Two featherweight (145 pounds) rising stars –Hakeem Dawodu and Chuka “The Lion King” Willis – will put their unblemished records on the line when they face off on the live NBCSN televised portion of the high-stakes World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) world championship doubleheader in Edmonton, Alta., Canada on Friday, June 5.
Two new bouts added to WSOF 21 main card
“This fight between two WSOF’s best 145 pound prospects should serve as a fantastic kick off to an incredible night of action,” said WSOF President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo. “With two titles and the career trajectories of these two unbeaten talents all on the line, WSOF’s 21st event is a pivotal night for at least six of our fighters.”
In addition, a swing bout between welterweight (170 pounds) rising stars Mark “Sweet Dreams” Drummond (7-2) of Edmonton and Michael Hill (7-3) of Kelowna, B.C., Canada has been added to the card, and will air via tape delay if time remains in the two-hour NBCSN telecast window, following the main event.
Jose “The Rockstar” Rodriguez (7-3) of Saskatoon, Sask., Canada will replace injured Mukai Maromo in a preliminary card bout against Stephen “Big Bad” Beaumont (7-2). The matchup will be contested at a catchweight of 165 pounds.
The 23-year-old Dawodu (4-0) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a ferocious Muay Thai-based striker who has earned all of his career victories to date, including two wins under the WSOF banner, by way of (T)KO. On Feb. 12, he put on a brilliant display, decimating Tristan Johnson with a storm of punches in the third round (1:59) of their meeting.
Willis (4-0) of Emporia, Kan. boasts an identical professional record to that of Dawodu. The 22-year-old, whose start in the WSOF decagon cage represents his promotional debut, is coming off of a third round (:38) TKO (punches) of Travis Draper on March 6, 2015, marking Willis’ second career finish.
In the main event, reigning WSOF World Featherweight Champion Lance Palmer(9-1) will put his title on the line for the first time against Canadian challenger and battle-tested veteran Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (21-5-1) while, in the co-main event, WSOF World Heavyweight Champion Smealinho “The Prince” Rama (9-1), will risk his crown for the first time against Bulgarian standout Blagoi Ivanov (11-1).
The WSOF 21: Palmer vs. Horodecki main card airs live from the Edmonton Expo Centre on NBCSN, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts stream live on WSOF.com.
Tickets for the event, which start at just $56, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.
MAIN CARD
World Featherweight Championship:
(Champion) Lance Palmer (9-1) vs. (Challenger) Chris Horodecki (21-5-1)
World Heavyweight Championship:
(Champion) Smealinho Rama (9-1) vs. (Challenger) Blagoi Ivanov (11-1)
Featherweight Bout:
Hakeem Dawodu (4-0) vs. Chuka Willis (4-0)
Welterweight Swing Bout:
Mark Drummond (7-2) vs. Michael Hill (7-3)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Stephen Beaumont (7-2) vs. Jose Rodriguez (7-2)
Victor Valimaki (18-9) vs. Thiago Goncalves (17-4)
Mark Drummond (7-2) vs. Michael Hill (7-3)
Garret Nybakken (7-7) vs. Nick Hrabec (3-1)
Marcus Hicks (20-24) vs. Matt Baker (12-7)
Mike Scarcello (7-3-1) vs. Dan Lariviere (4-2)
