Lion Fight 25 Results: Cosmo Alexandre wins Lion Fight Championship over John Wayne Parr

Lion Fight 25 took place tonight at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. The main event featured a fight for the Lion Fight Super Middleweight Championship between John Wayne Parr and Cosmo Alexandre. 

Parr came out looking to let his strikes fly, but Alexandre was ready for it. He was clearly the more explosive fighter and he capitalized throughout the fight with massive elbows. Parr unloaded a huge flurry on Alexandre in the third round, but most of the strikes were blocked and as soon as Alexandre got free he connected with a nasty elbow that cut Parr on the left side of his head. In the fourth round another elbow opened up a cut over Parr's left eye. It was clear Parr was down on the cards and he left everything go in the fifth round, but Alexandre was still explosive and countered with some brutal elbows. When it was over the judges awarded Alexandre the win and the title by unanimous decision.

In the co-main event champion Jorina Baars won a unanimous decision over Martina Jindrova to defend her title. The bout was all Baars from the start, she was clearly the stronger and more accurate fighter. A sign of hope came for Jindrova in the third round when an elbow opened up a nice sized cut on the right cheek of Baars. The doctor took a look at the cut, but let it continue and Jindrova was not able to capitalize as Baars controlled the remainder of the fight.

Mike Lemaire and Jacob Poss went toe to toe for five rounds. There were swings in momentum throughout the fight and at one point it seemed these two were throwing nothing but elbows and knees. One of Poss's elbows opened up a nasty cut over the right eye of Mike Lemaire in the third round. Despite the cut the fight continued and by the fifth round these two were fatigued. It seemed that a flurry from one might take the other out, but both were able to hang in until the end and Lemaire won a unanimous decision.

Veteran Romie Adanza showed he can still drop the hammer when needed. He was facing Anthony Castrejon and things did not seem to be going his way early in the fight. Castrejon was in control for the the first two rounds, but in the third Adanza started to come alive. As the third round was winding down Adanza connected with a stiff right hand that sent Castrejon to the canvas, the ref started to count and Castrejon could not gather his wits to get up and answer the count. It was another huge comeback victory for Adanza. With the win Adanza has now won back to back fights.

Ming Freeman scored a huge win over Lion Fight regular Jason Andrada. Despite a slow start Freeman picked it up as the fight went on and started connecting with solid shots. He knocked Andrada down with a left and then with only ten seconds left in the bout ended it with a big right hand that put Andrada out. Huge win for Freeman who improved to 4-0-1.

Results:

Cosmo Alexandre def. John Wayne Parr via Unanimous Decision

Jorina Baars def. Martina Jindrova via Unanimous Decision

Mike Lemaire def. Jacob Poss via Unanimous Decision

Romie Adanza def. Anthony Castrejon via KO in Rd. 3

Joe Gogo def. Marvin Madariaga via (T)KO (Doctore Stoppage) in Rd. 3

Ming Freeman def. Jason Andrada via KO in Rd. 5

Kaitlin Young def. Lauren Rojas via Unanimous Decision

Lion Fight 25 Fight Card

Lion Fight 25 takes place October 23rd at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. The event will be headlined by about featuring Australian legend John Wayne Parr vs. Cosmo Alexandre. The two have fought twice already with each man winning one bout. 

The co-main event for the night will feature Jorina Baars defending her Lion Fight Womne's Title against Martina Jindrova. The pair fought in 2012 under Kickboxing rules, a bout with Baars won by decision. 

Other fights taking place at the event include Lion Fight regular Jason Andrada vs. Ming Freeman, Muay Thai veteran Romie Adanza vs. Anthony Castrejon, and Mike Lemaire vs. Jacob Poss.

Lion Fight 25 will air live on AXS TV.

Lion Fight 25 Fight Card:

John Wayne Parr vs. Cosmo Alexandre

Jorina Baars vs. Martina Jindrova

Jason Andrada vs. Ming Freeman

Marvin Madariaga vs. Joe Gogo

Romie Adanza vs. Anthony Castrejon

Mike Lemaire vs. Jacob Poss

Lauren Rojas vs. Kaitlin Young

Adanza va. Castrejon and Andrada vs. Freeman set for Lion Fight 25

Lion Fight 25 takes place October 23rd at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. The event will feature a main event fight between John Wayne Parr and Cosmo Alexandre as well as a co-main event bout featuring Lion Fight Women's Welterweight Champion Jorina Baars against challenger Martina Jindrova. Two more confirmed bouts for the event are Romie Adanza vs. Anthony Castrejon and Jason Andrada vs. Ming Freeman.

Adanza is a long time veteran of the U.S. Muay Thai scene and is coming off a big win over British fighter Daniel McGowan at Lion Fight 23. Adanza scored a stoppage in the third round after knocking McGowan down and opening an nasty cut on his lip that forced the fight to be stopped by the doctor.

Castrejon was last in action at Lion Fight 22 where he defeated Jason Andrada by split decision. The fight with Adanza will be the biggest of his career and a win over a fighter the caliber of Adanza will be huge for his career.

Andrada will welcome Freeman to the Lion Fight ring as he looks to rebound from his recent split decision loss to Anthony Castrejon at Lion Fight 22. Andrada has been a staple for Lion Fight as he aggressive fight style has made him a fan favorite.

Freeman will be making his promotional debut for Lion Fight and will be facing the most recognized fighter of his young career. Fighter on more regional shows the first few fights of his career, he now has the opportunity to make a splash as his fight with Andrada will air on AXS TV. 

Fight Card:

John Wayne Parr vs. Cosmo Alexandre

Jorina Baars vs. Martina Jindrova

Romie Adanza vs. Anthony Castrejon

Jason Andrada vs. Ming Freeman

Lion Fight 20 Results and Recap

Lion Fight 20 took place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut last night. The main event featured Jorina Baars in her first title defense. Chantal Ughi was looking to dethrone Baars, the pair had previously fought years ago in a bout that Baars won by split decision. This time around the fight was not close. From the ring of the first bell Baars established herself as the stronger and more skilled fighter. She peppered Ughi's lead leg with kicks and the third round Baars scored a knockdown that Ughi was able to recover from, but the beating continued. Ughi's leg was a mess and in between the third and fourth rounds Ughi refused to get off her stool awarding Baar's her first Lion Fight title defense. Baars remains undefeated with the win.

In the co-main event Chris Mauceri was looking to add respected Thai veteran Sittisak to his list of wins, but Sittisak had different plans. The crafty veteran proved to be too skilled and experienced for Mauceri. Through out the fight he used great defense to avoid much damage from Mauceri's strikes and his elbows were his bread and butter. Mauceri showed toughness by pressing forward throughout the fight but Sittisak's counter attacks were very accurate. It was a valiant effort by Mauceri but Sittisak was simply the better fighter on the night and walked away with a unanimous decision win.

John Nofer and Jason Andrada met in a fight that had fans excited. After a close first round Andrada started the second round strong until Nofer changed the tied with an elbow that sent Andrada to the canvas. Once Andrada was up Nofer was like a shark smelling blood in the water. Nofer continued to pour on the pressure and throw elbows. The ending came when another elbow planted Andrada on the canvas. The referee jumped in to count for a split second then waived the fight. Big win for Nofer. 

In the night's other bouts Jo Nattawut notched his third straight win under the Lion Fight banner with a unanimous decision win over Richard Abraham. Gaston Bolanos added another highlight reel knockout to his resume with a spinning elbow KO over Caleb Archer in the third round of their bout. Julio Pena kicked off the night's televised bouts with a devastating knockout of Tom Evans.

Results:

Jorina Baars def. Chantal Ughi via (T)KO at 3:00 of Rd. 3

Sittisak Por. Sirichai def. Chris Mauceri via Unanimous Decision

John Nofer def. Jason Andrada via (T)KO at 2:58 of Rd. 2

Jo Nattawut def. Richard Abraham via Unanimous Decision

Gaston Bolanos def. Caleb Archer via KO at 1:05 of Rd. 3

Julio Pena def. Tom Evan via KO at 1:30 of Rd. 1

Bryce Lawrence def. Tim Amorim via Split Decision

Gaston Bolanos vs. Caleb Archer added to Lion Fight 20

Gaston Bolanos was announced to be fighting at Lion Fight 20 when the fight card was initially released, however, Bolanos opponent was unknown at the time. New York's Caleb Archer has been called upon to take on the fast rising Bolanos.

Bolanos made his pro debut in 2014 under Lion Fight and went 2-0 with both of his wins coming by (T)KO. In his last outing Bolanos stopped Tyler Toner in the first round. Archer will be looking to rebound from a decision loss in his last fight. He dropped a decision to Ahmet Kairetli on December 5th under the American Muay Thai League banner.

Fight Card: 

Jorina Baars (c) vs. Casey Bohrma – Lion Fight Women’s Wetlerweight Championship
Chris Mauceri vs. Sittisak Por. Sirichai
Jason Andrada vs. John Nofer

Jo Nattawut vs. Richard Abraham
Tom Evans vs. Julio Pena
Tim Amorim vs. Bryce Lawrence
Gaston Bolanos vs. Caleb Archer

Lion Fight 18 Results and Recap

Lion Fight 18 took place last night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event featured a main event title fight between champion Yodsanklai Fairtex and challenger Salah Khalifa. As expected by many Yodsanklai successfully defended his Lion Fight world middleweight title.

Yodsanklai and Khalifa were feeling each other out in the first round, but in the second round Yodsanklai scored with a stinging left straight which he immediately followed up with a knee. Khalifa hit the canvas and tried to pop right back up to his feet but it was clear that he was hurt as his legs were wobbly and he couldn’t move straight. The referee stopped the fight awarding Yodsanklai the second round KO. With the win Yodsanklai has now improved his current winning streak to 13 fights and has not lost since November of 2011.

In the co-main event Jason Andrada looked to rebound from his first career loss against Stan Mancebo and he did just that. The fight went the distance and Andrada scored throughout with big elbows, but Mancebo was game and stayed in front of Andrada the entire fight. In the end the Las Vegas based Andrada took home a unanimous decision to jump back into the winners circle. With the win Andrada now improves his professional record to 6-1.

Nick Chasteen was also looking to rebound from his first career loss when he took on veteran Jose Palacios. After a strong first round Palacios seemed to slow down and he was no longer firing off punches. Chasteen took full advantage of this as he moved well and attacked the lead leg of Palacios. By the end of the bout the lead leg of Palacios was bright red from all of the leg kicks he absorbed throughout the fight and the judges awarded Chasteen a unanimous decision. With the win Chasteen is now 3-1 since going pro, while Palacios has hit a rough patch in his career and drops to 7-8.

Chris Culley and Brian Del Rosario fought for five rounds in an exciting fight that had Culley in full control early before Del Rosario stormed back to try and rally in the later rounds. Culley used a solid counter attack to pull ahead early, even scoring an eight count on Del Rosario in the second round with a perfectly timed counter right hand. Del Rosario got wobbly and his glove touched the canvas. In the third and fourth rounds Del Rosario used some solid clinch work and well placed punches to work his way back into the fight. The fifth round saw both men leave it all in the ring and when it was over the judges awarded Culley a unanimous decision.

The night’s opening bout ended prematurely. After two rounds of action between Damien Earley and Eddie Abasolo it was a close fight. In the third round Abasolo connected with an elbow that forced Earley to turn his back, Abasolo then connected with an illegal 12 to 6 elbow to the back of the head of Earley. The referee separated the fighters and after it was determined that Earley could not continue Abasolo was disqualified.

Results:
Yodsanklai Fairtex def. Salah Khalifa via KO at 2:38 of Rd. 2
Jason Andrada def. Stan Mancebo via Unanimous Decision
Nick Chasteen def. Jose Palacios via Unanimous Decision
Chris Culley def. Brian Del Rosario via Unanimous Decision
Damien Earley def. Eddie Abasolo via Disqualification in Rd. 3

Lion Fight 18 Predictions

Lion Fight 18 takes place tonight and once again Nathan Aripez is back with predictions. The last Lion Fight event was an even split down the middle. I was 3-3 at Lion Fight 17 thanks to a few upsets. Lion Fight 18 features the return of Yodsanklai as he defends his Lion Fight middleweight title against Salah Khalifa. Jorina Baars was originally slated to defend her title, but her bout was removed at the last minute.

There should be some exciting fights on the night and aside from the main event and co-main event which I would say are a close to guarantees as one can give in the fight game, the rest of the bouts are going to be tough to call. Now without further ado here are the predictions.

Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Salah Khalifa
This fight is Yodsanklai’s to win or lose. Khalifa is a good young fighter, but Yodsanklai is on a completely different level. Khalifa’s best chance of winning this fight is by either knocking out Yodsanklai or cutting him and hoping the doctor stops the fight. Yodsanklai has proven in his career he can take damage and if he does get knocked down or hurt he can recover fast meaning that Khalifa would have a small window of time in which to try and capitalize.

Yodsanklai might start off slow so that he can get a feel for Khalifa, but as soon as he picks up on his timing expect Yodsanklai to start firing of kicks and mauling Khalifa in the clinch. Khalifa is a tough fighter but I don’t think he is going to have enough to hang with a wrecking ball like Yod for five rounds. As soon as Yodsanklai begins to connect with powerful kicks to the body Khalifa will start to slow down. This one ends in the second or third round.

Prediction: Yodsanklai wins by (T)KO

Stan Mancebo vs. Jason Andrada
Andrada is trying to rebound from his first career loss, and he should do so against Mancebo. Andrada is a fast paced fighter. He doesn’t slow down and has the gas tank to keep a high level through all five rounds. Most of his opponents can’t match his pace. Mancebo needs to land something big early to stand a chance against Andrada, if not Andrada will dictate the pace and take over. Even if Mancebo happens to hurt Andrada he needs to be cautious because Andrada can put the hammer down at any time. His first fight with Mohammed Lemjerdine is the prime example.

Andrada should rebound nicely in this fight. He is going to come out full of energy as always and he should be able to score a stoppage in the second or third round.

Prediction: Jason Andrada by (T)KO

Jose Palacios vs. Nick Chasteen
Chasteen lost for the first time as a pro in his last outing, and he didn’t get an easy fight to try and rebound. Palacios is a gritty veteran that is as tough as they come. Chasteen has a very straight forward style; he likes to walk down his opponents. This is going to be an issue since Palacios counter fighting style is perfect for this. Palacios is good at avoiding damage and has great counter boxing, if he is patient he should be able to rack up a lead on the judge’s score card.

Chasteen needs to try to keep this fight in the clinch; his height advantage should be useful in gaining leverage when in the clinch. Chasteen should also try and use the clinch to wear down Palacios, if there is anything that could make a huge difference it will be Palacios cardio. At times his cardio has looked rock solid and other times it has not. If Chasteen can wear him down then Chasteen might be able to pull this one out in the later rounds. This really is a hard fight to call and it is probably going to be a close one.

Prediction: Jose Palacios by decision

Chris Culley vs. Brian Del Rosario
This is going to be another difficult one to call. It is going to come down to which fighter can implement their game plan. Culley has a counter fighting style and if Del Rosario chooses to try and simply trade with him then he could be in some trouble. If Del Rosario decides to take this fight into the clinch then Culley might end up in trouble. This is another difficult one to pick, but I think Culley will be able to avoid long periods in the clinch and take home the win.

Prediction: Chris Culley by decision

Eddie Abasolo vs. Damien Earley
This is going to be a good fight between two young fighters. These two fought as amateurs before with Abasolo winning by (T)KO late in the fight. That fight took place over two and a half years ago, but I don’t think the result is going to change. Abasolo has to watch out for Earley’s explosiveness, but as long as he is cautious he should be able to take home another victory over Earley. I don’t think this time around he will score a (T)KO but he will use a well rounded attack to take home a judge’s decision.

Prediction: Eddie Abasolo by decision

 

Nathan's Prediction Tracker:
2014 Record: 8-5
Career Record: 40-23
Last Event (Lion Fight 17): 3-3

Lion Fight 18 Fight Card

Lion Fight 18 will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV on September 5th. The main event will feature Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Salah Khalifa for the Lion Fight Middleweight World Title, the co-main event will feature Jorina Baars as she tries to defend her Lion Fight Women’s Welterweight Title against a soon to be announced opponent.

Yodsanklai will look to make his first title defense since defeating Chike Lindsay in July of last year to win the Lion Fight Middleweight World Title. Khalifa will be looking to score what would be the biggest win of his career. The UK fighter will definitely have his hands full with Yodsanklai who will be looking to win his 13th straight fight.

Jorian Baars will also attempt to defend her Lion Fight Women’s Welterweight Title for the first time, however, her opponent is to be determined. Baars won her title at Lion Fight 14 in March of this year with a unanimous decision over MMA stand out Cris “Cyborg” Justino.

Other fighters competing on the event will be Jason Andrada as he looks to bounce back from his first professional loss against Stan Mancebo. Nick Chasteen, like Andrada will also be trying to rebound from his first professional defeat as he takes on veteran Jose Palacios.

Lion Fight 18 will be broadcast live on AXS TV.

Fight Card:
Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Salah Khalifa
Jorina Baars vs. TBD
Jason Andrada vs. Stan Mancebo
Nick Chasteen vs. Jose Palacios
Brian Del Rosario vs. Chris Culley
Damien Earley vs. Eddie Abasolo

Lion Fight 15 Results

Lion Fight 15 took place Friday night at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut. The promotions first trip to the east coast featured a main event bout between Cosmo Alexandre and Mark Holst. Alexandre as usual put on a technical performance en route to a unanimous decision victory over Holst. With the win Alexandre has now won back to back Muay Thai Fights and is 3-1 when fighting for Lion Fight.

The co-main event featured Kevin Ross vs. Chris Mauceri and it didn’t take long for these two fighters to get the action going. Ross struck early when he connected with an upward elbow that opened up a nice sized gash on the forehead of Mauceri. The doctor analyzed the cut and allowed the fight to continue. Despite the cut Mauceri kept pressing forward and Ross was more than willing to meet him in the middle and exchange strikes. The fighters were going back and forth in a close fight until it was stopped in the third round by doctors. After a sweep by Ross the referee called for time and when they analyzed Mauceri’s cut the fight was stopped despite Mauceri’s plea to allow it to continue. With the win Ross has now won back to back fights and is set to fight Michael Thompson for the Lion Fight Super Lightweight Title on July 4th. With the loss Mauceri tastes defeat for the first time in his career and now sports a 6-1 record.

Tiffany Van Soest and Lucy Payne met in a re-match from their July bout of 2013 and unlike their first encounter this fight made it past the first round. The pair actually went the distance with Van Soest winning once again. Her movement made her a hard target for Payne and she was able to connect with several chopping leg kicks that seemed to slow Payne down. In the end the decision was originally announced as split, but it was an error and it was actually a unanimous decision wing for Van Soest who rebounds nicely after tasting defeat for the first time in her previous outing against Caley Reece.

Mohammed Lemjerdine was able to avenge his brutal KO loss to Jason Andrada at Lion Fight 15. The Connecticut based fighters knocked Andrada down twice in the first round and connected with the heavier shots throughout the fight. In the end he was awarded a unanimous decision win and likely set up a rubber match down the road for these two fighters.

Nick Chasteen tasted defeat for the first time since turning pro earlier this year. Pedro Gonzalez came into the fight with less than a weeks notice and immediately went after Chasteen as if he had nothing to lose. In the second round a barrage from Gonzalez put Chasteen in a corner and delivered elbows and punches. When they separated the referee stopped the action to check Chasteen’s cut and the bout was stopped. It is a big win for Gonzalez in his pro Muay Thai debut.

Results:
Comso Alexandre def. Mark Holst via Unanimous Decision
Kevin Ross def. Chris Mauceri via (T)KO (Cut) in Rd. 3
Tiffany Van Soest def. Lucy Payne via Unanimous Decision
Mohammed Lemjerdine def. Jason Andrada via Unanimous Decision
Pedro Gonzalez def. Nick Chasteen via (T)KO (Cut) in Rd. 2
Tim Amorim def. Tom Evans via (T)KO (Retirement) at the end of Rd. 2

Full Fight Card for Lion Fight 15 announced

Lion Fight has announced the entire fight card for their May 23rd event in Connecticut. Four bouts had already been confirmed for Lion Fight 15 including the main event bout of Cosmo Alexandre vs. Mark Holst and the co-main event bout of Kevin Ross vs. Chris Mauceri. The two remaining bouts confirmed yesterday were Nick Chasteen vs. Marc Seno and the pro debuts of Tim Amorim vs. Tom Evans. 

Chasteen is currently 2-0 as a pro with victories over Chris Culley and Jonathan Del Rosario, both of his victories coming by decision. Seno will be looking to hand Chasteen the first defeat of his professional career as he tries to rebound from a loss to Nick Vaughn under the Take-On Productions banner.

Fight Card:

Cosmo Alexandre vs. Mark Holst

Kevin Ross vs. Chris Mauceri

Tiffany Van Soest vs. Lucy Payne

Jason Andrada vs. Mohammed Lemjerdine

Nick Chasteen vs. Marc Seno

Tim Amorim vs. Tom Evans

Van Soest vs. Payne and Andrada vs. Lemjerdine set for Lion Fight 15

Lion Fight regulars Tiffany Van Soest and Jason Andrada will be in action at Lion Fight 15 on May 23rd. Van Soest and Andrada will both be involved in re-matches, Van Soest vs. Lucy Payne and Andrada vs. Mohammed Lemjerdine. 

Van Soest and Payne first met at Lion Fight 10 where Van Soest scored a swift first round (T)KO over Payne. The fight will be Van Soest's first since losing her Lion Fight Women's Title to Caley Reece at Lion Fight 13 in what was Van Soest's first career loss.

Andrada and Lemjerdine first fought at Lion Fight 12 in an exciting back and forth fight. In the final round of the bout a perfectly timed counter elbow from Andrada ended the night for Lemjerdine.

Lion Fight 15 will mark the promotions first trip to the east coast and will feature a main event of Cosmo Alexandre vs. Mark Holst and co-main event of Kevin Ross vs. Chris Mauceri. The event will take place at Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut.

Fight Card:

Cosmo Alexandre vs. Mark Holst

Kevin Ross vs. Chris Mauceri

Tiffany Van Soest vs. Lucy Payne

Jason Andrada vs. Mohammed Lemjerdine

Lion Fight 13 Results and Recap

Lion Fight 13 took place last night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The night's main event featured a women's title fight between American Tiffany Van Soest and Australian Caley Reece.

Van Soest is known for her explosiveness but it seemed she really had trouble getting into a rhythm. Reece did a good job staying out of Van Soest's range and when the distance was closed immediately going into the clinch where she was able to stifle Van Soest from being able to explode with any strikes. While in the clinch Reece delivered knees to Van Soest's mid section. even when Van Soest had Reece against the ropes Reece continued to work her knees. In the end the judges awarded Reece a split decision victory. With the win the Lion Fight Women's Featherweight Title goes to Australia with Reece as Van Soest taste defeat for the first time in her career.

In the co-main event Kevin Ross and Matt Embree met in rematch from Lion Fight 10. Embree won the first encounter by unanimous decision after using and effective clinch to stifle Ross. In the re-match Ross did a good job at avoiding extensive stays in Embree's clinch and worked his boxing well for the first two rounds. In the third round Embree began to force the fight into the clinch where he worked knees and elbows. Going into the fifth round it seemed the fight was likely two rounds a piece. Embree looked tired going into the round but kept pressing for the clinch, but referee Steve Mazagatti had quite a few premature break ups of the clinch which has drawn some criticism from fight fans. Despite the early break ups both fighters kept at it until the final bell and it wasn’t clear who the judges were going to side with. When the official decision was announced it was Ross who got the nod by split decision. A rubber match is something that seems to be a guarantee now so that the rivalry can be settled.

In another re-match Coke Chunhawat and Rami Ibrahim fought in a winner take all fight. The first fight went to Chunhawat by majority decision. In the re-match Chunhawat was just a step ahead of Ibrahim throughout the fight. Chunhawat used a well rounded attack and Ibrahim was never able to get into any kind of rhythm leading to Chunhawat taking home a unanimous decision win and the entire fight purse.

Jason Andrada and Andy Singh met in a fight featuring two of the sport’s most exciting fighters with both putting their unblemished records on the line. Singh jumped out early to take the lead but as the fight wore on Andrada started to get into his groove. Despite eating a few good shots from Singh, Andrada worked a nice attack to the body throughout the fight and continued to press forward. In the end Andrada took home a unanimous decision and improved to 5-0.

Nick Chasteen improved his pro record to 2-0 after defeating Jonathan Del Rosario by unanimous decision. The decision, however, has garnered criticism as it seems most thought Del Rosario had pulled out the win.

In the night’s opening bout Josh Shepard out pointed Daniel Kim to kick off the night’s action. Shepard started off strong, but seemed to fade late when Kim tried to rally but it was too little too late in the end as the decision went to Shepard.

Results:
Caley Reece def. Tiffany Van Soest via Split Decision
Kevin Ross def. Matt Embree via Split Decision
Coke Chunhawat def. Rami Ibrahim via Unanimous Decision
Jason Andrada def. Andy Singh via Unanimous Decision
Nick Chasteen def. Jonathan Del Rosario via Unanimous Decision
Josh Shepard def. Daniel Kim via Unanimous Decision

2013 Muay Thai Authority Awards

2013 was another big year for Muay Thai and Kickboxing in North America. With the final events of the year officially over it’s time for the 2013 Muay Thai Authority Awards. In our effort to continue to push Muay Thai and Kickboxing in North America, we have decided to once again recognize the North American Fighter of the Year (male and female), Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Trainer of the Year, and Rookie of the Year.

The criteria for the awards are as follows: Recipients of Fighter of the Year, Breakthrough Fighter of the year, and Rookie of the Year, must be based in North America. To be eligible for Rookie of the Year, the fighter must not have had a pro fight before November 1st, 2012 (the time frame for the award is 14 months). For the Fight of the Year and Knockout of the Year, the fights needed to have taken place on North American soil (a North American fighter scoring a KO in Thailand doesn’t count).

Here are the 2013 Muay Thai Authority Award winners:

2013 Muay Thai Authority North American Male Fighter of the Year: Simon Marcus
Repeating as the Male Fighter of the Year, 2013 was another big year for Simon Marcus. He continued his busy pace with eight fights on the year, two more than 2012. His biggest win of the year came against Artem Levin at Lion Fight 9; the win cemented Simon as the number one light heavyweight in the world. He added big wins over Dmitry Valent, Damian Bujan, and Suriya Prasarthinphimai. He ended the year 7-0-1 with the draw being very controversial in a fight many believe Simon won. His clinch game is as good as they come and he has made habit of exposing his opponents short comings in the clinch, in addition he has a never back down attitude and is willing to slug it out when necessary.

2013 Muay Thai Authority North American Female Fighter of the Year: Tiffany Van Soest
Van Soest is easily the most recognized female striker in North America. She went 4-0 in 2013 and passed every test put in front of her which has led to criticism from fans that they want to see her face stiffer opposition. The fact is Van Soest scored some wins over solid names in the female striking scene. Alexis Rufus was set to be a difficult fight to start the year and Van Soest knocked her out, then Lucy Payne was supposed to be the one to dethrone the “Time Bomb” and Van Soest knocked her out too. Yea she had a pair of fights where she was clearly on a completely different level than her opponents, but in the fights where she was supposed to finally lose and be exposed she didn’t just come away with wins she came away with dominant wins letting anyone with doubts about her skills know she is the real deal.

2013 Muay Thai Authority North American Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Joseph Valtellini
Fight fans began to get a glimpse of Valtellini late in 2012, but it wasn’t until signing with Glory in early 2013 that the world got to see exactly what “Bazooka” could do. He quickly became a fan favorite because of his exciting style. Great combos, thudding leg kicks, and stoppages galore Valtellini made his presence felt. His year might not have ended as he had planned after losing to Nieky Holzken in the Glory Welterweight Tournament Final, but after going 4-1 on the year it is safe to say Joseph Valtellini has arrived.

2013 Muay Thai Authority North American KO of the Year: Jason Andrada
Elbow knockouts are as exciting as they come. Countering your opponent with a perfectly timed elbow in the middle of a flurry of punches he is throwing is even more exciting and that is exactly what Jason Andrada did at Lion Fight 12. In the final round of his bout with Mohammed Lemjerdine he was backed against the ropes and as Mohammed began to unleash a flurry of punches Jason countered perfectly with the fight ending elbow. Mohammed went crashing to the canvas and it was over. It is safe to say that Jason’s power levels were over 9,000 (if you are a Jason Andrada fan you will get that statement).

2013 Muay Thai Authority North American Fight of the Year: Liam Tarrant vs. Deshawn Robinson
One fighter coming in to knock his opponents head off and the other fighter having the heart and determination to survive and continue to fight are the perfect ingredients for fight of the year. Liam Tarrant and Deshawn Robinson met at the Friday Night Fights 2013 Season Opener in January of 2013 in a fight that was a roller coaster ride. Tarrant survived two knockdowns in the opening fame to fight his way back and take a majority decision on the judges’ score cards. Unfortunately most fight fans were unable to see the fight, but it was as crazy as they come. Tarrant stood victorious and in addition of surviving the two early knockdowns Tarrant had a dent the size of a baseball on his forehead. It was definitely a sight to behold as a he fought his way through the adversity and came out on top.

2013 Muay Thai Authority North American Trainer of the Year: Alex Palma
Alex Palma might not be known by many outside his circle, but he is the man who trains Tiffany Van Soest. Not one looking for attention he simply gets the job done and he does it well. Representing Blue Ocean Muay Thai in San Diego he has built a solid program out there and continues to train Van Soest to reach the top. His game plans, his in fight adjustments and his everyday coaching are the perfect complement to Van Soest’s skill and athleticism.
 

2013 Muay Thai Authority North American Rookie of the Year: Jason Andrada
Andrada has gone 4-0 since turning pro this year. Three of his four wins have come via stoppage and his exciting fight style has made him a fan favorite. It doesn’t seem Andrada seems to know how to move backwards because all he does is push forward and engage, so far it has paid off for him. His biggest win of the year easily came when he knocked out Mohammed Lemjerdine at Lion Fight 12 with a beautifully timed elbow. Lemjerdine has been considered one of the east coast’s top fighters for quite some time and Andrada looked great in their bout. It will definitely be exciting to see what Andrada continues to do in the ring in 2014.

Fight Card for Lion Fight 13 officially announced

Lion Fight has officially announced the fight card for Lion Fight 13. Once again the hosting venue will be The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and all of the action will go down on February 7, 2014. The night’s main event will feature Lion Fight women’s featherweight champion Tiffany Van Soest as she looks to defend her for the first time title against Australian Caley Reece.

Muay Thai Authority previously reported that Kevin Ross and Matt Embree will meet in a re-match and that news has now been confirmed. The pair previously fought at Lion Fight 10 with Embree taking home a unanimous decision. Ross who has an exclusive contract with Lion Fight will be looking to end a two fight skid as he tries to avenge his previous loss to Embree.

In another re-match Coke Chunhawat and Rami Ibrahim will meet in what according to Lion Fight is a winner take all fight. This is the second time this happens at Lion Fight, the first time was at Lion Fight 5 when Simon Marcus scored a (T)KO victory over Joe Schilling and took home both fight purses. The first fight ended in a majority decision in favor of Chunhawat and Ibrahim will be looking to even the score.

The remaining pro fights on the card will feature Nick Chasteen vs. Jonathan Del Rosario, Josh Shepard vs. Daniel Kim, and Jason Andrada vs. Andy Singh.

Fight Card:
Tiffany Van Soest vs. Caley Reece
Kevin Ross vs. Matt Embree
Coke Chunhawat vs. Rami Ibrahim
Nick Chasteen vs. Jonathan Del Rosario
Josh Shepard vs. Daniel Kim
Jason Andrada vs. Andy Singh

Matches to make after Lion Fight 12

Lion Fight 12 took place this past weekend and some of North America’s top fighters were in action as well as some up and coming prospects.

Malaipet Sasiprapa dropped a decision to Fabio Pinca in the night’s main event, and Tiffany Van Soest notched another dominant victory in the co-main event against Magali Foroni. Some big knockouts were scored as well by Anthony Castrejon and Jason Andrada.

Here we play match maker and suggest some fights we think might be good fights for the North American based fighters that competed at Lion Fight 12.

Malaipet Sasiprapa vs. Kevin Ross
A few years ago this was the biggest fight to ever hit American soil. Kevin Ross scored a huge win over Malaipet and really helped push him to the forefront of the American Muay Thai movement. The buildup was great, with Malaipet making claims of not needing to train for Americans, setting the stage for an exciting bout. With both fighters under contract it would be a great re-match to see at Lion Fight; not only would it be exciting, but it would likely draw a lot of buzz for the Vegas-based promotion. Can Malaipet get his revenge against Ross or will Ross prevail once again? If Malaipet were to win, this could turn into a great Muay Thai trilogy. Something that could really help continue to boost Muay Thai in America. Although getting that trilogy to happen will be easier said than done, Ross would undoubtedly look to prove that the first time was no fluke and that he is still the better fighter.

Tiffany Van Soest vs. Denise Kielholtz
Van Soest has run through most of her competition. Her athleticism has not been matched in the ring yet and that has given her the biggest edge over her opponents. Her movement in the ring and her explosiveness are exceptional. Fans are craving for Van Soest to get a stiff test, someone Van Soest won’t simply mow down. That test could come in the form of Dutch striker Denise Kielholtz. Time Bomb vs. Miss Dynamite should result in fireworks in the ring and a fight that would be very pleasing for fans.

Nick Chasteen vs. Artem Sharoshkin
Chasteen made a successful pro debut with his unanimous decision win over Chris Culley. Chasteen is a big man for the 147lb weight division and that should give him advantages in his fights. He seemed a bit hesitant at times in his fight with Culley, but that might just have been pro debut jitters because when engaged by Culley he was more than willing to fire back. An opponent that pushes the pace would be perfect for Chasteen, Artem Sharoshkin is that opponent. The two previously fought as amateurs with Sharoshkin scoring a knockout over Chasteen. It would be an exciting fight with Sharoshkin’s move forward style and Chasteen’s ability and willingness to hold firm in the pocket and trade. Not to mention that revenge being on Chasteen’s mind is always perfect recipe to make sure a fight is exciting.

Jason Andrada vs. Anthony Castrejon
The pair met as amateurs at the first ever Lion Fight event in February of 2011. Castrejon and Andrada were both some of the top amateurs in the Las Vegas area, however, the bout was short lived as Castrejon landed a head kick that ended Andrada’s night in the first round. Both have been successful since entering the pro ranks with Andrada accumulating a 4-0 mark and Castrejon 5-1. None of these fighters is ever involved in a boring fight, put them in the ring together again and we should see what would most likely be fight of the night, possibly fight of the year.

Stephen Richards vs. Brett Hlavacek
Richard and Hlavacek were supposed fight at the Warriors Cup earlier this year but the fight fell through. Richards has some of the best boxing in the North American Muay Thai circuit and it would be interesting to see how it would match us with Hlavacek’s clinch heavy style. This would definitely be a match-up of styles.

Glen Spencer vs. Marcus Fisher
Spencer had a three fight win streak snapped against Stephen Richards. A good match up would be against Pittsburgh’s Marcus Fisher. Each fighter would receive a solid test and a nice boost with a win. Spencer is known for letting his knees flying and Fisher is known for having one of the strongest clinch attacks in the North American circuit. This would also be another match-up of styles that would be interesting to watch.

Lion Fight 12 Results and Recap: Fabio Pinca out points Malaipet

Lion Fight 12 took place tonight at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The main event on the night featured Fabio Pinca vs. Malaipet Sasiprapa in a Lion Fight welterweight title fight.

Malaipet was riding a four fight win streak coming into the bout and he looked solid in the first round, he came out aggressive with his punches and kicks in the first round and taunted Pinca quite often. Once the second round started it was a completely different fight, Pinca was the aggressor and he started opening up with his strikes and looked solid in the clinch. The third round was closer but Pinca was still able to out strike Malaipet and control the round. Come the fourth and fifth rounds the fight completely became Pinca’s. He pressed forward as Malaipet backed away, Pinca connected with punches and kicks and when they clinched Pinca out worked Malaipet with knees to the body and the occasional elbow. Malaipet had no answer as Pinca’s strikes continued to land clean. Pinca motioned at Malaipet to meet him the center to no avail, he continued to press the fight and Malaipet continued to back up. In the end it was clear who had won the fight and the judges agreed as well awarding Fabio Pinca the unanimous decision victory.

In the night’s co-main event Tiffany Van Soest completely out classed Magali Foroni. It was evident once the fight started that Foroni was not in the same class as Van Soest. It quickly turned into a one sided affair that looked more like target practice for Van Soest. Foroni offered little to no offense for two plus rounds until her corner threw in the towel midway through the third round. Another dominant performance for Tiffany Van Soest who remains undefeated and improves her record to 8-0-1.

Nick Chasteen made a successful pro debut against Chris Culley. Chasteen attacked Culley’s legs early and it seemed to pay dividends as Cully seemed to stay at bay until he was ready to move in with a flurry. Despite a few strong flurries from Culley, Chasteen remained composed and pressed the action backing Culley into the ropes frequently and landing his strikes. In the end all three judges awarded him a unanimous decision.

Jason Andrada and Mohammed Lemjerdine were involved in an exciting fight. As soon as the fight started Andrada scored a flash knockdown on Lemjerdine, although it seemed like Lemjerdine was more off balance rather than being hurt. In the second round Lemjerdine seemed to take control with his punches and short elbows when in close, but in the third round the tide shifted and it was all Andrada. In the fourth round the momentum continued to shift back and forth as both fighters landed solid strikes. In the fifth and final round it seemed Lemjerdine was in control as he continuously backed Andrada into the ropes. Lemjerdine got a little over aggressive and in a flurry he backed Andrada into the ropes who in return countered with a perfectly timed elbow that sent Lemjerdine crashing to the canvas. It was a stellar knockout by Andrada. With the win Andrada improves to 4-0.

Stephen Richards used some crisp boxing and excellent movement to out point Glen Spencer for five rounds. Spencer was a game opponent, but Richards was just a step quicker throughout the fight. All three judges awarded Richards the fight giving him a unanimous decision win.

In other action Anthony Castrejon scored a first round knockout over Miguel Rosales with a perfectly timed head kick and Miranda Cayabyab defeated Kaiyana Rain by split decision.

Results:
Fabio Pinca def. Malaipet Sasiprapa via Unanimous Decision
Tiffany Van Soest def. Magali Foroni via (T)KO (Corner Stoppage) in Rd. 3
Nick Chasteen def. Chris Culley via Unanimous Decision
Jason Andrada def. Mohammed Lemjerdine via KO (Elbow) in Rd. 5
Stephen Richards def. Glen Spencer via Unanimous Decision
Anthony Castrejon def. Miguel Rosales via KO (Head Kick) in Rd. 1
Miranda Cayabyab def. Kaiyana Rain via Split Decision

Jason Andrada vs. Mohammed Lemjerdine official for Lion Fight 12

Last week we reported that Mohammed Lemjerdine was expected to replace Aber Bouttavong in his fight against Jason Andrada at Lion Fight 12. The news is now official as Lion Fight has announced the change.

For those not familiar with Lemjerdine, he is one the east costs top fighters and will be making his promotional debut for Lion Fight. He holds wins over the likes of Ognjen Topic and Tony Manoharan. Andrada is one of Muay Thai's best prospects, he turned pro at the beginning of 2013 as has posted a 3-0 record since then. Andrada's move forwards style should prove to be an interesting challenge for Lemjerdine who tends to fight a slower more traditional Thai style pace.

Lion Fight 12 takes place November 1st at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and will air live on AXS TV.

Mohammed Lemjerdine expected to replace Aber Bouttavong at Lion Fight 12 against Jason Andrada

Jason Andrada was set to fight Aber Bouttavong at Lion Fight 12 on November 1st in Las Vegas, but it seems that Bouttavong will be replaced by Mohammed Lemjerdine. There has been no official announcement from Lion Fight, but sources close to the situation informed Muay Thai Authority of the change.

Lemjerdine is one the east costs top fighters and will be making his promotional debut for Lion Fight. He holds wins over the likes of Ognjen Topic and Tony Manoharan. Andrada is one of Muay Thai's best prospects, he turned pro at the beginning of 2013 as has posted a 3-0 record since then. Andrada's move forwards style should prove to be an interesting challenge for Lemjerdine who tends to fight a slower more traditional Thai style pace.

Lion Fight 12 finalized with 5 additonal bouts including Glen Spncer vs. Stephen Richards

The fight card for Lion Fight 12 has been finalized. In addition to the already announced bouts of Malaipet Sasiprapa vs. Fabio Pinca and Tiffany Van Soest vs. Magali Foroni, five more pro bouts have been confirmed.

Jason Andrada will return to the ring to take on Northern California based fighter Aber Bouttavong, also Nick Chasteen makes his pro debut against Southern California’s Chris Culley. Glen Spencer will return to action after his recent victory at Push Kick Promotions “World Stand Off 5” to take on Atlanta’s Stephen Richards, Anthony Castrejon will return after a lengthy layoff to take on Miguel Rosales, and Miranda Cayabyab will make her pro debut against Kaiyana Rain.

Lion Fight 12 will take place on November 1st at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be broadcast live on AXS TV.

Fight Card:
Malaipet Sasiprapa vs. Fabio Pinca
Tiffany Van Soest vs. Magali Foroni
Jason Andrada vs. Aber Bouttavong
Nick Chasteen vs. Chris Culley
Glen Spencer vs. Stephen Richards
Anthony Castrejon vs. Miguel Rosales
Miranda Cayabyab vs. Kaiyana Rain

Lion Fight 10 Results and Recap

Lion Fight 10 took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas tonight and it was an action packed night of fights. In the night’s main event Yodsanklai Fairtex out struck Chike Lindsay to capture the Lion Fight Middleweight World Title.

Lindsay looked solid in the first round while working behind his jab. In the second round, however, Yodsanklai turned up the pressure and took over. He beat Lindsay up with a well rounded attack. Heavy kicks to the body and legs combined with solid elbows scored for Yodsanklai. He opened up three cuts on Lindsay, two by his left eye and one on his nose. By the time the final round came around it was clear that Lindsay needed a knockout to win, but despite his efforts he came up short. It was a one sided unanimous decision victory for Yodsanklai.

In the night’s co-main event Canada’s Matt Embree proved he was the best super lightweight in North America with a unanimous decision win over American Kevin Ross. Embree used a pin point counter attack to score points throughout the fight. Embree looked a little more aggressive than usual at times and it paid off. He landed a few clean sweeps on Ross, and connected with several leg kicks. When the fight went to the clinch he immediately began to work knees to the body and legs of Ross. In the final round it seemed Embree slowed down quite a bit due to fatigue and Ross was able to capitalize and take the final round but it was too little too late.

Tiffany Van Soest had no trouble defeating Lucy Payne to capture the Lion Fight Women’s World Featherweight Title. In the first round Van Soest was clearly the more agile fighter as she looked limber on her feet while Payne looked flat footed. Despite giving up a nice height advantage Van Soest got inside and landed a punch that hurt Payne. Van Soest pounced and cornered Payne while Punches and elbows came fast and furiously from Van Soest. Payne curled up and dropped to a knee forcing the referee to step in and halt the bout giving Van Soest the dominant win.

Sean Kearney was looking to avenge his loss to Malaipet Sasiprapa earlier this year, but fell short. Malaipet looked strong in the first round and in the second knocked Kearney down with an elbow from the clinch. Kearney tried to battle back in the final three rounds but came up short on the judges cards. Two judges gave the fight to Malaipet while one scored it a draw giving Malaipet the majority decision.

Ognjen Topic defeated Coke Chunhawat by split decision in a fight that should serve as a perfect example of why fighting the traditional Thai style does not work in the United States. The first three rounds of the fight were close. As expected Coke started slow and in the fourth and fifth rounds picked up the pace and out classed Topic clearly outlanding him with strikes and controlling the ring, but allowing the first three round to be so close cost him. Two judges scored the bout for Topic and one for Coke. If Coke would have fought with the same aggression in the first three rounds that he fought with in the final two rounds the fight would have most likely gone in his favor.

In the night’s opening bout Jason Andrada improved to 3-0 with a solid performance against J.P. Cole. Andrada picked Cole apart throughout the fight constantly moving forward and keeping busy with punches and kicks. He knocked Cole down midway through the bout with a body kick but in the end Andrada had to settle for a unanimous decision victory.

Results:
Yodsanklai Fairtex def. Chike Lindsay via Unanimous Decision
Matt Embree def. Kevin Ross via Unanimous Decision
Tiffany Van Soest def. Lucy Payne via (T)KO at 2:30 of Rd.1
Malaipet Sasiprapa def. Sean Kearney via Majority Decision
Ognjen Topic def. Coke Chunhawat via Split Decision
Jason Andrada def. J. P. Cole via Unanimous Decision