 10 seconds to release…”, clarifies Iván. Extreme BJJ is jiu-jitsu, but with the addition that you can add “slaps” to combat. For this type of fight, the bandage will be removed from the contestants.
As for the last two, there are Vatu and Extreme Knuckle Combat. The first of these consists of MMA, with its traditional rules and four-ounce gloves. Extreme Knuckle Combat is boxing, but just like in Bokator more movements allowed. “It’s a dirty boxing where you bring the MMA sparring gloves, which are eight ounces and you can take the ‘clinch’ and hit short… The Superman punch, the spinning back fist are fine…” he declares. .
The four duel modes are possible thanks to chance. This encourages fighters to be as complete as possiblesince they do not know with certainty in which area the combat will take place. What’s more, fans will also be eager to know what they are going to see, something very new for the Spanish scene. «Here, all fans will have the opportunity to see different types of fights and it will be a lot of fun. I think not only in Spain, worldwide it’s going to be a boom», says Iván.
