Lion Fight Muay Thai returns to Vegas May 22 with a trio of female division bouts.
Former champion Tiffany Van Soest is looking get back on the winning track taking on England’s Bernise Alldis. VanSoest won five straight before losing her title to Caley Reese. After winning back to back fights at LFP, she lost to Denise Kielholtz at Enfusion.
Alldis came back this past weekend after a few years absence with an unanimous decision win over Tanya Merrit. She has a notable win over Julie Kitchen.
The match will serve as the co-main event.
Opening the main card, Vegas’s Christine Ferea will take on California’s Laura Salazar. Ferea has back to back wins at Lion Fight as an amateur. Salazar has been switching between MMA and Muay Thai. Both will be making their professional Muay Thai debuts.
In action Monday at RXF 16 in Brașov, Romania, Delia Georgescu defeated Maia Buzas by TKO round 1.
On Thursday in Tokyo, Japan, Momo Koseki successfully defended her WBC atomweight title wiht a KO over Aisah Alico in round 2.
Justino
With fight week vastly approaching, Invicta and the UFC have announced some events before the two cards commence in L.A.
The first is an open workout at the UFC Gym/Sunergy in Terrance, CA Wednesday.
Invicta Workouts
11 a.m.: Charmaine Tweet workout
11:15 a.m.: Alexa Grasso workout
11:30 a.m.: Irene Aldana workout
11:45 a.m.: “Cyborg” Justino workout
UFC Workouts
1 p.m.: Cat Zingano workout
1:30 p.m.: Raquel Pennington workout
2 p.m: Holly Holm workout
2:30 p.m.: Ronda Rousey workout
If you noticed, Justino and Rousey won’t be there at the same time. It is expected Justino will be cageside for the Rousey versus Zigano title fight Saturday. Shannon Knapp states the Justino and Rousey superfight is closer than everyone thinks.
The other UFC fight week event announced is at 11 a.m. pst Saturday at L.A. Live. The UFC will hold a press conference and fan event for the participants for the next seven events. Expected to be in attendance is Felice Herrig and Jessica Eye.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has suspended Ashlee Evans-Smith for testing positive from the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide after her fight with Raquel Pennington. Smith was fined 30% of her purse and her license is suspended for nine months retroactive from the fight. This means she will be able to return to fighting August 6th if she tests clean before she is re-licensed.
Congratulations to Society Nine on reaching their kickstarer goal. We have been helping to campaign for the company which is going to revolutionize women’s MMA gear. There is still four days left if you want to contribute and get yourself some of their great stuff including a pair of those revolutionary gloves. Go here.
Abshire Courtesy CMT
Congrats to amateur MMA fighter Jackie Abshire, who is the current Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull” Challenge champ. She defeated the “Skull Buster” obstacle course record by three and a half minutes. She won $10,000 and will continue to win $10,000 every episode her time in the extreme obstacle course isn’t broken.
The undefeated fighter will take on Cortney Casey in her promotional debut March 13th in Guam. Harper has finished in all of her wins, and had trained in Thailand for several years in Muay Thai.
Next weekend, Finland’s Suvi Salmimies has a new opponent. Karla Benitez will step in to take on the hometown fighter at Cage 29 in Helsinki. Salmimies (2-0-1) will find her biggest challenged in the more experienced Spain’s Benitez (10-7-1). Benitez is coming off back to back losses,
Invicta fighter Cassie Crissano is asking for your help.
The featherweight is in a custody battle for her youngest son. You can read more and help her get a good lawyer by going here.
Ughi and Baars
Fights this Weekend
Jorina Baars returns to Lion Fight to defend her Muay Thai title against Chantal Ughi. This is a rematch of their 2009 battle (video here).This will air on AXS TV.
In the only world boxing title match this weekend, Victoria Argueta defends her IBF World minimumweight title against Nancy Franco in Hidalgo, Mexico.
The DEEP-Jewels 106 title tournament starts this weekend in Tokyo, Japan. The opening round matches are as follows:
Mei Yamaguchi vs. Miyoko Kusaka (105)
Emi Tomimatsu vs. Mina Kurobe (105)
Satomi Takano vs. Masako Yoshida (105)
Tomo Maesawa vs. Yukiko Seki (105)
Besides the quarterfinal matches, Emi Fujino teams up with Sachiko Fujimori to face off against Ayaka Hamasaki and Yuko Oya in a tag team 10 minute grappling match.
In a rare Sunday UFC event in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Jessica Andrade will face Marion Reneau. The fight will air on Fox Sports 1.
Kowalkiewicz and Faria
InvictaFC star Karolina Kowalkiewicz will fight Kalindra Faria in Poland. The match was set to be a title bout for the KSW strawweight title, but Faria missed weight by 2.2 pounds. The match will now be a three round non-title affair.
In other pro MMA bouts this weekend:
Big John’s: Ogichida Spirit – Saulte Ste Marie, MI
As I explained in my open letter, I am looking to change Wombat Sports to what it was initially meant to be. I can’t do this on my own, and that;s where you come in.
We are looking for contributors to help with writing articles and covering certain combat sports. You would also get to interview talented athletes in those sports.
The main contributors we are looking for is in women’s boxing, Muay Thai, freestyle wrestling, and BJJ. (We already have some people interested in covering the WMMA portion of the site). The cool things is I have the tools to gain news and info for these sports, just not the time to write it up. You can “learn on the job” if you aren’t an expert on these topics; but being curious is the key thing.
Fan favorite Tiffany VanSoest will be back in action March 27th as she takes on Morocco’s Chajmaa Bellakhal at Lion Fights in Temecula, CA.
VanSoest (10-2-1) is coming off a loss to Denise Kielholtz at Enfusion Muay Thai this past November. In her last Lion Fight appearance, she got a highlight TKO over Sindy Huyer.
Bellakhal (44-11-2) won her Lion Fights debut by decision this past November over Jeri Sitzes. The Moroccan born fighter was a semi-finalist in the Enfusion reality show season 3.
French fighter Anissa Meksen had an impressive 2014 and began 2015 with three Awakening Females Muay Thai Awards.
Over half the fans voted to give Meksen the Fighter and Inspirational Fighter of the Year Awards. She also took home KO of the Year with her knockout over Adi Ordem.
Meksen notably won the Enfusion Reality Show this past year.
Fight of the Year went to Jorina Baar’s amazing performance over Cyborg Justino at Lion Fights.
Other winners include Caley Reese (Personality), Dakota Ditcheva (Newcomer) and Janice MacAulay (Amateur).
Jorina Baars shocked the world this year with her Muay Thai clinic over MMA champion Cyborg Justino. After some re-negotiations, she is back to defend her Lion Fights title.
Baars (36-0) will take on Philadelphia’s Casey Bohrman February 20th at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, which will air live on AXS TV. The match will serve as the main event.
Baars was supposed to defend her belt this past October, but pulled out last minute due to “ongoing contract negotiations”. Baars hasn’t fought since defeating Justino this past March by unanimous decision to win the first ever Lion Fight welterweight title.
Bohrman (8-5) is coming off a 15 month absence to get back into a trianing camp. Her last fight saw her defeat Sandra Bastian by unanimous decision in September 2013.
The Ultimate Fighter 20 MMA show has several Muay Thai connections in the house.
Among them, Angela Hill (2-0 pro, 14-0 ammy Muay Thai), Justine Kish (WMC 59kg world champion, 14-1 pro Muay Thai), European Muay Thai champion Joanne Calderwood, Fight Girls reality show vet Felice Herrig and amateur Muay Thai champion Tecia Torres. Angela Magana has been training in Thailand for the past year.
Tiffany Van Soest will be heading to Holland November 23rd as she will make her Enfusion Muay Thai debut against Denise Kielholtz. The fight will be for the promotion’s 57 kg title and will stream only in the European markets online. Kielholtz is 36-2 in Muay Thai and is the current champion.
Van Soest is fighting Friday night – more on that below.
Huyer and Van Soest Courtesy Seventh Core Sports
Upcoming fights
Friday night, Tiffany Van Soest looks to continue her way back to the Lion Fights title as she takes on Sindy Huyer in Las Vegas.
Van Soest (9-1-1) came off her title loss to defeat Lucy Payne in May. Italy’s Huyer (36-6) is on a two fight winning streak and was a runner-up in the Muay Thai Angels tournament.
In action on the untelevised undercard, Christine Ferea faces Amanda Jones and Fanny Tommasino takes on Gabriela Carillo.
The Van Soest versus Huyer fight will air on AXS TV Friday night.
An all female Muay Thai card is set for Freyming Merlebach, France.
In the main event, Marisa Pereira will face Maëlle Bet in a 51 Kg class A bout.
In other matches:
Nicosia Shanell vs. Deniz Dermican 53.5 kg class B
Cindy Silvestre VS Vanessa Dewaele 57kg
Roxane Collignon vs Shana Verlinde 60kg
Natasha Solis Hamann VS Jessica Jeannin 47 kg
Emilie Bour vs. Valentine Gomes 57 kg
In other action this weekend:
In Spain, Victoria Lomax (Sp) faces Diler Akar (Turkey) and Sarai Medina (Sp) takes on Matice Erdogan (Turkey)
Kate da Silva will make her pro Muay Thai debut against Baby Nansen in Porirua, New Zealand
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