WBC names Lion Fight Promotions Muay Thai Promoter of the Year for 2011

WBC Muay Thai has awarded Lion Fight Promotions the “Muay Thai Promoter of the Year” award for 2011. Lion Fight Promotions launched in 2011 and immediately made an impact in the American Muay Thai scene. CEO Scott Kent (pictured) and matchmaker Christine Toledo have taken the promotion from Buffalo Bill’s Casino in Primm, NV to the bright lights of Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Aside from building American fighters, Lion Fight has brought some great international talent to compete at their events including Simon Marcus, Matt Embree, Cosmo Alexandre, Gregory Choplin and Simon Chu to name a few. Lion Fight Promotions next event is scheduled for May 12th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Lion Fight Muay Thai VI: Schilling vs. Marcus will feature the highly anticipated re-match between Joe Schilling and Simon Marcus.

Below is the full press release.

“LAS VEGAS (May 3, 2012) – The World Boxing Council (WBC) has named Lion Fight Promotions its Muay Thai “Promoter of the Year 2011,” following a year in which the upstart Las Vegas-based fight series made significant strides to putting full-rules Muay Thai competition on a big stage in The United States.

WBC Vice President Gen. Kovid Bhakdibhumi will present the award to Lion Fight Promotions CEO Scott Kent in the ring at Lion Fight Muay Thai VI: Schilling vs. Marcus II, the promotion’s next live event at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Sat., May 12.

“Lion Fight Promotions and Scott Kent have done at exceptional job at providing professional Muay Thai with an unprecedented, major platform in The United States,” said Bhakdibhumi. “Scott and his team have shown their sincere commitment to building the sport of Muay Thai in America and promoting true world-class caliber competition between the best fighters in the world.

“We are honored to be the recipient of this award from one of the longest-standing and most prestigious governing bodies in combative sports,” said Kent, a former casino executive for Mandalay Resort Group and The Mirage, whose passion for the national sport of Thailand inspired him to make a career change in 2010.

Lion Fight Promotions capped off 2011 by signing a multi-fight agreement with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to stage live events at the resort’s The Joint theater venue that regularly hosts concerts for major record label artists, including The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Incubus, Foo Fighters and Motley Crue.

The star-studded Lion Fight Muay Thai VI: Schilling vs. Marcus II event features 11 bouts, headlined by a highly-anticipated rematch between WBC Interim International Light Heavyweight (175 pounds) Champion Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (12-2, 10 KO’s) of Los Angeles, Calif. and undefeated top contender and bitter rival Simon Marcus (23-0, 18 KO’s) of Toronto, Ontario Canada. 

In the co-main event and a second much-anticipated rematch, Filipino American Romie Adanza (16-3, 7 KO’s) of Irvine, Calif. will face off with Thanit “Boom” Watthanaya (45-12, 12 KO’s) of Vancouver, BC Canada via Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand in a super flyweight (115 pounds) match up.”