Source: Review Journal
By ALAN SNEL
LAS VEGAS BUSINESS PRESS

It’s not easy launching a new combat sport organization in a town that’s already home to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the king of all mixed martial arts promotion companies.

But Las Vegas-based Lion Fight Promotions is hoping to emerge from UFC’s massive shadow. Lion Fight’s counting on increased fan interest in the sport of Muay Thai to generate enough revenues by year’s end to let the company break even.

Scott Kent, a former casino risk management executive, launched Lion Fight Promotions about 2½ years ago to put on Muay Thai fights. Muay Thai fighting is similar to UFC battles, but without UFC’s ground fighting, wrestling and grappling.

Muay Thai, Thailand’s national sport, focuses on punching, kicking and elbow and knee blows and is known for its toe-to-toe stand-up fighting. Lion Fight Promotions’ next event is set for July 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel. It will be its 10th fight.

“If you love stand-up fighting, it’s the most exciting stand-up sport in the world,” said Kent, a Montana native who moved to Las Vegas from Phoenix in 1989.

Kent bought into the sport by investing about $500,000 to start Lion Fight Promotions, signing a sports marketing specialist to find sponsors and joining forces with Mark Cuban’s AXS TV network to broadcast his Muay Thai bouts.

Kent said his company is poised to draw more attention, and revenue, because his last two fights were broadcast by AXS TV, an entertainment network owned by Cuban, the billionaire owner of the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks.

AXS TV has broadcast mixed martial arts events since 2004 and plans to cover about 40 combat fights this year.

Kent is “a special breed. He’s introducing a new sport to the American fan,” said Andrew Simon, chief executive of AXS TV Fights.

Simon said his TV network has 41 million subscribers. Kent noted AXS will cover the costs of broadcasting the Lion Fight Promotions events.

Kent’s investors include Don Andress, president of Las Vegas Harley-Davidson, which will sponsor fight events. Kent said he also enlisted a high-profile investor, Wes Edens, founder of Fortress Investment Group, a New York-based investment management firm. Another investor is Ken Gardner, a former Las Vegas air conditioning company owner.

Kent is especially excited about the July 26 event, to be broadcast by AXS TV, because it will feature one of the sport’s superstars, Muay Thai legend Yodsanklai Fairtex.

Lion Fight Promotions held its first four events in Primm before moving the last five to the Hard Rock Hotel. Kent said two of the last three fight events were sold out as 2,000 to 2,500 tickets were sold. The cost is $45 to $95 per seat, with standing-room-only tickets selling for $25 each.

Kent has hired Gemini Sports Management to find sponsors. He envisions beer, energy drink and water companies signing on, along with sports-themed restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings and fast-food eateries like Subway.

Gemini Sports Management President Rob Yowell said he has been working with Kent since March.

“What he’s selling is Muay Thai at the highest level,” Yowell said. “They’re not trying to take space from the UFC and they’re trying to carve their own niche.”

Yowell said he is pursuing consumer product, nutrition, clothing, automotive, outdoor extreme companies as Lion Fight sponsors, with the core audience being males 21 to 40 years old.

“We’ve has some pretty good dialogue since working with Scott,” Yowell said.

He said companies that can’t afford UFC sponsorships could find a marketing alternative at the Muay Thai fights.

“It’s a ground-floor opportunity with Scott’s promotion company,” Yowell said. “The goal and the hope is to have partners grow with us. The goal is for Scott to grow this brand on a national scale.”

Kent launched Lion Fight Promotions with Christine Toledo, the company’s vice president and a former Muay Thai champion. He also hired a new chief financial officer, Matt Knipp of Las Vegas. Mike Ran of San Francisco is handling the website and social media.

Lion Fight Promotions plans to stage five or six fights in Las Vegas in 2013 and is looking to expand in Native American casinos in California and venues in Phoenix and Denver, Kent said. Los Angeles and San Francisco are also potential markets because of the Thai populations in those two cities, he said.

Contact reporter Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273.

Check out the official poster for Lion Fight 10! The stacked card is headlined by the return of the legendary Yodsanklai Fairtex as he takes on Chike Lindsay for the inaugural Lion Fight Middleweight Title! Plus, Tiffany Van Soest vs Lucy Payne and Kevin Ross vs Matt Embree. Watch all the Muay Thai action on July 26th LIVE on AXS TV or get your tickets now for the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas!

Relive Yodsanklai Fairtex’s US debut against Gregory Choplin in the main event of Lion Fight 8! Yodsanklai Fairtex, a fighter of legendary status, took control of the bout with his signature kicks before finishing Choplin with a series of devastating punches.

For the second time this year, Lion Fight Promotions has added a new championship division with CEO Scott Kent’s announcement that Yodsanklai Fairtex will battle Chike Lindsay at Lion Fight 10, and that this main event is now a title fight for the Lion Fight World Middleweight Championship. Taking place live from the Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, AXS TV will present “Lion Fight 10” starting at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

On May 24th, the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas will be hosting a John Wayne Parr Muay Thai Striking Seminar. The seminar will be 2 hours plus sparring 10 people at the end. If interested please contact Xtreme Couture to book your place.

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OGNJEN TOPIC INKS EXCLUSIVE MULTI-FIGHT DEAL WITH LION FIGHT, AMERICA’S PREMIER MUAY THAI ORGANIZATION

LAS VEGAS – Ognjen Topic today became the latest athlete to ink an exclusive multi-fight deal with Lion Fight promotions and join the list of world class fighters currently topping the premier Muay Thai organization’s roster. Topic, who now fights only for Lion Fight, will take on Coke Chunhawat at Lion Fight 10 Friday, July 26 live on AXS TV and from inside the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

“Ognjen Topic is regarded as one of the rising stars in American Muay Thai and proved that with his impressive knockout of Thai champion Paowarit Sasiprapa at Lion Fight 9,” said Scott Kent, Lion Fight CEO. “Ognjen Topic is a fan favorite and has powerful boxing skills and riveting kicks. He returns to Lion Fight on July 26 to fight another Thai Champion in Coke Chunhawat in what promises to be an action-packed stand up war.”

“It’s great that the best promotion in the business, Lion Fight, has signed me exclusively, and I make this promise to fight fans that they will see me perform only at the highest level against the most elite fighters,” said Topic. “Muay Thai is a beautiful sport, and I’m honored that Scott Kent puts on these great events and that AXS TV is presenting them live across America. I look forward to July 26, to defeating Coke Chunhawat, and to continuing to make a name for myself in Muay Thai.”

Ognjen was born in Jajce, Bosnia and during the war his family moved to Serbia. Finally, they moved and settled in America while Ognjen was still in grade school, and as he grew older, he developed a love and passion for boxing. His family allowed him to train in Tae Kwon Do, and after receiving his black belt he started training in the art of Muay Thai. Ognjen soon became one of the top amateurs on the east coast. After he turned pro, he began racking up titles and credentials and quickly proved himself among the best of the best in Muay Thai.

He holds a professional fight record of 7-2 with a 13-5-2 amateur record. He is ranked as the 2011 North American Professional Rookie of the year by the Muay Thai Authority website, as well as the 2011 United States Breakthrough Fighter of the Year by the Muay Thai Is Life website. The World Kickboxing Association (WKA) named Topic its December 2011 Professional Fighter of the Month.

Topic joins Malaipet Sasiprapa, Kevin Ross and Tiffany Van Soest as the latest fighter to be signed to an exclusive contract with Lion Fight. Kent is signing more top-ranked Muay Thai fighters to his organization and will continue making those announcements as they happen.

For more information about Lion Fight, please visit www.lionfight.com and follow on Twitter @LionFight.

Yodsanklai Fairtex will make his return to AXS TV as he takes on Chike Lindsay at Lion Fight 10. Who do you think will walk away with the Lion Fight Middleweight Championship on July 26th?

Yodsanklai Fairtex (183-71-4), a fighter with legendary status in the Muay Thai community, made his Lion Fight debut earlier this year at LION FIGHT 8. He fought France’s Gregory Choplin in the main event, winning in the third round by KO. On July 26, he will face Lindsay for the new Lion Fight championship middleweight title.

“When Scott Kent asked me to come back to Las Vegas and fight for the Lion Fight middleweight title, I didn’t hesitate to say yes,” said Fairtex. “I’m excited to fight Chike Lindsay, he’s a champion and I respect him as my opponent and for taking this fight. I hope America welcomes me back this summer, and that everyone watches my fight on July 26 – I can’t wait for Lion Fight 10 and to fight for the belt.”

Lindsay (21-4) started training Muay Thai in 2003 and less than five months later won his first United States Muay Thai Association (USMTA) amateur championship title, which would be the first many titles for the Atlanta-based fighter, including the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) North American title and the World Kickboxing Association’s (WKA) North American welterweight and Eastern welterweight titles. In 2006, when Lindsay turned professional, he blazed through the ranks of the Muay Thai super welterweight division. In addition to defeating greats Mukai Moromo, Matee “Dragon Leg” Jedeepatik, and Malaipet, he also won the WBC International championship and the International Muay Thai Organization’s (IMTO) championship title in this division.

“I’m honored to headline Lion Fight 10 and to fight Yodsanklai Fairtex,” said Lindsay. “He’s a legend in Muay Thai and everyone knows he’s one of the greatest fighters in our sport, but on July 26th I’m going to be better and I can’t wait to prove it.”

Yodsanklai Fairtex

Chike Lindsay

Yodsanklai Fairtex gears up for his July 26 fight against Chike Lindsay for the LION FIGHT middleweight belt.

Lion Fight fans, an uncut version of Yod’s entire fight at “Lion Fight 8″ against Gregory Choplin is coming your way soon, courtesy of AXS TV!!

LAS VEGAS – Scott Kent, CEO of Lion Fight Promotions, today announced that he has signed Thai fighting legend and World Muay Thai Champion Malaipet Sasiprapa to an exclusive, multi-fight contract with his organization. Malaipet now competes only for Lion Fight and will return to the ring against Hakeem Dawodu at “Lion Fight 10” taking place Friday, July 26 live on AXS TV and from the Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

“Malaipet Sasiprapa is a legend and a champion and always a dangerous opponent in the ring,” said Kent. “With his devastating kicks and clinches, Malaipet Sasiprapa is what Muay Thai fighting is all about. Malaipet’s fights are as intense as they are thrilling, and I am honored to welcome him to the Lion Fight roster.”

“It is an honor to fight for Scott Kent and Lion Fight promotions and to be one of the guys bringing the sport of Muay Thai to fight fans in America,” said Sasiprapa. “With every event, Lion Fight continues to proves itself as the best organization in the sport. I’m excited for my next fight on July 26 and to show everyone watching on AXS TV that Muay Thai is the greatest stand up sport there is.”

Malaipet is originally from Thailand and started training in Muay Thai at the age of six. He has over 170 professional Muay Thai fights to his record and has also competed in kickboxing and mixed martial arts. He is the current WBC Muay Thai Welterweight Champion and the former Rajadamnoen Champion, IKBA World Champion, IKKC USA Champion, IMTO USA Champion, IMTO World Champion and IKKC World Champion. He last fought January 25 at Lion Fight 8, where he defeated Vishnu Gulati in a second round referee stoppage due to leg kicks.

Residing in Fresno, Calif., Malaipet operates his own gym named Malaipet Sasiprapa USA Muay Thai Gym. A film about his life titled Legendary, was released in late 2009.

Malaipet joins Kevin Ross and Tiffany Van Soest as the latest fighter to be signed to a long-term contract under Lion Fight. Kent is signing more top-ranked Muay Thai fighters to his organization and will make those announcements soon.

For more information about Lion Fight, please visit www.lionfight.com and follow on Twitter @LionFight.

Source: Muay Thai Journal

Written by John Wolcott
Photos by Eric Jukelevics

Inside the belly of a brick building in Lodi, NJ, Ognjen Topić [Og-neyan Tow-pidge] prepares himself for another day of training. He slides his wrapped hands into a pair of 16-ounce boxing gloves and begins to warm up in front of a tall mirror peppered with sweat. Punches. Kicks. Knees. Elbows. His techniques are sharp and crisp. His eyes are focusedFor the 27-year-old professional muaythai fighter, he has only one goal. To be the best.

“Ognjen’s drive to be the best is what sets him apart from his peers,” said Liam Tarrant, Topić’s training partner for the last 8 years. “He knew he was a champion before anyone else did.”

For the past 9 years Topić has been training and fighting out of North Jersey Muay Thai under the tutelage of Ray Cruz and Joe Bumanlag. It was here where his love for muaythai and his philosophies on fighting were forged.

“I like the fact that it’s a gamble when I’m in the ring, and although anything can happen, through skill I can control the outcome of the fight,” Topić said.

Although he is recognized as one of the best up-and-coming muaythai prospects in America, and despite having fought on national television, there was a time when Topić entered the ring in secrecy.

For Topić’s first 23 fights (amateur and pro), he had little support from his family, and this created an underlying issue every time he competed.

“Family is very important to Ognjen, and not having them support him was a bump he had to overcome for every fight,” said Ray Cruz, Topić’s coach and friend. “A fighter has to have a clear and focused mind to prep and perform for a fight.”

Before his 24th fight he decided to ask for his father’s blessings. For Topić, it would mean for once being able to enter the ring with a clear mind and give his all to a craft he’d become so proficient at.
Topić asked. His father listened. His father obliged.

Since then, he has been on a tear. In 2012 he won two US national belts, one under the WKA after defeating Jay Matias by unanimous decision, and the other under the WBC after stopping Rami Ibrahim by way of TKO.
With his family now by his side and his fight career moving forward, Topić’s only focus will be the fighters he enters the ring with. Some may think fighting is only about exercising the muscles, but for the poised combatant, fighting is also about exercising the mind.

“I never understand when journalists say that a fighter is tough, because in my opinion every fighter is tough. He has to be,” Topić said while he sipped from his water bottle. “If you end up facing a fighter that is tough and keeps coming forward you can also turn up the amount of techniques you throw in order to win the round. Fighting an intelligent fighter is very hard, you can’t beat him through physical work. Instead, you have to outsmart him which is much harder.”

Topić experienced this in 2012 when he fought former Lumpini Stadium champion, Neungsiam Saphusri. Although the younger and quicker of the two fighters, Topić succumbed to the experience and intelligence of the older, wiser fighter. He gave up a decision loss, but the fight left him with a lesson which he carried to future fights.

In early 2013 Topić was given the chance to exercise what he previously learned when he faced another veteran of the fight game, Paowrit Sasiprapa. This time Topić outsmarted the more experienced fighter and stopped him in the third round.

Although Topić is a young fighter with years ahead of him, he still keeps the bigger picture in mind.
“I’d like to accomplish an un-regrettable career by beating the best fighters, and I’d like to set positive examples for the younger generation,” Topić said. “I want to show them that through discipline and a good work ethic success is earned.”

In fighting, success is earned, but it doesn’t come easy.

On July 26th Topić will face yet another challenge when he takes on Coke Chunhawat at Lion Fight 10. For Topić, a victory over Chunhawat will undoubtedly bring him one step closer to the goal he longs for.

Follow Ognjen Topić on Twitter.

LION FIGHT INTRODUCES WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION

TIFFANY VAN SOEST vs. LUCY PAYNE FOR THE
 LION FIGHT WOMEN’S WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE

LIVE AT THE JOINT IN THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS 

FRIDAY, JULY 26 – 10:00 P.M. ET ON AXS TV


Tickets on Sale Now through Ticketmaster.com

LAS VEGAS, NV – Scott Kent, CEO of Lion Fight Promotions, today announced he is introducing a women’s championship division and that the undefeated rising star of women’s Muay Thai, Tiffany Van Soest, will face Lucy Payne for the first ever Lion Fight Featherweight title. Van Soest and Payne are set to fight each other at LION FIGHT 10 on Friday, July 26 live from the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and as part of the nationally televised card on AXS TV starting at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

“As we continue to grow the sport of Muay Thai, and with so many talented female professional fighters asking for fights in our promotion, the time is right to build a women’s championship division in Lion Fight,” said Kent. “Today we announced that the July 26 bout between Tiffany Van Soest and Lucy Payne is now a title fight and that the winner will be the first Lion Fight Women’s World Featherweight Champion. Van Soest is undefeated and is an aggressive, determined fighter who pushes for the knockout, and Payne is a six foot tall, 21-year old World Muay Thai Champion who’s coming all the way from England to win this belt. I don’t think anyone will argue that this is the perfect matchup to start Lion Fight’s female championship division.”

Tickets for Lion Fight’s full rules Muay Thai event “LION FIGHT 10” are on sale now and available for purchase through the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) and online at Ticketmaster.com.

Van Soest (6-0), fighting out of the famed Blackhouse gym in Southern California, returns to Lion Fight’s full rules Muay Thai ring after back to back victories. She defeated Canada’s Natalie Yip by unanimous decision at Lion Fight 9, and stopped Alexis Rufus with a perfectly timed head kick followed by a right hand in the fourth round at Lion Fight 8. Van Soest is coming to Las Vegas to continue her winning streak and add a new item to her wardrobe.

“It’s no secret that women love accessories, so with the first women’s Lion Fight belt on the line, it makes this fight so much more competitive and exciting,” said Van Soest. “It’s an honor that Scott Kent is starting a women’s championship division with this fight, and I am grateful for the opportunity. I just hope that after the fight I can find shoes to match my brand new belt!”

Lucy Payne (20-5), fighting out of the Touchgloves gym in Penzance, England, has been practicing Muay Thai since she was 13 years old. She trains under Julie Kitchen, a 14-time World Champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Payne has been competing in Muay Thai since she was 16 years and last year claimed the world Kore Muay Thai title by defeating German rival Meryem Uslu. She is also an aggressive fighter who keeps moving forward for the knockout. Payne is looking to end Van Soest’s winning streak and score gold at Lion Fight 10.

“I’m excited to come to the United States and to fight Tiffany Van Soest for this title,” said Payne. “I know Tiffany is going to bring her A-game but there is no way she’s going to beat me on live TV and keep me from that belt. I’m going to knock her out and take the Lion Fight title back to my home in England.”

In the LION FIGHT 10 main event, Muay Thai legend Yodsanklai Fairtex fights Chike Lindsay for the first ever Lion Fight middleweight belt. In the much-anticipated co-main event, Kevin Ross returns to the ring looking for his third consecutive Lion Fight win after back-to-back victories over Bernie Mendieta at LION FIGHT 9 and Chris Kwiatkowski at LION FIGHT 8. Ross is a two-time WBC Muay Thai Champion and will be facing Canadian Muay Thai prodigy Matt Embree.

The live card also features the return of 28-year old 6’2” Joe Schilling, the Interim WBC Light Heavyweight Champion and hugely popular fighter based in Southern California against Charles Byrd. Also, Malaipet Sasiprapa will fight Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s Hakeem Dawodu and Ognjen Topic will take on Coke Chunhawat of Oakland, Calif.

LION FIGHT 10 takes place Friday, July 26 from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and will air live on AXS TV starting at 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT. AXS TV can be found on DirecTV channel 340 and Dish Network channel 362.

For additional information on Lion Fight Promotions, please visit LionFight.com and follow on Twitter @LionFight and at Facebook.com/LionFightMuayThai.