MALAIPET vs. FABIO PINCA - FOR THE FIRST EVER LION FIGHT WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
ALSO: TIFFANY VAN SOEST vs. MAGALI FORONI
JASON ANDRADA vs. ABER BOUTTAVONG
NICK CHASTEEN vs. CHRIS CULLEY
GLEN SPENCER JR vs. STEPHEN RICHARDS
ANTHONY CASTREJON vs. MIGUEL ROSALES
MIRANDA CAYABYAB vs. KAIYANA RAIN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 – 10:00 P.M. ET ON AXS TV
Lion Fight, the world’s premier Muay Thai organization, has announced the complete lineup of Muay Thai fights to be televised nationally on AXS TV as the main live card of LION FIGHT 12. In addition to the welterweight championship headliner between Malaipet and Fabio Pinca, and the sizzling co-main event between undefeated Tiffany Van Soest and French Muay Thai Champion Magali Foroni, Lion Fight CEO Scott Kent revealed the Nov. 1 card will feature the professional debut of nine-time amateur Muay Thai champion Nick Chasteen as he takes on Chris Culley in a 147 lb. matchup.
The LION FIGHT 12 main live card also includes Las Vegan Jason Andrada vs. California’s Aber Bouttavong in a 123 lb. bout; Los Angeles’ Glen Spencer, Jr. vs. Atlanta’s Stephen Richards in a 168 lb. fight; and Vegas local Anthony Castrejon vs. Tijuana, Mexico’s Miguel Rosales in a 125 lb. bout. Kicking off the AXS TV live broadcast will be an action-packed 110 lb. women’s matchup between two Californians Miranda Cayabyab and Kaiyana Rain.
“LION FIGHT 12 not only features the welterweight championship fight Malaipet vs. Fabio Pinca and the return of undefeated Tiffany Van Soest in a huge fight vs. Magali Foroni, one of the best female Muay Thai fighters in the world, but it also features the long-awaited professional debut of Nick Chasteen, as well as a completely stacked live card,” said Kent. “Once again, we are bringing the best Muay Thai fighters from all over the world to Las Vegas to compete at LION FIGHT 12.”
Malaipet is the WBC welterweight International Muay Thai champion and former Rajadamnern Stadium champion and Lumpinee Stadium champion. He is currently riding a five-fight win streak and has 144 wins with 53 KOs on his record. In a “fight of the night” performance at LION FIGHT 11, he won over the sold-out crowd at the Fremont Street Experience with his crushing first round TKO over Caio Uruguai. Malaipet now steps up as the main event on November 1st to compete for the first ever LION FIGHT men’s welterweight title.
“It’s a huge honor to fight for the first ever welterweight title at LION FIGHT 12,” said Malaipet. “I’m going to be fighting Fabio Pinca and this is a big big challenge for me. But I am going to knock him out. And win the belt…check it out November 1st!”
A native of Lyon, France, Fabio Pinca has 89 wins and 33 KOs and currently reigns as the WBC Muay Thai world champion. He also holds rank as the 2012 WBC World Muay Thai Welterweight Champion, 2010 Isuzu Thai Fight Tournament Champion and 2009 WBC World Muay Thai Super Lightweight Champion. Pinca is 29 years old and has been fighting in Muay Thai since the age of 15. He’s known for his technical fighting style and recently for his high profile victory over one of the world’s best Thai fighters, Saenchai, in a spectacular 2012 rematch.
“I am really happy to come to Vegas, the fight capital of the world, and compete for the title at LION FIGHT 12,” said Pinca. “I will put on a good fight and do my best to show the level of the French Muay Thai fighter to fans in America!”
LION FIGHT 12 also features an action-packed co-main event with a highly anticipated fight between current Lion Fight featherweight title-holder Tiffany Van Soest and French Muay Thai Champion Magali Foroni. (This is a regular, non-championship bout).
Van Soest (7-0-1) fights out of the famed Blackhouse gym in Southern California. She became the first ever women’s Lion Fight featherweight champion at LION FIGHT 10 with a show-stopping first round TKO over Lucy Payne. The fast-rising Muay Thai star and fan favorite Van Soest will look to increase her perfect record on November 1st against the more experienced Foroni at LION FIGHT 12.
Fighting out of Team Kan Kra in Bordeaux, France, Foroni is 33-years old with a record of 12 wins and one loss. She is the 2012 French Muay Thai Champion and is known for being an aggressive, fast-paced fighter with vicious leg kicks. On November 1st, Foroni is heading to Las Vegas to face the “TimeBomb” Tiffany Van Soest in attempt to snap her opponent’s seven-fight win streak in front of millions on live American television.
