Pro fighters Kamil Kargul vs Jeremy Mercera, competing for the super heavyweight K-series national title at RFC promotion’s event on May 23. Photo credit: Christopher Rodriguez.
June 5, 2025 By Jessica Militello
On Friday, May 30, RFC Promotions brought high-octane action to Long Island City with its K-Series Kickboxing event at the Melrose Ballroom.
The showcase featured a stacked lineup of both amateur and professional fighters, from neighborhood gyms to international talent, all competing in front of a packed crowd and pay-per-view audiences tuning in from home.
The event, held at 36-08 33rd St., kicked off at 6 p.m. and delivered 19 fast-paced bouts full of grit and heart, with matchups ranging from first-time competitors to seasoned veterans. The promotion was founded by Ricky Vllasaliu, a WKU European kickboxing champion, amateur Muay Thai titleholder, and owner of Rigoro gym, which has locations in New York, New Jersey, and Prishtina, Kosovo — his hometown.
“I saw the promotions that were around and I wanted to do something better,” said Vllasaliu. “I love this sport; we grew up doing it, and you can’t do it if you don’t love it. When you start matching up fighters, if you don’t love it, you’ll just match anyone. I can easily say we are the top promotion in the U.S. now for K-1.”
Adam Amro successfully defended the 160 lb. national pro title against Matt Valencia at RFC’s K-Series kickboxing event. Photo credit: RFC Promotions.
The night featured 17 amateur bouts, including championship fights for the national title, national K-Series title, youth national title, and New York State title. Two professional fights also rounded out the card, featuring the 130-lb K-Series National Title, Gamma State Title, and Super Heavyweight K-Series National Title. Kickboxing legend Nick Hemmers and Plinio Cruz, coach of UFC champion Alex Pereira, were in attendance, joining an energized audience of families, friends, and teammates.
(left to right) Plinio Cruz, Nick Hemmers, Ricky Vllasaliu, and Imad Assli. Photo credit: RFC Promotions.
RFC has provided a platform for fighters to test themselves against opponents with similar experience levels, while delivering a full-scale, professionally produced event complete with lights, music, and veteran announcers — all elements designed to make each fight night a special experience for athletes and fans alike.
Segarra vs Rock gave the audience an incredible, fast-paced performance at RFC’s K-Series kickboxing event. Photo credit: Huda Henderson.
“This is actually my favorite organization to fight for. They’re super organized, and you know they put care into making sure the event is special, which is nice,” said Latrell McClain, an amateur fighter from Tiger Schulman’s Astoria gym who competed at 160 lbs.
After moving to the U.S. in 2016, Vllasaliu saw a gap in the market for high-caliber kickboxing and Muay Thai events. Following the opening of his first gym in Rockland County in 2020, he launched RFC’s debut event in 2021 — a mixed card of Muay Thai and kickboxing fights that drew a strong turnout. Since then, the RFC brand has grown to include the K-Series, launched two years ago, and will expand again this fall with Blitz MMA, a new series debuting in September.
While the competition is intense, Vllasaliu emphasizes the developmental aspect of RFC events, giving fighters a real-world opportunity to apply months of training and sparring under pressure. Regardless of the outcome, each bout helps athletes sharpen their fight IQ, test their limits, and build toward personal and professional goals.
Julio Segarra vs Ksun Rock for the amateur 150 lb national K series title at RFC’s K-series kickboxing event. Photo credit: Huda Henderson
“It’s a lot of hard work that you put in,” said Julio Segarra, an amateur fighter who competed at 150 lbs for the national title. “You’re going months, weeks with a certain diet; it’s hard training, five, six days a week, so I have respect for everybody. One thing you’ll see is a lot of people who fight end up being cool with each other after.”
RFC’s next event — a mixed Muay Thai and kickboxing card — is scheduled for August 2 at the Rockland GAA Sports Complex.
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