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CHAZ MULKEY VS. SIMON CHU
“COKE” CHUNHAWAT VS. RAMI IBRAHIM
LION FIGHT PROMOTIONS
WBC CHAMPIONSHIP MUAY THAI FIGHT CARD
HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO LAS VEGAS NOV. 19
Tickets On Sale Now
Stacked Main Card Also Features:
Kit Cope vs. Jose Palacios
Chidi Njokuani vs. Ken Tran
Elaina Maxwell vs. Roxy “Balboa” Richardson
Vivian Leung vs. Heidi Otterbein
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 6, 2011) – Lion Fight Promotions announced today that surging Muay Thai star Chaz Mulkey (7-4) of Las Vegas will collide with four-time British Muay Thai champion Simon Chu (29-7 (17 KO’s) of Leeds, England for the vacant WBC international middleweight (160 pounds) Muay Thai championship in the main event of Lion Fight Promotions: Battle In The Desert 4, live from The Joint, at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Sat., Nov. 19.
In the lightweight (135 pounds) co-main event, superstar Phanuwat “Coke” Chunhawat (145-24-1 (24 KO’s) of Oakland, Calif. via Thailand will face battle-tested Muay Thai champion and professional boxing contender Rami Ibrahim (13-7-2 (6 KO’s) of Philadelphia, Pa.
Four-time world Muay Thai champion Kit Cope (23-1 (9 KO’s) will make his long-awaited return to the ring on United States soil when he squares off with rising Muay Thai and MMA star Jose Palacios (5-2 (3 KO’s) of San Jose, Calif. in a featured WBC U.S. welterweight (147 pounds) championship bout.
Tickets for Lion Fight Promotions: Battle In The Desert 4, Live from the Hard Rock, priced from $25, are on sale and can be purchased at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) and online at Ticketmaster.com.
Two knockout artists and rapidly emerging forces will collide when Las Vegas-based Muay Thai and mixed martial arts (MMA) standout Chidi Njokuani (10-1 (6 KO’s) squares off with aggressive-minded Ken Tran (13-3 (10 KO’s) of Vancouver B.C., Canada in a 170-pound catchweight fight.
The main card will also be highlighted by a pair of women’s bouts. Former Cung Le-protégé Elaina Maxwell (0-0) of San Francisco, Calif. will face off with Roxy “Balboa” Richardson (2-1) of Los Angeles, Calif. at super lightweight (140 pounds) while Vivian Leung (1-0) of Las Vegas via Saskatoon, Canada will lock horns with Heidi Otterbein (3-1 (1 KO) of Las Vegas via Vancouver B.C., Canada in a 120 pound catchweight affair.
“We are looking forward to bringing world-class Muay Thai fights to the big stage at one of the most popular destinations in the fight capital of the world and the home of Lion Fight Promotions,” said Lion Fight Promotions President, Scott Kent.
“I’m looking forward to showing the world that I’m the real deal – one of the best in the sport of Muay Thai,” said Mulkey, who earned his main event billing with a stunning, split decision upset victory over the far more experienced Remy Bonnel at Lion Fight Promotions; Battle In The Desert 3 on Aug. 20. The victory gave Mulkey the previously vacant WBC interim international middleweight title. “I’ve been in the grind for a long time now, training with some of the best Muay Thai fighters out there, and now is my time to shine.
“(Chaz) has a nice style with strong boxing and powerful low kicks, but I know that my technique, speed and power will be too much for him,” said Chu, who has faced and defeated some of Europe’s top champions during his stellar career. “It’s a great opportunity to fight for a WBC title. That green belt has my name on it and it’s coming home with me for sure.”
Chunhawat, better known to his fans as “Coke,” has put it on the line in Thailand’s most elite Muay Thai fighting arenas, including Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadiums. He holds wins over some of the sport’s top champions, including three-time K-1 Max World Champion, Buakaw Por Pramuk.
Ibrahim, a ferocious 29-year-old competitor has made his presence felt in the sport of Muay Thai since capturing his first title, a national championship, at the age of 17 by scoring a third round KO on his opponent. A native of The Middle East who relocated to The United States with his family in 1990, Ibrahim has shown an incredible passion for the martial arts, training and competing in Karate, Tae Kwon Do, wrestling, boxing in addition to Muay Thai.
The 34-year-old Cope brought instant mainstream attention to the sport of Muay Thai in 2004 when he lit up the television screen on the MTV True Life episode, “I am a Muay Thai Fighter.” The episode, which went on to become one of the most watched in the history of the networks’ smash-hit documentary series, followed Cope’s journey to Thailand for bare-knuckle rules competition against some of the country’s most dangerous fighters.
The Nov. 19 bout will mark Cope’s first Muay Thai fight in The United States since 2006. Since then, he has been competing in MMA.
“I’ve always been a Muay Thai fighter. Even when I was fighting under MMA rules, I was a Thai boxer at heart,” said Cope. “Until now, though, there weren’t any big opportunities in the sport of Muay Thai. Lion Fight Promotions is changing that, though, and I’m looking forward to getting back to doing what I love. Muay Thai has given me the life that I have today and I can’t wait to get in the ring on Nov. 19.”
Cope’s opponent, the 28-year-old Palacios will enter the ring on a three fight win streak. In his last effort on July 9, the quick moving southpaw earned a unanimous decision over Artem Sharoshkin in Commerce, Calif.
“I know this is a hard fight and Kit is a great Muay Thai fighter,” said Palacios, “but I always expect every fight to be hard. I like being considered the underdog in a fight like this because it just gives me more motivation to push myself to new limits so I can shock the world and show everyone that I’m capable of. I expect to win.”
The 23-year-old Njokuani, who brings a nine fight win streak to the ring, relocated from his home in Dallas, Texas to Las Vegas in 2010 to train amongst some of the sport’s best in the fight capital of the world. His opponent, 28-year-old Tran, known as a crowd-pleasing power puncher, represented Canada against Team China in a Muay Thai vs. San Shou style kickboxing event in China in January, and reeled off two victories in the ring in just a three day span.
Making her professional Muay Thai debut, Maxwell, 32, is a three-time San Shou style kickboxing champion under Le, her original mentor. In 2003, she reached the pinnacle of her San Shou career by capturing the gold medal at the World Wushu Games in Macau, China.
A versatile striker, Maxwell has also tasted success in the sport of mixed martial arts. She made history on Dec. 8, 2006 by competing in the first-ever Strikeforce-promoted women’s MMA bout, battling superstar Gina Carano for three rounds in San Jose.
The charismatic Richardson, a 31-year-old former amateur champion, turned professional in 2009. The Nov. 19 bout will mark her first since July 18, 2010 when she defeated England’s Sheree Halliday by way of unanimous decision in Montebello, Calif.
The 35-year-old Leung will make her second start as a professional. A classically trained pianist, Leung, who enjoyed a lengthy amateur Muay Thai career that began in 2000, is a renaissance woman who enjoys kicking and punching as much as she does the fine arts.
Otterbein, 30, will make her first start since January when she lost a decision in China. Prior to that, she had reeled off wins in all three of her professional bouts.
Complete Fight Card:
Professional:
Main Event
WBC International Middleweight (160 pounds) Championship
Chaz Mulkey (Las Vegas, Nev.) (Champion) vs. Simon Chu (Leeds, England) (Challenger)
5x3 rounds
Co-Main Event
WBC National Lightweight (135 pounds) Championship (Vacant)
Phanuwat “Coke” Chunhawat (Oakland, Calif) vs. Rami Ibrahim (Philadelphia, Pa.)
5x3 rounds
WBC National Welterweight (147 pounds) Championship (Vacant)
Kit Cope (Las Vegas, Nev.) vs. Jose Palacios (San Jose, Calif.)
5x3 rounds
Elaina Maxwell (San Francisco, Calif.) vs. Roxy Richardson (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Super Lightweight (140 lbs) / 5x3 rounds
Chidi Njokuani (Las Vegas, Nev.) vs. Ken Tran (Vancouver B.C., Canada)
Catchweight (170 lbs) / 5x3 rounds
Vivan Leung (Las Vegas, NV) vs. Heidi Otterbein (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Catchweight (120 lbs) / 5x3 rounds
About Lion Fight Promotions
Lion Fight Promotions is a Las Vegas, Nevada-based world championship Muay Thai kickboxing promotion dedicated to producing matchups between the best Muay Thai fighters in the world in their respective weight classes. Led by former Las Vegas casino executive, Scott Kent, the promotional company has been developed in consultation with Christine Toledo, one of the sport's most popular champions and star of the Oxygen Network reality television show Fight Girls. Both Kent and Toledo share a common passion for Muay Thai and are working together to promote the sport.
About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is a premier destination entertainment resort in Las Vegas, owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II, a division of Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $750 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and The Killers have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Hard Rock Hotel tower with 640 guest rooms, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 72,000 square feet of casino space; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $3 million in rare music memorabilia throughout the hotel; the luxurious Vanity Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary & Spa; Reliquary Salon; 4.8 acres of tropical pool paradise; REHAB, the trendsetting Sunday afternoon pool party; The Joint concert venue; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants including the new 35 Steaks + Martinis, a traditional steakhouse with an edge, casual Italian eatery LTO, world-renowned Nobu, Johnny Smalls, Pink Taco and Mr. Lucky’s 24/7 diner; numerous cocktail lounges; several retail stores; and a state-of-the-art Fitness Center. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit www.hardrockhotel.com.
