FNC has announced a new bout for its 36th event, which will take place on 19 December at the Dvorana mladosti in Rijeka. In the light heavyweight division, Croatian fighter Mario Žgela (29) will face Cuban Andres Ramos (32).
Mario Žgela is known for his powerful strikes and knockouts, having recorded eight wins and four losses in his professional MMA career. Hailing from Stari Mikanovci near Vinkovci, he earned the nickname Slavonian Lumberjack due to his physical strength and former job in the forestry industry. He developed his fighting career at the MMA Valens club in Vinkovci before moving to Zagreb to join American Top Team. He made his first professional appearances in 2017.
He attracted wider MMA attention with victories over Milan Bodonji, Adam Kowalski and Felix Polianidis, whom he knocked out in the first round of the final of the second season of FNC's Armageddon tournament. After a long break, he returned in December 2023 at FNC 14 in Sarajevo, where he defeated Brazilian Mateus Messaros Inacio by technical knockout in the first round. In March 2024, he fought in the main event of FNC 15 against Miran Fabjan, who beat him by technical knockout in under a minute. In September 2025, Aleksandar Ilić knocked him out after just 31 seconds at FNC 24 in the Zagreb Arena.
Žgela returned to winning form on 20 June this year at FNC 32 in Osijek, where he defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina's Deni Mirnić by technical knockout after two minutes and seven seconds of the first round. The Croatian fighter thus ended a two-fight losing streak.
Andres Ramos was born in Cuba on 10 March 1994 and has lived in Koper for years. He trains at the Trojan club in Pula, run by renowned Croatian coach Zelg Galešić. He started boxing at the age of nine, went through the Cuban sports system and earned a place in the national team, competing in international competitions for years.
He made his professional MMA debut in 2023, winning the fourth season of FNC's Armageddon tournament by defeating Darko Sviben, a victory he secured by technical knockout in the first round. He subsequently beat Roman Hulla, Vladimir Hájek, Robbie Kennedy and Arturas Kudrešovas. In April 2025, he defeated Valeriy Atanasov by unanimous decision.
He has since faced tougher times. In September 2025, he fought Matej Batinić in the Zagreb Arena but lost by knockout after 72 seconds. Previously, in November 2024 at FNC 20, he was beaten by technical knockout by experienced Polish fighter Krzysztof Jotko. Ramos's last appearance ended in defeat – at FNC 29 in Ljubljana, held in April this year, he lost to Poland's Bartłomiej Gładkowicz by submission in the second round. He has a total record of six wins and three losses, having lost three of his last four fights.
Gładkowicz will also compete at FNC 36, where he faces undefeated Rijeka native Tiriel Luka Abramović. According to the official FNC rankings, Ramos is currently the number 10 contender.
