Lion Fight bolsters LF72 card on UFC FIGHT PASS

Lion Fight 72 will take place on Friday, December 3 at the Shriners Auditorium, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, airing live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading streaming service for combat sports.

A new LION FIGHT North American Light Heavyweight champion will be crowned at Lion Fight 72.

Tabbed as the new co-main event for LF72, Washington Dos Santos (23-1) will take on newcomer Vincent Veys German (21-5) in a showdown for the title.

Lion Fight 72 is topped with Boston’s own World champion Steve “Put ’Em To Sleep” Walker (10-0) putting his belt and undefeated record on the line against challenger Ivan Bartek (36-16) of Slovakia. Walker is coming off back-to-back knockout wins as he defended his North American Super Cruiserweight title against Brian Collette and Warren Thompson.

Tickets for Lion Fight 72 are on sale now exclusively at www.lionfight.com.

Dos Santos was originally slated to take on reigning champion Brett Hlavacek, but the former two-division belt-holder is now facing a lengthy layoff due to a severe ankle injury. A long-standing pillar of Muay Thai America, Hlavacek also previously held the Lion Fight North American Cruiserweight title before dropping that belt to Joey George.

Originally from Brazil, Dos Santos now fights out of San Antonio, Texas, USA. After falling to former World Middleweight champion Magnus Andersson in his promotional debut, Dos Santos returned to winning ways at LF63 back in February when he earned a dominant decision win over Lowrant-T Nelson. German fights out of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada and looks to become the third Canadian to win a Lion Fight North American title following on the heels of both Jake Peacock and Taylor McClatchie.

A high-profile women’s lightweight bout is also featured on the LF72 card. The international clash will see rising American star Ashley Smallwood, fresh off her second-round knockout win at LF70 in Los Angeles, go up against top-drawer UK talent Niamh Kinehan. Smallwood (1-0) went undefeated through the amateur ranks and was Lion Fight’s first-ever female amateur champion. The San Diego, California, product dazzled in her pro debut showcasing her power in dominating Melissa Cramer. Kinehan (10-4-1) fights out of Manchester, England.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for welterweight Dave Hayrikyan, who will be making his Lion Fight debut on December 3. Previously fighting out of Boston, Hayrikyan (1-0) now makes his home in Scotland, but he’ll have a healthy throng of supporters out to cheer him on as he faces Virginia’s Junior Rubi (pro debut).

After an impressive debut at LF69 where he earned a second-round TKO victory, Jorge Vega (2-0) returns to action. The promising heavyweight from Providence, Rhode Island, will get a test from Virginia’s Matt Ferguson (pro debut), who steps in to replace Doug Holland.

Lion Fight 72 – Friday, December 3 – Boston, USA

Steve “Put ’Em To Sleep” Walker vs. Ivan Bartek – Lion Fight World Super Cruiserweight Title

Washington Dos Santos vs. Vincent Veys German – Lion Fight North American Light Heavyweight Title New opponent named

Ashley Smallwood vs. Niamh Kinehan – Women’s Lightweight New bout added

Dave Hayrikyan vs. Junior Rubi – Welterweight New bout added

Jorge Vega vs. Matt Ferguson – Heavyweight New opponent named

Chase Walden vs. Shaun Shubert – Super Welterweight

Amateur Prelims:

Nuridiin Abrar (Woburn, Massachusetts) vs. Flavio Britto (Boston, Massachusetts) – light heavyweight

Joao Teixeira (Quincy, Massachusetts) vs. Angel Martinez (New Bedford, Massachusetts) – super welterweight

Alex Brown (Boston, Massachusetts) vs. Jon Christenson (San Francisco, California) – cruiserweight

Mahmut Ates (Quincy, Massachusetts) vs. Mike White (W. Bridgewater, Massachusetts) – lightweight

Jimmy MacDonald (Boston, Massachusetts) vs. Jonah Juergens (Sterling, Virginia) – super lightweight

Ryan Lavoie (Fall River, Massachusetts) vs. Michael Whalen (Boston, Massachusetts) – welterweight