Bjornsson, Vallily weigh in ahead of showdown

Thor Bjornsson will have over an 80lb advantage over opponent Simon Vallily as they weighed in on Thursday ahead of  highly-anticipated exhibition bout.

The two men will square off with one another at the Conrad Dubai on Friday, with the event being broadcast live around the world on Coresports.World.

The weigh-in took place on Thursday, with Bjornsson coming in at 152kg (335lbs), while Vallily, who was wearing his fight boots, shorts and a shirt on the scales, was 116kg (255lbs), 80lbs lighter than Thor.

It will be Thor’s latest exhibition bout ahead of his highly-anticipated showdown with strongman rival Eddie Hall later this year.

He had an exhibition bout back in January, where he went up against current cruiserweight contender and former WBO European light-heavyweight champion Steven Ward.

Vallily was a highly-accomplished amateur, winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal, and has challenged for both the English heavyweight and English cruiserweight titles. He is known for his knockout power, with five of his last six victories coming by stoppage.

Vallily is promising fans that they will see him and Bjornsson going in to take each other’s head off when they clash.

Vallily said: “It should be interesting. As far as I’m aware, we’re both just going in there to try and take each other’s head off.

“He’ll be taking some big bombs, that’s for sure. I’m excited to be out in Dubai for a week and it’s going to be some nice sun, some nice food, and a nice tear-up.

“I watched Thor against Steven Ward and he’s a big strong guy, but I’m going in there for the knockout. MTK Global contacted me and asked me if I wanted it, and I jumped at the chance, so I can’t wait.”

Gates for Friday’s event open at 2:30pm local time, with the action beginning at 3:00pm, meaning that fans will be treated to non-stop entertainment throughout the afternoon.

The likes of Anthony De Bruijin, Stephane Fondjo, Jamie King, Murodjon Yokubov and Bader Samreen are all in action on the undercard, before the massive showdown between Thor and Vallily.

MTK Global announced the signing of two-time national champion Dion Eede ahead of his plans to turn professional.

During his time in the amateur ranks, Eede had numerous accolades to go alongside his two national titles, including becoming a three-time Kent champion and a five-time Southern Counties champion.

His accomplishments also saw him represent England, and he’s now ready to take the next step in his successful career by turning professional with MTK Global.

Eede said: “I am very excited to be joining MTK Global because they are the best team in the world to join and it is honour to be on the team.”