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

Lion Fight 23 Pictures

Freddy Sosa was a Lion Fight 23 to shoot the action for Muay Thai Authority. Below are a few of the pictures from the event.

Lion Fight 23 Results: Harrison edges Malaipet, Van Soest retains title

Lion Fight 23 took place last night at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. The night's main event featured Liam Harrison vs. Malaipet Sasiprapa, and the co-main event featured a Lion Fight women's featherweight title fight between current champion Tiffany Van Soest and Martyna Krol.

In the main event Malaipet started strong as expected by most, but as soon as Liam Harrison turned it on he took control. He didn't get going until about the third round which at times can be dangerous if it goes to the judges, but Harrison did enough once he started to press the action to convince two of the three judges. Harrison was declared the winner by split decision

Tiffany Van Soest retained Lion Fight women's featherweight world title by defeating Martyna Krol. Van Soest was in full control of this fight, after a slow first round there was nothing Krol could do to derail Van Soest. The official results was a unanimous decision victory for Van Soest, who after the fight called out Valentina Shevchenko.

Kevin Ross was looking to rebound from his (T)KO loss to Tetsuya Yamato at Lion Fight 21, but after a solid first round things unraveled quickly for Ross against Rungrat Sasiprapa. Ross was finding home for his punches in the fight and was popping his jab nicely, then he took a risk by thrown a spinning elbow. Ross has thrown the same spinning elbow countless times before in his career, the difference was Rungrat ate the elbow and held Ross down to deliver a knee that sent him to the canvas. Ross was able to answer the referee's count but after getting up another knee from Rungrat ended the fight.

Mike Lemaire and Andrew Kapel were involved in the fight of the night as both men left it all out in the ring. The pair had fought before, a bout where Lemaire won a very close extra round decision. Leading into the fifth round both men were beat up, both men were tired, and once again this fight was very close. Lemaire once again ended on top as fatigue seemed to take over for Kapel and it was hard form him to stay standing. With about 30 seconds left int he fight it was called and Lemaire was declared the winner.

Romie Adanza scored a huge (T)KO win over the UK's number one ranked bantamweight Daniel McGowan. Adanza proved that a fight is never over, McGowan was likely up on the judges score cards going into the third round as he had been just step ahead of Adanza this far in the fight. A left hook dropped McGowan and he was given a standing 8-count. A pretty bad looking cut opened on his lip and the doctor went to inspect the cut and the fight was stopped. McGowan was visibly upset at the stoppage, but it was a pretty bad cut. The doctor might have been able to let it go further, but McGowan's lip was split wide open and probably the right call. This is a huge win for Adanza after going 1-3-1 in his previous five fights.

In other action Victor Saravia remained undefeated as a pro with a third round (T)KO over Stan Mancebo and Marvin Madariaga opened the night's pro card with a first round (T)KO over Tony Fausto.

Results:

Liam Harrison def. Malaipet Sasiprapa Split Decision

Tiffany Van Soest def. Martyna Krol via Unanimous Decision to retain Lion Fight women’s featherweight title

Rungrat Sasiprapa def. Kevin Ross (T)KO (knee) in Rd. 2

Victor Saravia def. Stan Mancebo via (T)KO (elbow) in Rd. 3

Mike Lemaire def. Andrew Kapel by (T)KO in Rd. 5

Romie Adanza def. Daniel McGowan by (T)KO (doctor’s stoppage) in Rd.3

Marvin Madariaga def. Tony Fausto by (T) KO in Rd. 1

Lion Fight 23 Predictions

Lion Fight 23 takes place tonight in Temecula, CA at Pechanga Resort and Casino. The UK's Liam Harrison will take on Malaipet Sasiprapa in the main event of the evening. In the co-main event Tiffany Van Soest will look to defend her Lion Fight title when she takes on Martyna Krol. Check out our predictions on tonight's fights below and let us know who you think will win.

Liam Harrison vs. Malaipet Sasiprapa

Harrison is arguably the best UK Muay Thai fighter, and one of the best around the world. Malaipet has a great reputation, but when facing top opposition he has struggled. There are always talks about the old Malaipet coming back, but he never quite seems to make a full come back. 

Malaipet will likely start strong like he does in nearly every one of his fights, but as this fight goes on he will begin to slow down. Harrison will keep his work rate and pressure consistent throughout the fight and this will spell trouble for Malaipet. Harrison packs power in his strikes and is very accurate with his strikes. This fight should resemble Malaipet’s fight with Pinca, although Harrison will probably inflict more damage than Pinca did on Malaipet. The first round we will see Malaipet taking the fight to Harrison, but after the first round Harrison will be in full control.

Malaipet is tough so it is difficult to imagine Harrison stopping him, although the potential is there with the heat Harrison throws. More than likely Malaipet absorbs the punishment and this ends up in a decision win for Harrison.

Prediction: Liam Harrison def. Malaipet Sasiprapa by Decision

Tiffany Van Soest vs. Martyna Krol

Tiffany Van Soest has been able to set herself apart from most of her female counter parts because of her athleticism and this shouldn’t be any different in her fight with Martyna Krol. Van Soest knows how to move in the ring, using angles and exploding on her opponents when openings present themselves. Caley Reece defeated Van Soest in the clinch, but since that fight she has improved in that aspect of her game and Krol’s clinch is not the level of Reece’s. 

Krol is a tough and has a decent amount of experience, but it is hard to imagine here out pointing Van Soest let alone stopping her. Krol is a very linear fighter and mainly moves in a straight line which will play right into the hands of Van Soest. This fight should be all Van Soest from the opening bell. Expect a stoppage win for Van Soest and a lot of damage inflicted from her before this one is over.

Prediction: Tiffany Van Soest def. Martyne Krol by (T)KO

Kevin Ross vs. Rungrat Sasiprapa 

Ross will be looking to rebound from his loss to Tetsuya Yamato, and he did not pick an easy fight. Rungrat is a quality Thai opponent and this should be a close fight. Ross is tough as nails and likes to press the pace, the faster the pace the more comfortable Ross seems to get. Rungrat has the potential to fight that type of fight, if that will happen is another story. 

Ross is going to want to use his boxing and use his movement, which are some of his strongest assets. If he can stay out of the clinch his high volume style should yield positive results. Rungrat should want to grind in the clinch and slow Ross down. This is a hard one to pick, but we say Ross is able to stay out of the clinch and implement his game plan to take home a decision.

Prediction: Kevin Ross def. Rungrat Sasiprapa by Decision

Victor Saravia vs. Stan Mancebo 

Saravia is on a roll since turning pro. He has knockout power and uses it aggressively. If you are going off of recent history Mancebo is going to have his hands full with Saravia. The biggest advantage Saravia has is that he is a smart fighter; he waits for the opening and then goes for it once it becomes available. 

His power should be the difference maker and Mancebo is going to have to respect it. Expect Saravia to take control early and deliver a stoppage win.

Prediction: Victor Saravia def. Stan Mancebo by (T)KO

Mike Lemaire vs. Andrew Kapel

Lemaire and Kapel have fought before and it was a close fight the first time. So close that it had to be settled with an extra round where Lemaire took the decision win. This fight should be another close fight, but Kapel might have the advantage because it will be Muay Thai rules rather than Kickboxing like their first encounter. Kapel seems to have traditional Muay Thai style and being able to clinch and elbow should favor him a bit. 

Lemaire packs power and it will be important for Kapel to close the distance and use the clinch so that Lemaire can’t deliver those heavy shots. This is going to be another close fight, but with the clinch in play Kapel should be able to edge out a close decision.

Prediction: Andrew Kapel def. Mike Lemaire by Decision

Daniel McGowan vs. Romie Adanza 

Adanza has not been very active lately, while McGowan has not only been active but is considered the best bantamweight fighter in the UK. Adanza has great boxing, but his inactivity could prove to be an issue. 

McGowan should be able to control Adanza throughout the fight especially in the clinch, but you can never count a crafty veteran like Adanza out. The pick here is McGowan as he is the younger and more active fighter of the two. A stoppage victory might occur if McGowan can deliver some serious damage from the clinch, but I think the safe pick is a decision.

Prediction: Daniel McGowan def. Romie Adanza by Decision

Tony Fausto vs. Marvin Madariaga

Fausto did not have a good showing his last fight under Lion Fight as he out struck by Nick Chasteen. You can’t question his toughness as he was willing to fight until his corner threw in the towel. This fight against Madariaga will be power vs. technique.

Fausto has a very technical style and should want a slower paced fight. Madariaga should hold the advantage in power and that will be his strongest tool. He should take the fight to Fausto and wear him down, and this should help him get a stoppage in the later rounds as long as his cardio holds up.

Prediction: Marvin Madariaga def. Tony Fausto by (T)KO

Lion Fight 23 complete with 7 pro fights including Van Soest and Ross

Lion Fight 23 is set for July 31st at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. As previously announced the event will be headlined by a bout featuring Malaipet Sasiprapa against the UK's Liam Harrison.

The night's co-main event will feature Tiffany Van Soest as she attempts to defend her Lion Fight title against Martyna Krol. Van Soest will attempt to make here first title defense after recapturing the Lion Fight belt at Lion Fight 22 earlier this year.

Also featured on the card with be Lion Fight main stay Kevin Ross as he takes on Thai Rungrat Sasiprapa. Ross will be looking to bounce back after his (T)KO loss to Tetsuya Yamato at Lion Fight 21.

Romie Adanza will also return to the Lion Fight ring against Daniel McGowan, young gun Victor Saravia will look to keep his perfect record in tact as he faces Stan Mancebo, and Mike Lemaire will make his Lion Fight debut against Michael Jasper.

Fight Card:

Malaipet Sasiprapa vs. Liam Harrison

Tiffany Van Soest vs. Martyna Krol

Kevin Ross vs. Rungrat Sasiprapa

Marvin Madariaga vs. Tony Fausto

Victor Saravia vs. Stan Mancebo

Mike Lemaire vs. Michael Jasper

Romie Adanza vs. Daniel McGowan

WCK: USA vs. CHINA Results

WCK Muay Thai held another in a series "USA vs. China" events last night in Cabazon, California.  The night's main event featured Mike Lemaire vs. Shamir Garcia, with Josh Aragon vs. Ghiath Daker for the co-main event.

Adam Rothweiler vs. One Seng Soon was also a featured bout of the evening, with the aggressive Rothweiler gaining a KO victory over Soon.

Results:

Mike Lemaire def. Shamir Garcia via Unanimous Decision
Josh Aragon def. Ghiath Daker via KO in Rd. 2
Adam Rothweiler def. One Seng Soon via KO in Rd. 1
Matt Sayles def. Zhang Chunyu via Unanimous Decision
Wei Ninghui def. Marvin Madariaga via Majority Decision
Marcin Backowski def. Dave Pacheco via Unanimous Decision
Ming Freeman def. Charles Williams via KO in Rd. 2
Dony Chen def. Sean Choice via TKO in Rd. 1
Daniel Valdez def. Josh Cunanan via Unanimous Decision
Shaena Cox vs. Tang Zoie ends in Draw
German Baltazar dev. Ignacio Capllonch via Majority Decision

Glory 18: Return to Glory Results and Recap

Glory returned to action for the first time in nearly five months. Glory 18: Return to Glory took place last night at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The night's main event featured a lightweight title fight between champion Davit Kiria and challenger Robin van Roosmalen. Kiria won the title with a come from behind knockout victory over Andy Risite earlier this year. The pair had fought twice already with van Roosmalen having won their two previous encounters by unanimous decision. 

The first two rounds were a close as both fighters were trading strikes. In the third round Kiria scored with a big 1-2 combination that dropped van Roosmalen, after he was able to beat the count Kiria was all over van Roosmalen trying to finish the fight. Despite Kiria's efforts van Roosmalen was able to survive and make it to the championship rounds. The fourth round was tight as it didn't seem either fighter did enough to edge the other. In the final round van Roosmalen was more active and landing nice combinations that likely gave him the round. When it was over the bout was ruled a majority decision in favor of van Roosmalen making him the new Glory lightweight champion.

Saulo Cavalari and Zack Mwekassa met in the finals of the Glory light heavyweight contenders tournament. Cavalari out pointed Danyo Ilunga to earn a decision victory and his ticket to the tournament final, while Mwekassa scored a crushing knockout of Brian Collette to secure his spot in the finals. 

Mwekassa started off strong in the tournament final throwing heavy punches and keeping Cavalari on the defensive. As the fight wore on, however, Cavalari began to open up more as Mwekassa started to slow down. In the third round Cavalari fainted a low kick and went up high knocking Mwekassa down to the canvas. Despite his efforts to get up Mwekassa could not recover and Cavalari won the contenders tournament. 

In other action on the night Jason Wilnis stunned most by out striking Wayne Barrett to win a unanimous decision and Rob Thomas scored a knockout over Mike Lemaire to end his two fight losing streak. 

Results:

Main Card

Robin van Roosmalen def. Davit Kiria via Majority Decision

Jason Wilnis def. Wayne Barrett via Unanimous Decision

Glory Light Heavyweight Contenders Tournament Final

Saulo Cavalari def. Zack Mwekassa via KO (Head Kick) at 0:20 of Rd. 3

Glory Light Heavyweight Contenders Tournament Semi-finals

Zack Mwekassa def. Brian Collette via KO at 0:45 of Rd. 2

Saulo Cavalari def. Danyo Ilunga via Unanimous Decision

Super Fight Series

Benjamin Adegbuyi def. Hesdy Gerges via Unanimous Decision

Randy Blake def. Warren Thompson via Unanimous Decision

Rob Thomas def. Mike Lemaire via KO at 1:06 of Rd. 3

Josh Jauncey def. Jae-Gil Noh via KO at 1:14 of Rd. 2

Omari Boyd def. Ian Alexander via (T)KO at 2:17 of Rd. 3

WCK Muay Thai "WCK vs. Wulinfeng 2013" Results

This past weekend WCK Muay Thai "WCK vs. Wulinfeng" took place at the Riviera in Las Vegas. The annual Wulinfeng event featured some veterans of the Muay Thai and Kickboxing scene as well as some up and coming fighters.

In the main event Lerdsila Chumpairtour and Zequi Deng met in a re-match from last years event. Last time Deng won by split decision, but Chumpairtour was able to avenge the lost by taking home a unanimous decision this time around. 

In other action Cyrus Washington dropped a decision to  Xinjun Lui, Adam Rothweiler continued the amazing start to his Muay Thai career by improving his record to 4-0 since making his pro debut earlier this year by defeating Jacob Ramsey. Mike Lemaire scored his second (T)KO in a row by stopping Qiang Guo in the first round.

Results:

Lerdsila Chumpairtour def. Zequi Deng via Unanimous Decision

Xingjun Lui def. Cyrus Washington via Unanimous Decision

Mike Lemaire def. Qiang Guo via (T)KO 2:14 of Rd. 1

Adam Rothweiler def. Jacob Ramsey via Unanimous Decision

Raul Rodriguez def. Wenfei Dong via Split Decision

Yinghua Tie def. Mohammad Navidinia via (T)KO 2:20 of Rd. 3

Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Chuang Xie via Unanimous Decision

Fight Card for November 2nd WCK Muay Thai "WCK vs. Wulinfeng" event in Las Vegas

WCK Muay Thai returns to action November 2nd at the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas. The night’s event will feature their annual WCK Muay Thai vs. Wulinfeng fight card.

The night’s main event will feature a WBC Muay Thai international title fight between Lerdsila Chumpairtour and Deng Zeqi. The pair met at last year’s WCK vs. Wulinfeng show in a fight that Zeqi won by split decision.

Some other notables on the fight card include Cyrus Washington, Mike Lemaire, Adam Rothweiler, and Afam Egbochuku. Washington will face Yi Long, Lemaire will fight Guo Qiang, and Rothweiler take on Chan Kai Chung as part of the team WCK vs. Wulinfeng competition. Egbochuku will fight Bruce Trudl in a full rules Muay Thai super fight.

Fight Card:
Lerdsila Chumpairtour vs. Deng Zeqi
Cyrus Washington vs. Yi Long
Mike Lemaire vs. Guo Qian
Adam Rothweiler vs. Chan Kai Chung
Raul Rodriguez vs. Dong Wenfei
Mohammad Navidinia vs. Tie Yinghua
Justine Kish vs. Tang Jin
Melisk Baghdasaryan vs. Xie Chuang
Afam Egbochuku vs. Bruce Trudl
David Pacheco vs. Sun Weichao
Linda Aguilar vs. Wang Chaoqi
Jason Caldwell vs. Jorge Perez

Results and Recap for WCK Muay Thai "Hot Summer Fights", Nakamoto remains undefeated

WCK Muay Thai “Hot Summer Fights” took place last night at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. In the night’s main event Aleide Lawant tried to Dethrone “The Queen of Mean” Miriam Nakamoto and not only take her WBC Muay Thai World Title, but also hand her the first loss of her career. Nakamoto, however, would have none of it. Lawant came out aggressive, but Nakamoto remained poised and calmly took the center of the ring. They both exchanged heavy blows and Lawant opened a cut on Nakamoto’s brow with an elbow, but before she could capitalize on the cut Nakamoto returned the favor. As the fight wore on Nakamoto seemed to get stronger as Lawant slowed down. In the end Nakamoto walked away still undefeated and still the champ after all three judges scored the fight in her favor giving her the unanimous decision victory.

In the night’s co-main event Mike Lemaire won the WBC Muay Thai Cruiserweight National Title with a first round (T)KO of Ryan Madigan. Early in the first round after some exchanged strikes Madigan fell to the canvas clutching his right knee. After getting back to his feet Lemaire went on the attack and pushed him against the ropes. Lemarie looked to deliver a flying knee, but Madigan fell to his back clutching his knee again and the fight was stopped.

In another WBC Muay Thai title fight Luis Bio defended his WBC Muay Thai Mexican National Title by edging a very game Raul Rodriguez in a split decision. Bio started strong and used his strong clinch to get the better of Rodriguez early, but as the fight went on it seemed Rodriguez got stronger. He began to use his boxing a bit more and connect with clean punches in the later rounds, but Bio continued to use his clinch game to neutralize Rodriguez’s boxing. It was a close fight but Bio remained the champion when it was all said and done.

Adam Rothweiler improved to 3-0 with a (T)KO stoppage of Levon Sarkysan. Rothweiler and Sarkysan went toe to toe, but the difference was that Rothweiler continuously delivered leg kicks to Sarkysan’s lead leg that went unchecked. By the fourth round Sarkysan could no longer take the leg kicks and he hit the canvas. After beating the referee’s count Rothweiler went on the attack with more leg kicks knocking Sarkysan down against and forcing the referee to stop the fight.

In some of the night’s other action Leyna Ovchynnikova won a unanimous decision over Emily Bearden. Jacob Poss, John Vargas, and Alfred Kashakyan all scored spectacular first round knockouts as well.

Results:

Miriam Nakamoto def. Aleide Lawant via Unanimous Decision

Mike Lemaire def. Ryan Madigan via (T)KO in Rd. 1

Luis Bio def. Raul Rodriguez via Split Decision

Leyna Ovchynnikova def. Emily Bearden via Unanimous Decision

Adam Rothweiler def. Levon Sarkysan via (T)KO in Rd. 4

Jacob Poss def. Miguel Cosio via KO in Rd. 1

John Vargas def. Rajesh Narine via KO in Rd. 1

Alfred Kashakyan def. Chris Minor via KO in Rd. 1

James Steelsmith def. Dave Pacheco via Split Decision

Ed Abasolo def. Angel Mesa via Unanimous Decision

WCK Muay Thai "Hot Summer Fights" set for August 24th in Temecula, CA with Miriam Nakamoto vs. Aleide Lawant main event

WCK Muay Thai will return to Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA on August 24th with "Hot Summer Fights". The night's main event will feature Miriam Nakamoto (15-0) making her return to the Muay Thai ring after a year long absence to face Aleide Lawant (19-8). 

Nakamoto has made a successful transition to MMA since her last Muay Thai Fight in August of 2012 when she defeated Julie Kitchen. Dutch striker, Lawant will look to welcome Nakamoto back to the Muay Thai ring. The 2011 winner of the Enfusion tournament will look to try and hand Nakamoto her first career defeat.

In the night's co-main event Mexican WBC Muay Thai champion Luis Bio (11-4) square off with Raul Rodriguez (11-1) in a WBC Muay Thai title fight. Bio will look to bounce back after a decision loss in China against to Zhipeng Zhou in the Wu Lin Feng 154lb 8-man tournament. Rodriguez last competed in November of 2012 when he scored decision victory over Chuang Xie at the WCK's Wu Lin Feng event in Las Vegas.

Also featured on the card will be Mike Lemaire (9-1) vs. Ryan Madigan (28-6) for the WBC Muay Thai national cruiserweight title. Lemaire will be looking to bounce back from his first professional loss.

Fight Card:

Miriam Nakamoto vs. Aleide Lawant

Luis Bio vs. Raul Rodriguez

Mike Lemaire vs. Ryan Madigan

Lena Ovchynnikova vs. Emily Bearden

Adam Rothweiler vs. Levon Sarksyan

Miguel Cosio vs. Jacob Poss

Josh Aragon vs. Guilherme Silva

Dave Pacheco vs. James Steelsmith

Rajesh Narine vs. John Vargas

Chris Minor vs. Alfred Kashakyan

Matches to make after Glory 9

Glory 9 took place in New York this past weekend and it was filled with excitement from start to finish. Some of North America’s top talents were in action on the night as well as some of the biggest names in the sport of Kickboxing.

Joseph Valtellini continued to prove to fight fans that he is the real deal with another (T)KO stoppage, Wayne Barrett put fight fans on notice, and Randy Blake made a successful Glory debut. There were some great performances from the North American based fighters.

Below are a few match-ups we think would make sense as the next possible fight for the North American winners at Glory 9, as well as some of the fighters that tasted defeat.

Joseph Valtellini vs. Gregory Choplin

Valtellini’s lone loss of his professional and amateur career combined came at the hands of Gregory Choplin at Lion Fight 7. Valtellini has since won three consecutive fights, two by stoppage under the Glory banner. Choplin is no stranger to Kickboxing bouts and it would make a nice match up. Will Valtellini be able to implement his crisp boxing combinations followed up by leg kicks or will Choplin once again use his experience to take home a victory over the younger Valtellini? Either Choplin beats the red hot Valtellini and jumps right into the Glory mix, or Valtellini avenges his lone loss to a highly touted and respected striker.

Wayne Barrett vs. Andrew Kapel

Wayne Barrett surprised many people with his knockout of Mike Lemaire. Unless you knew him you probably weren’t picking him to beat Lemaire, especially considering he only had one pro fight coming into the bout. Now Barrett is in the unique position that he only has two pro fights yet he beat one of the Road to Glory USA champions. Do you throw him into the mix with the top strikers in the world or bring him up accordingly. The best bet here would be to give him a hard nosed veteran of the North American striking scene. Andrew Kapel is as hard nosed as they come, tough durable and likes to get in your face. He dropped a razor thin split decision in the Road to Glory tournament to Lemaire, a bout in which he knocked Lemaire down early in the fight. Kapel would be a good measuring stick for Barrett, if he can beat two of North America’s top cruiserweights it would be a big accomplishment.

Brett Hlavacek vs. Stephen Richards

Hlavacek and Richards were set to fight at the Warriors Cup a few months back, but both fighters ended up pulling out of the match up. Now would be a great time for it to happen. Hlavacek rebounded nicely form his first career defeat by scoring a decision victory over Paul Marfort at Glory 9, and Richards most recently scored a win over highly regarded Alex Berrios. Bother Hlavacek and Richards are both strong fighters who normally impose their will in the ring so it would be interesting to see who would dictate the action in this bout.

Randy Blake vs. Dustin Jacoby

Blake won at Glory 9 against Koichi Pettas in a super fight, while Jacoby defeated Brian Collette in the opening round of the Glory Light Heavyweight Grand Slam and then dropped a decision to Danyo Ilunga in the semi-finals. The pair previously met in the opening round of the Road to Glory Light Heavyweight Tournament, a bout which Jacoby won by third round (T)KO. Blake was the favorite in the tournament and Jacoby surprised many by not only beating Blake but winning the tournament. The first fight was entertaining and there is no reason the second bout wouldn’t be.

Francois Ambang vs. Anthony Nieves

Ambang hung tough against Joseph Valtellini but eventually succumbed to leg kicks in the third round. He was able to land some clean shots on Valtellini, and kept a nice head and body defense for most of the fight, but left his legs open for attack. Valtellini does attack his opponent’s legs more than the average fighter, so it shouldn’t be something Ambang needs to worry about too much, he defended well early but the damage just accumulated. Valtellini was definitely a good measuring stick for Ambang. A fight against another strong North American based fighter should follow for Ambang. Nieves dropped a decision in the opening round of the Road to Glory USA tournament that Ambang won, but would present a strong test for Ambang.

Mike Lemaire vs. Afam Egbochuku

Lemaire went into his fight with Wayne Barrett a heavy favorite, but when it was over he was left face down on the canvas. Lemaire didn’t look good in his previous outing before fighting Barrett despite taking home a victory, and now his performance against Barrett raises some questions. A fight against a fighter like Afam Egbochuku who just happens to be based in San Diego like Lemaire would be a nice little in town rivalry, but would also be a good fight to see how Lemaire rebounds after his first professional loss. Egbochuku has power to test Lemaire’s chin but half the amount of fights.

Wayne Barrett talks win over Mike Lemaire at Glory 9

If you missed Glory 9 on Saturday night then you missed Wayne Barrett make a splash on to the Kickboxing scene. Barrett was brought in to face Road to Glory USA winner Mike Lemaire and many considered him an under dog, but obviously he didn’t get the memo. It took him less than round to establish his dominance in the ring and just over one round to finish off Lemaire. In the second round Barrett stopped Lemaire with a left followed by a right that sent him crashing to the canvas face first. Muay Thai Authority caught up with Barrett to talk about his recent win.

MTA: Huge win this past weekend at Glory 9. You only had one pro fight when you got the call from Glory, but they obviously saw something in you that warranted they give you a shot. What was going through your mind when you were first contacted by Glory?

Wayne: I was excited but I also knew that it was time to get serious immediately.

MTA: You were brought in to fight Mike Lemaire, he was the Road to Glory USA champ in your weight class. How did you feel about facing him?

Wayne: When I first heard the name I said it sounds familiar let me Google him then I saw it was Mike. I'm a honest guy about my feelings I was concerned but not afraid I took him dead serious and being that he was who he was made me want to prove that I could beat him.

MTA: You seemed really comfortable and confident in the ring. Did you study video on Mike at all?

Wayne: I looked at his fights and I saw that as good as he was the biggest thing that no one focused on were his opponents no one moved like me, hit like me or had my speed so my confidence grew in knowing that I was under estimated and I have a lot of tools that guys dont have or dont use. I’m creative in the ring

MTA: A lot of people had you as an under dog but you came out and put on an amazing performance. At what point did you know you had that fight in the bag?

Wayne: I knew I would win when I signed the contract I’m better than a lot of people know and I needed a fight like this to show case my skill. I have always been looked at as not being good enough I dont walk around like a bad ass I love to smile but I LOVE the sport of competition I can turn on a switch that gives me a boost to the next level when I need it.

MTA: You had him hurt and the end of the first and it seemed the bell saved him and then you finished him in the second. Was your goal coming in to score a knockout or was it something that just presented itself and you took it?

Wayne: We thought it was going to be a knock out in the 3rd round actually. He comes out really hard in the fights we saw but then he gets gassed so we knew that he did not know how hard I hit or how fast I was but we would save it for the last round and just pick him off in rounds 1 and 2.

MTA: Can you give fight fans a little background on yourself like how did you get into fighting, where do you train, etc?

Wayne: I came into fighting thanks to my parents I was a hyper kid with tons of energy, I have watch karate movies since I was a baby I would dream about being a kung fu master or samurai all the time. I train my boxing with Kelly Richardson of Gumuboxing and my Thai guy is Rob Rogan out of squared circle NYC. I've been around for a while and I train with great guys that are in the UFC or at the top of the sport. I have known for a while that the ring is where I belong I just did not commit myself 100% so I did not want to go pro until I did. I dont smoke or drink I live in the gym I love to train it’s in my system.

MTA: What's next, has Glory already contacted you about another fight?

Wayne: I dont want to jinx anything but so far it seems that the world will see me again really soon GOD willing but I leave that up to the fans and the Glory organization, I will be ready and waiting with a new bag of tricks for my next opponent.

MTA: Any words for all your supporters out there?

Wayne: For my supporters and to those that just got to know me I fight for the person that wants to be in the ring but have been told they don’t belong and I am here to show that as long as you believe in your self and surround your self with the right people you can make anything happen. Once you start a journey and your serious things fall into place with GOD's grace. That’s why I can take these fights and know I’m going to win

 

*Photo Courtesy of Bauzen

Glory 9 Results and Recap: Tyrone Spong Wins Light Heavyweight Tournament

Glory 9 took place last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY. The inaugural Glory event in the United States featured and eight man light heavyweight tournament. Tyrone Spong was the heavy favorite coming into the tournament and Danyo Ilunga was considered by many to be the man to challenge Spong for the tournament crown. As expected Spong and Ilunga met in the tournament final.
 

Spong had a scare in his first fight of the tournament as he was knocked down by Michael Duut immediately as their bout started, but moments later after getting back to his feet he delivered a crushing right hand that ended the fight thirty seconds in. Ilunga won his first bout by unanimous decision over Mourad Bouzidi. In the tournament semi-finals both Spong and Ilunga won by unanimous decision to advance to the finals. Spong defeating Filip Verlinden and Ilunga defeated Dustin Jacoby.

Fans were expecting a barn burner in the tournament finale between Spong and Ilunga, but instead were treated to an anticlimactic ending. As the fight began both fighters met in the center of the ring and Spong unloaded a flurry and Ilunga covered up, the referee jumped in and stopped the fight in what was clearly a premature stoppage. Ilunga was not happy with the stoppage and protested as fans in attendance let out a chorus of boos at the referee's decision. With the stoppage Spong sealed the deal and won the Glory light heavyweight tournament and the $200,000 grand prize.

Daniel Ghita and Brice Guidon met in a super fight and it took Ghita less than one minute to score a devastating knockout. Both fighters started off exchanging leg kicks but Ghita was able to corner Guidon and began to unload punches to the body. Guidon was covering up and eventually tried to punch his way out but that left an opening for a crushing left hook from Ghita. Guidon hit the canvas and the fight was waived off by the referee immediately. With the win Ghita ends a two fight skid, while Guidon has now lost three consecutive fights.

Joseph Valtellini welcomed Road to Glory USA welterweight tournament winner Francois Ambang to Glory with vicious leg kicks. After a close first round in which both fighters landed solid combinations and leg kicks, Valtellini took control in the second round. He seemed to have Ambang hurt on more than one occasion near the end of the second round. In the third round Valtellini continued to land his crisp combinations followed by leg kicks and it became evident that Ambang's leg was injured. Valtellini smelled the blood like a shark and went on the attack knocking Ambang down with some nasty low kicks. Ambang was able to get back to his feet but could not walk towards the referee and the fight was called. Another impressive victory for Valtellini who has won three straight fights and is now 2-0 fighting for Glory.

Mike Lemaire came into his fight with Wayne Barrett on a an eight fight win streak including winning the  Road to Glory USA middleweight tournament. On paper Lemaire was easily the favorite having 8 pro fights to Barrett's one, but that was on paper. Wayne Barrett looked phenomenal with great foot work in the ring. In the first round he scored a standing eight count over Lemaire and int he second round he knocked Lemaire down with a knee. Lemaire tried to press forward but could not connect with anything as Barrett was in and out of range in a heart beat. A left hook from Barret rocked Lemaire and he went down face first. The referee halted the action giving Barrett the victory. An amazing performance by Wayne Barrett.

Results:
Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals
Tyrone Spong def. Danyo Ilunga via (T)KO at 0:16 of Rd. 1

Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi-finals
Danyo Ilunga def. Dustin Jacoby via Unanimous Decision
Tyrone Spong def. Filip Verlinden via Unanimous Decision

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinals
Tyrone Spong def. Michael Duut via KO at 0:31 of Rd. 1
Filip Verlinden def. Steve McKinnon via Split Decision
Dustin Jacoby def. Brian Collette via Split Decision

Danyo Ilunga def. Mourad Bouzidi via Unanimous Decision

Super Fights
Rico Verhoeven def. Errol Zimmerman via Unanimous Decision
Daniel Ghita def. Brice Guidon via KO at 0:49 of Rd. 1

Anderson Silva def. Daniel Sam via Unanimous Decision
Joseph Valtellini def. Francois Ambang via (T)KO (Leg Kicks) at 1:24 of Rd. 3

Wayne Barrett def. Mike Lemaire via KO at 1:12 of Rd. 2

Undercard
Brett Hlavacek def. Paul Marfort via Unanimous Decision

Robert Plotkin def. Casey Greene via (T)KO at 1:16 of Rd 1

Andrea DeAngelo def. Laura Byrnds via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Ball def. James Smith via KO at 1:34 of Rd. 3
Chris Mauceri def. Niko Tsigaras via Unanimous Decision
Nick Pace def. Levan Makashvili via Split Decision

Mike Lemaire vs. Wayne Barrett added to Glory 9 in New York

Glory has announced that Road to Glory USA middleweight tournament winner Mike Lemaire will make his first appearance for the promotion since winning the tournament at the upcoming Glory 9 event in New York. Lemaire will be fighting against Wayne Barrett, who most recently defeated Strahinja Ivanovic under the Take-On banner. Barrett will be competing in only his second pro bout, but has an accomplished amateur record and is former Georgia Golden Gloves  champion. 

Glory 9 is the first official Glory fight card that will take place in the United States. In addition to the Lemaire vs. Barrett the card is filled with talented names such as Tyrone Spong, Joseph Valtellini, Brett Hlavacek, Danyo Illunga, and many more. All of the action will take place on June 22nd at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Fight Card: 

Light Heavyweight Tournament Fighters

Danyo Ilunga 

Mourad Bouzidi

Brian Collette 

Dustin Jacoby

Filip Verlinden 

Steve McKinnon

Tyrone Spong 

Michael Duut

Super Fights

Daniel Ghita vs. Brice Guidon

Rico Verhoeven vs. Errol Zimmerman

Joseph Valtellini vs. Francois Ambang

Brett Hlavcek vs. Paul Marfort

Daniel Sam vs. Anderson "Braddock" Silva

Wayne Barrett vs. Mike LeMaire

WCK Muay Thai "Bad to the Bone" results

WCK Muay Thai “Bad to the Bone” took place this past weekend at the Pechanga Hotel and Casino in Temecula, CA. In the night’s main event Sergio Pique and Virgil Zwicker fought for five rounds with Pique earning a split decision victory. Zwicker seemed to be the stronger fighter earlier in the bout, but as he began to fade Pique began to pick up the action and was able to take the fight on two of the three judge’s score cards.

In the night’s co-main event Mike Lemaire took home a split decision over Andy Murad. Lemaire was coming off a “Road to Glory” tournament win and many thought he would simply walk through Murad, but that wasn’t the case. Murad kept the fight close by clinching and slowing down the pace of the fight and not letting Lemaire unload with his heavy strikes. In the end two of the judge’s saw the fight for Lemaire, giving him the win. Lemaire remains undefeated and pushes his pro record to 8-0.

Josh Aragon won scored a spectacular knockout in the fourth round of his fight with Karl Santiago. The Sityodtong Los Angeles product connected with a spinning elbow that sent Santiago crashing down to the canvas. It was an impressive knockout by Aragon who is now 2-0 since turning pro.

Jemyma Betrian needed only 30 second to dispatch of Baitong Sumalee. Betrian sent Sumalee to the canvas as soon as the fight started after connecting with a bunch. When Sumalee got back to her feet, Betrian pounced and unloaded on her ending the fight. It was a dominant and impressive performance by Betrian.

Afam Egbochuku scored a third round knockout over Miguel Cosio in a fight that was full of action. The pair actually scored a double knockdown in the second round, but in the end it was Egbochuku who earned the stoppage victory.

In the night's other pro bouts Joe Davidson defeated John Vargas unanimous decision, Adam Rothweiler defeated Adrian Morilla by unanimous decision, Marvin Madariaga scored a third round (T)KO over Greg Roberts, and Jacob Poss scored a flying knee knockout over Jason Rzepka.

Results:
Sergio Pique def. Virgil Zwicker via Split Decision
Mike Lemaire def. Andy Murad via Split Decision
Josh Aragon def. Karl Santiago via KO (Spinning Elbow) in Rd. 4
Jemyma Betrian def. Baitong Sumalee via KO in Rd. 1
Adam Rothweiler def. Adrian Morilla via Unanimous Decision
Afam Egbochuku def. Miguel Cosio via KO in Rd. 3
Joe Davidson def. John Vargas via Unanimous Decision
Marvin Madariaga def. Greg Roberts via (T)KO in Rd. 3
Jacob Poss def. Jason Rzepka via KO in Rd. 1