Iceland is one of the few western countries that has never hosted a professional boxing fight. That ends on April 10.

Kolbeinn Kristinsson, the north Atlantic island nation’s most accomplished pro fighter, will headline the first pro card there in recorded history when he faces Austrian Sasa Milenkovic in a 12-round heavyweight fight at Gamla Bíó in the capital of Reykjavik, a venue that had hosted boxing as far back at least since the 1920s. 

The card will include four bouts with unbeaten Norwegian boxer Brage Lange, 8-0 (8 KOs), a sparring partner of Kristinsson, opening the card, and other Icelandic pros Valgerdur Gudsteinsdottir, 7-8 (2 KOs), and Emin Kadri, 2-0, also seeing action in separate bouts. There will be three amateur fights which begin when doors open at 6.30pm, too.

The show will be promoted by Nordic Ring. A commission from Sweden is likely to oversee the action.

“It means everything to finally be able to fight at home, to have a home base and fight in front of my people,” said Kristinsson, 19-0 (13 KOs). “It also allows me through home-based promotions to finally get bigger fights on my terms, or at least 50-50.”

While amateur boxing has thrived in Iceland over the years, professional boxing has been outlawed since 1956, with lawmakers at the time citing the sport’s inherent safety concerns for its prohibition. Kristinsson calls the law “outdated” and says it has since been superseded by several legal developments, including the Schengen Agreement, the 1985 pact that Iceland has been party to since 2001 that allows 29 member states freedom of movement and visa-free work.

“We are classifying it as prize fighting, not salary fighting,” explained Kristinsson. “When I was fighting in the US, I didn’t need a work visa at border patrol because prize fighting is a different thing.”

Kristinsson turned pro in 2014 and has mostly fought around Scandinavia since then. The 37-year-old big man last fought in November, when knocking out Pedro Martinez in two rounds in Finland.

Milenkovic, 12-1 (11 KOs), is riding a 10-fight winning streak and is fighting for just the second time outside of his home country.