In the first ever professional boxing match in Greenland’s history, its only current pro fighter emerged victorious.

Frank Madsen, a Denmark-based junior middleweight who was born and raised in Greenland, defeated Romanian journeyman Octavian Gratii by six-round unanimous decision on Friday at Godthaabhallen in the capital city of Nuuk.

Referee Lars Jepsen, the sole scorer for the fight, scored the bout 58-56 in Madsen’s favor.

The 34-year-old Madsen (8-7, 4 knockouts) ended a six-fight losing streak with the win, scoring his first victory in two years, while Gratii (8-48-3, 4 KOs) loses his 21st straight bout. Gratii, who, like Madsen, had his last win in November of 2021, wasn’t too bothered by the decision going against him. 

“He’s a very difficult fighter and very strong. I hoped for him…just win,” said Gratii in a post-fight interview with Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa, Greenland’s national public broadcasting service, which streamed the card live.

Madsen, a former kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, looked to be in control early on, using his superior technique to make Gratii miss while landing straight right hands and body punches of his own. Madsen began to tire in the second half of the bout, allowing Gratii, 32, to land with overhand rights and left hooks.

Madsen weighed 71 kilograms, or 156.5 pounds, at Thursday’s weigh-in, while Gratii weighed 70.5 kilograms, or 155.5 pounds.

Madsen, whose mother is Inuit and father is Danish, was born in Nuuk before moving to Denmark at age eight. He has made frequent trips back to Greenland in recent years, collaborating with this show’s promoter Mahmoud Minaei, who is also owner of Nuuk’s only boxing gym, Fight Club Nanoq, to arrange international amateur boxing events between Greenlandic boxers and opponents from Denmark and Iceland.

Another pro fight is being planned for February in Nuuk, Madsen says, but details have yet to be finalized.

The rest of the card featured amateur bouts pitting boxers from Fight Club Nanoq against boxers from Madsen’s home gym, The Colosseum in Aarhus, Denmark.