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Monday, Jun 13, 2016

Lion Fight 30 Receives Two Title Fights, Ky Hollenbeck vs. Mark Holst

By Press Release

Lion Fight Promotions has set a stacked lineup featuring a superfight main event plus a pair of title fights for Lion Fight 30 taking place on Friday, July 8th at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Topping the card is showdown for the top contender spot in Lion Fight’s middleweight division as American sensation Ky Hollenbeck tangles with Canadian star Mark “Boots” Holst. Co-headlining the card are two lightweight title bouts as newly crowned champion Sergio Wielzen puts his belt on the line against Paul Barber, and debuting international superstars Antonina Shevchenko and Annabelle Gely will vie for the women’s championship.

Tickets for Lion Fight 30 are on sale now at www.foxwoods.com or by calling 800-200-2882 or by visiting the Foxwoods Box Offices.

“The roster of fighters assembled for Lion Fight 30 is a great representation of how far our organization is reaching to bring in the very best world-class talent available,” said Scott Kent, CEO & President of Lion Fight Promotions.

“Ky Hollenbeck is one of the biggest names in American Muay Thai, and Sergio Wielzen was a star in Holland who came over to America for the first time and won the Lion Fight lightweight title. Their opponents – Mark Holst and Paul Barber – are elite fighters who know that they have a huge opportunity to showcase themselves so you know they will bring their best to the fight.

“In Antonina and Annabelle, they are unquestionably two of the very best female fighters in the world today, and we are extremely excited to be bolstering our ranks with such exceptional talents.”

In his last outing, Hollenbeck (33-3-1) bullied his way to a second-round knockout victory over Justin Greskiewicz at Lion Fight 28. The San Francisco, California, flashed an array of striking in putting Greskiewicz down with a spinning back fist and then again with an uppercut before finishing him a vicious elbow. Hollenbeck (Twitter: @KyHollenbeck) previously earned a unanimous decision verdict over Richard Abraham at Lion Fight 24, and has won past titles under the WBC and WCK banners.

Holst (19-3), who fights out of Ottawa, Ontario, is known for an aggressive style that has made him a fan favorite. Holst (Twitter: @BootsHolst) is a two-time UFC competitor.

Lion Fight 30 brings the first title defense for newly crowned lightweight champion Sergio Wielzen (41-9-2), who beat Ognjen Topic at Lion Fight 28 to take the championship throne. Now fighting out of Amsterdam, Holland, Wielzen (Twitter: @SergioWielzen) used carving elbow strikes to finish Topic early in the third round via TKO (doctor’s stoppage).

Barber (17-2) arrives at Lion Fight as part of its talent exchange with England’s partner Muay Thai Grand Prix.

The women’s title fight marks the debut for both Shevchenko (36-1) and Gely (16-2-1), though both are hardly strangers to prominent bouts.

Shevchenko, whose sister Valentina is a rising star in the UFC, joins Lion Fight after winning the 2016 K1 Enfusion Tournament and WKC world championship. Shevchenko (Twitter: @KO_Antonina) is originally from Kyrgyzstan and now lives in Lima, Peru. She is a multi-time IFMA Muay Thai and WKC kickboxing champion.

Gely (Twitter: @mymuyathai) rides a three-fight winning streak into her inaugural Lion Fight encounter, two of those coming with Muay Thai Grand Prix when she defeated Sophie Gallagher and Sofia Teskon. Originally from Grenoble, France, Gely captured the ISKA super featherweight title in 2014, and, earlier in her career, she won the European Muay Thai championship.

Three other bouts round out the Lion Fight 30 main card.

In a welterweight affair, Nick Chasteen (5-2) tries to bounce back from his loss to Chris Mauceri at Lion Fight 28 as he takes on Eddie Martinez (14-5-1). Two super featherweight encounters will open up the card as Morocco-born Amine Ballafrikh (6-2) takes on Kaichon Pongthong (71-33), and Isaac Tijerna (1-0) clashes with Yeison Berdugo (0-2).

The Lion Fight 30 main card will air live on AXS TV Fights with a special start time of 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. with commentary from renowned duo “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich.

Please visit LIONFIGHT.com for news, information and event updates, and follow on Twitter @LIONFIGHT and @LionFightOfficial on Instagram.

 

posted by FCF Staff @ 3:42 pm
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