“I took this fight because I want to settle once and for all who’s the best light heavyweight Muay Thai fighter in the world, and Lion Fight was the only promoter that could actually make this fight happen,” said Artem Levin. “When Scott Kent asked me to fight Simon Marcus on March 15 in Las Vegas, I immediately said yes. I’m here, Marcus is here, and it is on!”
Tomorrow night, live at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Lion Fight presents the Champion vs. Champion mega-fight Levin vs. Marcus for the first ever Lion Fight world light heavyweight championship. Fans can also watch the fight live on AXS TV starting at 10:00 p.m. ET.
No one in the Muay Thai universe will argue that Levin and Marcus are the two best in their weight classes. Fighting out of the highly respected Siam #1 School in Toronto, Ontario, the yet to be beaten Marcus started training in Muay Thai at just sixteen years old. Now 26, the 6’1” Canadian-Jamaican has been fighting pro since 2006, racking up an impressive 22-KO record. Considered by many as the very best in the world, he has yet to defeat Levin, which will stamp his number one ranking in the sport and crown him as Lion Fight’s new world light heavyweight champion.
Standing 6’3” and fighting out of Prokopyevsk, Russia (65-3), Levin is a multiple world light heavyweight Muay Thai champion with 31 KOs on record. He’s been fighting on the pro circuit since 2003, acquiring virtually every European title in the sport across three weight classes including the WBC Muay Thai World Light Heavyweight title, the ITS SHOWTIME MAX World Champion, the WMC Intercontinental Championship (76 kg.) and also becoming the qualifying tournament champion on the Russian version of The Contender. Now, in this long-awaited super fight at LION FIGHT 9, Levin is ready to not only add the Lion Fight title to his collection, but also destroy the legend of the Muay Thai fighter known as Simon Marcus.
As the night’s co-main event, Tiffany “Time Bomb” Van Soest (5-0-1) takes on Canada’s Natalie Yip, a North American Amateur Muay Thai Champion also fighting out of Siam #1 School in Toronto, Ontario. After amassing 23 fights as an amateur, Yip is making her pro debut in LION FIGHT 9. Van Soest, undefeated female bantamweight champion who trains out of the famed Blackhouse gym, returns to the Lion Fight ring to attempt another solid victory in the organization.
Also at LION FIGHT 9, Kevin Ross makes an immediate return to the ring fresh off his unanimous decision victory over Chris Kwiatkowski at LION FIGHT 8. Ross, a two-time WBC Muay Thai Champion takes on Bernie Mendieta, United Kingdom WBC Muay Thai Champion.
Select tickets for LION FIGHT 9 are still available for purchase through the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) and online at Ticketmaster.com.
