WSOF 21 Receives Two New Main Card Bouts

LAS VEGAS (May 27, 2015) – 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.

“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 21^st 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)