PNG Kickboxing Federation successfully caps off “Last Man Standing” Quarterfinals

The Papua New Guinea Kickboxing Federation (PNGKBF) delivered a highly entertaining and successful Kumite “Last Man Standing” Quarterfinals tournament on Sunday, 28 June 2026, at Taurama Aquatic and Indoor Center in Port Moresby.

Following grueling, competitive regional Elimination Heats 1 and 2 across the country, over 200 fighters were narrowed down to 80 elite competitors, who squared off in the Quarterfinals. The winners secured their spots in the Semifinals, scheduled for August. 

The participating clubs included the host city, the National Capital District (NCD), as well as Central, Southern Highlands, Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Enga, Simbu, Hela, Jiwaka, Morobe, Madang, and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARoB).

The event featured a true clash of the regions, comprising clubs from the Highlands, MOMASE, Southern, and New Guinea Islands. While NCD and Central Province (Southern region) dominated in numbers, the Highlands and NGI regions also delivered outstanding results.

PNGKBF President and Event Promoter, Stanley "The Headhunter" Nandex, was pleased with the tournament’s success, highlighting that the tournament was a high-stakes, professional circuit designed to test and showcase only the finest martial artists in PNG to represent the country abroad.

"This platform brought together and promoted the best fighters across five weight divisions, with the idea to select the cream of the crop to represent the country and compete against some of the best fighters overseas,” Nandex said.

“Over the last three years, we have taken fighters overseas on professional cards, but our winning percentage hasn't been where it needs to be. This concept enables us to identify our weaknesses, make adjustments, and properly equip our fighters before exporting them.

“Going overseas is a mission, not a luxury vacation. To ensure the highest standard of competition, the tournament is exclusively reserved for nationally and internationally accredited fighters.”

Nandex congratulated the fighters and challenged them to set goals, urging the athletes to be disciplined on and off the ring if they wanted to progress in their careers and become professional fighters who can compete overseas. 

Beyond the main tournament, the event shone a spotlight on the future of the sport, with the Undercard matches featuring junior male and female fighters under the age of 15 as part of PNGKBF’s development pathway, alongside international and national representatives. The event also comprised the national and regional champions.

The Headhunter sincerely thanked the National Gaming Control Board (NGCB) for being the event’s naming rights sponsor. He also commended Prime Minister James Marape’s strong support, who attended the event, and acknowledged the New Ireland Governor, Hon. Byron Chan, who committed K50,000 for the semifinal event.

He also extended his appreciation to his executive team, technical officials, the fighters, coaching staff, team management, and the fans for their support. He further thanked the PNG Sports Foundation CEO, Micha James, for providing the venue, with the support of the venue management and security personnel.

For the first time, all the fighters were rewarded with cash incentives, especially the winners and the runners-up in the five categories. More interestingly, a total prize pool of K100,000.00 will be distributed among the competitors, with the ultimate winners walking away with K10,000.00 each per division in the grand final.

Despite the ongoing logistical and financial challenges of running a demanding national program, Mr. Nandex expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the one-day event, which delivered a promising, explosive, and action-packed day of kickboxing spectacle.

With the successful completion of the Last Man Standing Quarterfinals in the nation’s capital, President Nandex and the PNG Kickboxing Federation look forward to hosting the Semifinals in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, including the Grand Final later this year.  

Last Man Standing, a new concept introduced by the PNG Kickboxing Federation under President Nandex’s leadership, aims to develop local fighters in the country and create opportunities for them to further their careers professionally abroad.