Brett Johns and Alexis Vera triumph as WOW 21 delivers MMA spectacle in Marbella

The 21st edition of Way of the Warrior (WOW) brought mixed martial arts to Marbella’s Starlite festival on Saturday night, attracting more than 3,000 spectators and turning the Nagüeles quarry into an open-air octagon.

The card was reshuffled after headliner Zebenzui Ruiz withdrew through injury, with Madrid’s Alexis Vera stepping in to face Wales’ Scott Pedersen. Vera secured a unanimous decision in his WOW debut, earning praise for his composure.

The standout performance came from Welsh fighter Brett Johns, who stopped Georgia’s Levan Kirtadze in the first round. Despite early resistance, Johns’ experience proved decisive.

Elsewhere, world champion Hanna Palmquist beat Jleana Valentino by submission in the third round, while Akhmed Amaev, Ireland’s Dara O’Sullivan and local amateur Vincenzo Bussolotti also claimed victories.

Malaga’s Chanel Forster received strong home support but fell to Argentina’s Lara Botto, who fought through a broken metacarpal to take the win.

The audience included a mix of MMA fans, tourists and local personalities such as Olympic boxing silver medallist Ayoub Ghadfa and Ilia Topuria’s trainer, Doctor Aldo.

WOW president Arturo Guillén told Marca the event delivered "a frankly good result" and hoped it would inspire newcomers to follow the sport. Organisers have already indicated a return to Marbella is likely.