Western Australian Muay Thai was on full display last night at Motormall Prestige & Performance in Wangara, as Empire Fight Series Legacy delivered a stacked event from D-Class bouts through to a high-level professional card and the headline $5,000 4-Man Tournament.

The main event featured a WA vs SA interstate clash between Perth’s WBC Muay Thai Welterweight WA State Champion Jayden Panucci and South Australia’s Corey Bartlett.

From the opening bell, it was all Panucci. The Suay Muay Thai standout applied relentless pressure, landing a sharp left knee to the body that visibly hurt Bartlett. Sensing the finish, Panucci surged forward with a barrage of body strikes, scoring three knockdowns in quick succession. The referee stepped in to stop the fight in the first round, awarding Panucci a dominant TKO victory in a clinical main event performance.

The performance further established Jayden Panucci as one of Western Australia’s standout welterweights. With his relentless pressure and clinical body work, Panucci continues to build momentum and position himself as a serious contender within the Australian Muay Thai rankings.

The $5,000 Empire Fight Series Legacy 4-Man Tournament (64kg) delivered on all fronts, showcasing a mix of international talent and local contenders.

In the first semi-final, Ireland’s Connor O’Reilly of Suay Muay Thai faced Argentina’s Facundo Bodach in a clash of styles. Bodach, making his full Muay Thai rules debut with a background in karate, kickboxing, and MMA, showed early promise, but O’Reilly’s traditional Muay Thai weapons proved decisive. A series of elbows opened Bodach up before his corner threw in the towel in the second round, sending O’Reilly through to the final.

The second semi-final saw a high-energy all-Perth matchup between Noah Combes of Monsters Inc and Trent Hodgkinson of Kao Sok Muay Thai. The bout delivered fight-of-the-night intensity, with both fighters trading throughout three competitive rounds. Backed by a passionate crowd, Hodgkinson edged out the decision victory to advance to the final.

The tournament final featured an Australia vs Ireland showdown, as Trent Hodgkinson faced Connor O’Reilly. Hodgkinson came out aggressively, landing heavy shots early and scoring a knockdown in the opening round. Carrying that momentum, the Perth fighter controlled the remainder of the fight to secure a clear decision victory, completing a dominant two-fight run on the night to claim the $5,000 prize.

The atmosphere inside Motormall Prestige & Performance reflected the growth of Western Australian Muay Thai, with a strong turnout of supporters creating an electric environment throughout the night. From the early D-Class bouts to the professional main card, the energy built with each fight, highlighting the depth of talent emerging from the local scene. Events like Empire Fight Series continue to provide a vital platform for developing fighters to gain experience while also showcasing established names in high-level matchups. With performances like those seen on this card, Western Australia continues to strengthen its position as a key region in Australian Muay Thai.

Empire Fight Series Legacy Results (Main Card)

• 4 Man Final – Trent Hodgkinson def. Connor O’Reilly – Decision
• Jayden Panucci def. Corey Bartlett – TKO (Round 1)
• Matt Diesel def. Ryan Smith – Decision
• Liam O’Connor def. Jake Piggott – Decision
• Shawah Jin def. Asanee Sitmonchai – Decision
• 4 Man Semi Final 2 – Trent Hodgkinson def. Noah Combes – Decision
• 4 Man Semi Final 1 – Connor O’Reilly def. Facundo Bodach – TKO (Round 2, Corner Stoppage)

NEXT EMPIRE FIGHT SERIES MUAY THAI EVENTS:

Check out the full Australian Muay Thai Calendar for 2026 for upcoming events across the country.

EMPIRE FIGHT SERIES LEGACY EVENT REPLAY:

The full Empire Fight Series Legacy Event livestream replay is available via www.livecombatsports.com.au

FOLLOW AUS MUAYTHAI

Instagram: https://instagram.com/aus.muaythai
Facebook: https://facebook.com/aus.muaythai
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ausmuaythai