Lion Fight 24 at Foxwoods
by Brian Woodman Jr. on 09/24/15
The following is a press release from Lion Fight Promotions regarding their Sept. 25 event, Lion Fight 24, st Foxwoods Resort Casino.
"Lion Fight, America’s premiere Muay Thai promotion, returns to Foxwoods Resort Casino Sept. 25th with a loaded card featuring two world title bouts and top talents such as Ky Hollenbeck, Jo Nattawut, Ognjen Topic and fast-rising star Gaston Bolanos.
Ky Hollenbeck (17-3-1) vs. Richard Abraham (7-2) headlines the September card, while the evening’s co-main event pits New Jersey’s Ognjen Topic against Ireland’s Stephen Meleady for the vacant Lion Fight lightweight world title. World champ Joe Nattawut, a native of Thailand now living and training in Atlanta, also defends his super welterweight title against a challenger to be named. Five Lion Fight 24 main card fights will be broadcast live on AXS TV.
“Ky Hollenbeck is a two-time world champion and one of the sport’s most unpredictable showmen; he’s an extremely hard-hitter and a fan favorite because you literally have no idea what he’s going to do next inside the ring,” said Lion Fight president Scott Kent. “His opponent Richard Abraham is tough-as-nails as he showed in an earlier loss to Jo Nattawut, who is one of Muay Thai’s most ruthless and dominating performers.
“Lion Fight 24 showcases two title bouts – Topic vs. Meleady and then Nattawut defending his belt against Charlie Peters. So for us to make Hollenbeck and Abraham the main event says a lot about how exciting and entertaining we expect their clash to be.”
The Topic-Meleady title tilt is one that will capture the imagination of Muay Thai purists who love watching world-class strategy and technical precision unfold at every turn. The 29-year-old Topic, who fled war-torn Bosnia in his youth, has defeated top fighters such as Paowarit Sasiprapa, Rungravee Sasiprapa and Coke Chunhawat. Topic has extensively trained in Thailand, the Mecca of Muay Thai, for the past few years. Meleady, meanwhile, employs an exciting and aggressive Muay Thai style and has fought some the best in the world. Last year the Dublin, Ireland native waged an inspiring performance against the man many regard as the best pound-for-pound Muay Thai fighter in the world, Saenchai.
Rounding out the Lion Fight 24 main card are California’s Bolanos and upstate New York’s Mauceri, two highly entertaining young fighters. Bolanos (4-0) is a training partner of former world champ Kevin Ross and owns some of the nastiest and most feared elbows in the sport. He is coming off a Fight of the Year performance/victory over Damien Earley and many predict 22-year-old Bolanos is destined to become a world champion.
Tickets for Lion Fight 24, which will be held inside Foxwoods’ Fox Theater, go on sale now. Tickets can be purchased through Foxwoods.com or by calling the Foxwoods Box Office at 800-200-2882 or Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Foxwoods Box Office.
Ticket prices are $95, $55 and $35.
LION FIGHT 24 airs live on AXS TV starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The broadcast will feature play-by-play and color commentary by UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich alongside renowned sports commentator Michael “The Voice” Schiavello. "
