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

Jorina Baars talks upcoming title defense at Lion Fight 18 against Anke Van Gestel

Lion Fight Women’s Welterweight Champion Jorina Baars is set to defend her title against Anke Van Gestel at Lion Fight 18. Here first title defense will have all eyes on her. She defeated Cris Cyborg to win the title and the victory put the world on notice of what kind of damage a world class striker can do against a top MMA striker.

Jorina was kind enough to take some time from her busy schedule to answer a few questions about her upcoming title defense.

MTA: You have a big fight coming up against Anke Van Gestel at Lion Fight 18. How familiar are you with Anke?

Jorina: I know her fight style it’s very similar to mine. She is a technical fighter but I think I'm the hardest of the two.

MTA: This will be your first attempt at defending your Lion Fight title, any pressure after securing your title with a huge win over Cyborg Santos?

Jorina: No for me every fight is a fight between my opponent and me! If I get a title belt after the fight or just a winner’s cup to me it is still just the opponent who is in my way for the win.

MTA: When you defeated Cyborg the general consensus by MMA fans who weren't familiar with Muay Thai was that she was the best female striker. Obviously you proved that to not be the case. How big was that win for you?

Jorina: Yes it was a big win. Cris is one of the most dangerous women on earth. Her fights are always aggressive and with a lot of power. I like to see her fighting style.

MTA: Do you change your game plan from fight to fight depending on your opponent or do you typically just focus on yourself and what you will bring rather than your opponent?

Jorina: I just focus on my style. Off course I'm looking for some video on the Internet but every fight is different so I fight my own style.

MTA: How do you like fighting in Las Vegas, and as soon as the fight is over what is your victory meal of choice?

Jorina: I love to fight in Vegas!!!! I feel like a superstar when I'm there! Hihi Hihi my victory meal I think a big burger with cheese!!!

MTA: Not looking past Anke, but if you could fight anyone after this fight who would you want to fight and why?

Jorina: I fight everyone I don't choose opponents. So I hope Lion Fight keeps finding good strong opponent for me as always.

MTA: Can we get a prediction for your fight with Anke?

Jorina: I think a technical fight with a lot of nice Muay Thai skills and I will try to give the fans a KO as surprise ;)

MTA: Thanks for the time Jorina, any word for your fans and supporters?

Jorina: Thank you! Without fans I'm nobody! So thanks for the support and come to see and meet me in Vegas !!!!!

Jorina Baars vs. Anke Van Gestel set for Lion Fight Women's Welterweight Title at Lion Fight 18

Lion Fight Women's Welterweight Champion Jorina Baars has been scheduled to make here first title defense at Lion Fight 18 for about two weeks. It wasn't until this weekend, however, that it was revealed by Lion Fight who her challenger would be. Attempting to take away Baars title will be Belgium's Anke Van Gestel. 

The 20 year old Enfusion champion brings a record of 30-5-3 against Baars 36-0-3 record. Baars fights out of The Netherlands and made headlines when she out classed MMA stand out Cris "Cyborg" Justino at Lion Fight 14. The one sided victory for Baars had the fight world buzzing and she now looks to build on what was easily the biggest win of her career by making her first title defense.

Lion Fight 18 will also feature a middleweight title bout between current champion Yodsanklai Fairtex and Salah Khalifa. The event will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV on September 5th and will air live on AXS TV.

Fight Card:

Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Salah Khalifa
Jorina Baars vs. Anke Van Gestel
Jason Andrada vs. Stan Mancebo
Nick Chasteen vs. Jose Palacios
Brian Del Rosario vs. Chris Culley
Damien Earley vs. Eddie Abasolo

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

Salah Khalifa set to face Yodsanklai for Lion Fight Middleweight World Title at Lion Fight 18

Lion Fight Promotions recently announced that Yodsanklai Fairtex would be defending his Lion Fight middleweight world title at Lion Fight 18 in Las Vegas. Despite the announcement Yodsanklai did not have an opponent at the time, until now. The fighter pegged to take on the Thai power house is Salah “The Beast” Khalifa.

The London based Khalifa will be looking to end Yodsanklai’s current 12 fight winning streak while taking his Lion Fight middleweight title in the process. For fans that might not be familiar with Khalifa, he has made his name fighting internationally and is a WMC MAD champion. He fought in the United States in December of 2012 at Muay Thai in America: In Honor of the King. He defeated Justin Greskiewicz by (T)KO with a perfectly timed elbow that sliced open Greskiewicz eye.

Lion Fight 18 will take place on September 5th in Las Vegas, NV at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Yodsanklai Fairtex and Jorina Baars set to defend titles at Lion Fight 18

Lion Fight champions Yodsanklai Fairtex and Jorina Baars will attempt to defend their titles for the first time at Lion Fight 18. The event will take place on September 5th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Yodsanklai won his Lion Fight championship in July of 2013 when he defeated Chike Lindsay by unanimous decision, but has not fought for the promotions since winning the title. Since then he was won five fights, and is currently on a 12 fight win streak. All five of his fights since winning his title have been for Thai Fight in Thailand.

Baars won her Lion Fight championship in March of 2014 in what has been one of Lion Fight's most talked about fights. Baars defeated MMA stand out Cristaine "Cyborg" Justino in dominant fashion, after five rounds she took home one sided unanimous decision. 

No opponent has been named for either Yodsanklai or Baars, but keep checking back here to stay up to date on Lion Fight 18 news.