LAS VEGAS — Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 5 takes place this evening at the Joint at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas and is headlined by WBC Interim World Muay Thai Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Schilling (12-1, 10 KOs) taking on undefeated contender Simon Marcus (22-0, 17 KOs) in a non-title bout. The winner will take home not only his own purse, but the purse of his opponent as well, a rarity in combat sports.

Also, WBC International Middleweight champion Chaz Mulkey (7-4, 3 KOs) will square off with two-time world champion Gregory Choplin (59-9, 22 KOs). Rounding out the top of the card, Muay Thai legend Phanuwat “Coke” Chunhawat (146-24, 24 KOs) takes on rising challenger Matt Embree (19-3) for the vacant WBC international lightweight championship.

ProMMAnow.com‘s (www.prommanow.com) Joe Gugelman is stationed ringside, and will be providing full play-by-play and instant results for the main card. Our photographer Kristyn Adamakis is also there, and will be capturing all the action.

If you’d like to watch the fights, Lion Fight is providing a live stream for the affordable price of $15. You can check out a free 15 minute preview and purchase the feed at Go Fight Live (www.gfl.tv)

Battle in the Desert 5 quick results:

  • Simon Marcus def. Joe Schilling by at 2:50 of round 1 (TKO)
  • Gregory Choplin def. Chaz Mulkey via unanimous decision (50-44, 49-45, 49-45)
  • Matt Embree def. Coke Chunhawat by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 48-47, 49-46)
  • Scotty Leffler def. Sheldon Gaines by Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-44, 48-46)
  • Tiffany Van Soest def. Vivian Leung via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
  • Anthony Castrejon def. Frank Barragan at 0:34 of round 3 (KO)
  • Shane Oblonsky def. Jose Palacios via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

Battle in the Desert 5 play-by-play

Welterweight (147 pounds)
Jose Palacios (San Jose, CA) vs. Shane Oblonsky (Santa Ana, CA)

Round 1 – High kick right off the bat by Palacios. They trade leg kicks, and Palacios throws a teep. Oblonsky has a leg kick checked, and starts pawing with the jab. They trade body kicks. Palacios attempts the first clinch of the bout, but Oblonsky pulls away. BIG kicks from Palacios to the legs. They engage in the thai clinch, and the referee separates them against the ropes. Straight left from Palacios gets through the guard. Shane’s corner is calling for him to mix it up with more combos. Big left hook from Oblonsky, followed by a big knee from the clinch. Big combo by Oblonsky to end the round. Very competitive first stanza. 10-9 Palacios

Round 2 – Oblonsky with a hook to the body. Palacios answers with a leg kick. They clinch, and both men nearly lose their balance before separating. Body kick by Palacios is caught. Leg kick by Oblonsky buckles the left leg of Palacios. Oblonsky charges forward and lands. Palacios catches a kick and sweeps the leg out from underneat Oblonsky. Oblonsky lands a few knees from the clinch before Palacios can escape. He JUST missed a vicious looking elbow on the break against the ropes. Spinning-back-fist by Palacios partially connects. The ref separates them, and they run out of time before being able to engage onces more. 10-9 Oblonsky

Round 3 – Oblonsky is very active to start the round. Palacios chops his leg out from under him, but he continues the onslaught on the restart. He seems to be the fresher fighter here in the third. Oblonsky charges forward and lands a left hook in the corner before the ref separates them. Big punch followed by an elbow strike by Oblonsky. Palacios is taking big gasps of air. Big knee lands to the face of Palacios in the clinch. Another flurry by Oblonsky at the end of the round. That was the clearest victory of a round by either fighter. 10-9 Oblonsky

Round 4 – Both connect on straight punches at the same time after touching gloves. There is some blood on the forehead of Palacios. Superman punch lands for Oblonsky. He lands a big knee as Palacios is ducking away from his punches. Right hook lands for Palacios. Oblonsky initiates the thai clinch and continues to punish with knees to the body. Straight left by Oblonsky lands cleanly. They tie up against the ropes and the ref pulls them apart. Both fighters are slowing now. Lots of clinching and heavy breathing. Big right hook by Oblonsky misses, but he lands a follow-up straight left just before the bell. 10-9 Oblonsky

Round 5 – Last round. I feel that Palacios needs a finish, but I also assume that Muay Thai judging is just as…irregular as MMA judging, so who knows. Palacios has a cut under his left eye to match the one at his hairline. Oblonsky lands a lunging hook. He’s got the body lock and lands a few knees to the body of Palacios before being separated. Big elbows, knees and punches from the clinch by Oblonsky. Biggest punch of the fight lands for Oblonsky. Standing elbows against the ropes for Oblonsky. Spinning wheel kick partially lands for Palacios before he falls to the ground. Straight left by Oblonsky. More knees from the clinch and those seemed to hurt Palacios. Oblonsky ends the fight strong with plenty of strikes, almost sealing the victory. 10-9 Oblonsky

Official Result: Shane Oblonsky def. Jose Palacios via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)


Super Bantamweight (122 pounds)
Anthony Castrejon (Las Vegas, NV) vs. Francisco Barragan (Dallas, TX)

Round 1 – They touch gloves to start off. Wild strikes by both immediately. Big head kick is avoided by Castejon. Barragan working the legs early. Castrejon catches a kick and pulls Barragan to the ground. Barragan leaps forward and connect with a left. He goes for the front kick to the face, but Castrejon is able to block it at the last second. Barragan is really letting the kicks go now. Kick to the face lands this time for Barragan, and Castejon looks stunned. Strong finish to the round for Barragan. 10-9 Barragan

Round 2 – Castrejon lands cleanly with a straight punch to start the round. Barragan charges forward and loses his footing and goes down to the mat. Castrejon is clearly watching out for the front kick to the face everytime Barragan even lifts his foot. Big push kick to the chest by Barragan. Castrejon lands a counter off a high kick by Barragan. BIG leg kick by Castrejon buckles his opponent. Barragan putting combos together in this round, but they’re not landing as much. Head kick is just blocked by Barragan. Spinning back elbow by Castrejon is the last strike landed before the bell. Much better round for the Las Vegas native. 10-9 Castrejon

Round 3 – Referee separates the fighters immediately and gives Castrejon a moment to recover from an apparent low blow. BIG left hook followed by a kick to the liver crumples Barragan, and he is unable to answer to the 10 count by referee Steve Mazzagatti. Violent ending.

Official Result: Anthony Castrejon def. Frank Barragan at 0:34 of round 3 (KO)


Super Bantamweight (122 pounds)
Vivian Leung (Las Vegas, NV/ Saskatoon, Canada) vs. Tiffany Van Soest (San Diego, CA)

Round 1 – Leung comes out very aggressive. Van Soest throws her to the ground from the clinch. My instincts keep wanting them to jump to side control when that happens. Leung charges forward with several strikes, all which appeared to be blocked. Van Soest with a nick kick to the ribcage. Nice knees by Van Soest in the clinch before both competitors fall to the canvas. Leung seems tentative in her strikes. Van Soest with a strong whip from the clinch, followed by a nice knee to the body. A little blood running down from the nose of Leung, and Van Soest keeps up her aggression as the round ends. 10-9 Van Soest

Round 2 – Nice 1,2,3 combo followed up by a leg kick that lands by Leung. Van Soest is having no trouble controlling her opponent in the clinch. She lands some knees to the body before throwing Leung to the ground. Van Soest lands a high kick followed by a punch. Leung’s nose appears to be bleeding once again. Left hook lands for Van Soest. Teep to the face by Van Soest. Knees in the clinch from Leung. Van Soest throws her to the ground and they both almost spill out of the ring under the bottom rope. They end in the clinch with Van Soest landing some uppercuts. Better round for Leung, but I still give it to Van Soest for landing the more effective strikes. 10-9 Van Soest

Round 3 – Van Soest lands a big kick to the body and a right hook to start off the round. The blood is pouring from Leung’s face now. Ref is going to stop it to have a look. Doctor lets it continue, but she’s a blood mess. Van Soest continues to work the clinch effectively, clearly aiming for the cuts on her opponent’s visage. Van Soest really putting together combos at will. I think the blood is affecting Leung’s vision. Leung’s corner is very quiet compared to her opponent’s. More kicks to the body and knees from the clinch by Van Soest to end the round. This is brutality at its finest. 10-9 Van Soest

Round 4 – The beginning of this round is ALL Van Soest. Kicks, knees, punches, elbows, and even a takedown to cap it off. Leung rolls up and they both go to the ground for a moment, with Van Soest looking like she wanted to throw up an armbar out of instinct (she trains at Black House/Team Nogueira in San Diego). Kick by Leung is caught by Van Soest, who attempts to sweep the leg. More blood now from the face of Leung. Several short elbows by Van Soest in the corner before the ref separates them. Blood is smeared everywhere. Several kicks to the body land for Van Soest. 10-9 Van Soest

Round 5 – Van Soest is already in the middle of the ring ready to go, while Leung is still on her stool. Short elbow strikes by Van Soest in the clinch. Body shots start the combo by Van Soest, and they end up in the clinch and are separated. Spinning back fist by Van Soest lands. Action has slowed signifcantly. Van Soest lands a spinning elbow with her opponent behind her. Kind of sums up the fight. 10-9 Van Soest

Official Decision: Tiffany Van Soest def. Vivian Leung via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)


Catch Weight (142 pounds)
Scotty Leffler (Las Vegas, NV) vs. Sheldon Gaines (Simi Valley, CA)

Round 1 – Leffler comes out throwing heavy kicks. No one’s kicks have made that sound yet tonight when landing. Deep thud. Wild action from both men. Elbow strikes by Leffler, who follows up by sweeping Gaines off balance. Superman punch followed by a body kick. Leffler drops him with a shot to the breadbasket, but he’s up after about a 4 count. Leffler is really landing knee after knee from the clinch. They touch gloves after the bell rings, and with good cause. Great round of action! 10-9 Leffler

Round 2 – Leffler was eyeing the finish last round. Let’s see if he keeps his foot on the gas. They trade four body kicks back and fourth. Gaines backs him up into the corner and lands a straight left. High kick grazes the face of Leffler. Front kick to the face of Gaines cracks his jaw and elicits a big reaction from the crowd. Both men landing with knees and punches. Not much defense being displayed. Leffler lands a body kick, and Gaines falls to the mat in his attempt to return the favor. Another close round. 10-9 Leffler

Round 3 – Crowd starts chanting “Scotty Scotty Scotty” for the local fighter. Gaines springs off the rope with a front kick, and they end up in the clinch. Gaines working the body with punches. Pace has slowed from those insane first two rounds. Leffler is cut over his right eye. So far the blood is running down the side of his face. Gaines sweeps the leg and sends Leffler to the mat. Leffler lands a counter right off a leg kick. Gaines catches an inadvertent low-blow during a flurry. They trade leg kicks. Leffler gets off balance off a push at the end of the round. Gaines is officially in the fight. 10-9 Gaines

Round 4 – They come out at a furious pace once again. Spinning back fist by Leffler catches nothing but air. Another low-blow catches Gaines. He’s jawing at his now for it. Spinning heel kick lands to the body of Gaines along the ropes. Right hook counter for Leffler lands. The pace these two are keeping up is insane. Hard right by Gaines. And a left. Superman punch just misses for Leffler. Gaines working the teep kick now. Gaines lands a hard right at the same time that Leffler does. Jab kick combo by Leffler to start the round. 10-9 Gaines

Round 5 – I think this round will determine the fight. Every round has been close though. Leffler really working the leg kicks. Lands a right uppercut. High kick by Gaines blocked. Teep by Leffler. Now it’s Gaines landing the punches through the guard of Leffler. Leffler lands a kick and falls to the ground. Spinning back elbow into a kick combo to end the fight by Leffler. Another very close round. 10-9 Leffler

Official Decision: Scotty Leffler def. Sheldon Gaines by Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-44, 48-46)


Lightweight (135 pounds) / WBC Vacant International Title Bout
Phanuwat “Coke” Chunhawat (Dallas, TX/Thailand) vs. Matt Embree (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Round 1 – This is a rubber match. They each split decision victories in the past. Hard leg kick by Embree to start off. One two combo to the body by Coke. Head kick by Embree just misses. After a low blow, Embree’s cup actually spills out the bottom of his shorts! He looks embarassed while Coke is sticking his tongue out and mugging for the crowd! The reporter next to me, who works for Muay Thaimes, said he’s NEVER seen that. We’re at a standstill waiting. I believe they actually took Embree backstage to correct the problem. Ok…we’re back to action. Inside leg kick by Embree lands. They clinch for the first time and Coke lands a few shots. Very slow first round, which is the custom in Thailand. 10-9 Coke

Round 2 – Ok. The Wai Khru music is slightly faster now since it’s round 2. Evidently it speeds up as they go through each round. Coke lands a hard punch followed by a body kick. They trade kicks to the chest. Good knees by Embree in the clinch before the ref separates them. Hard straight right by Embree lands clean. One two by Embree. Kick by Coke is caught by Embree and he lands a punch before Coke hits the deck to get away. One two leg kick combo by Embree. 10-9 Embree

Round 3 – Kick to the body by Coke. Hard body kick by Embree. Nice body-head combo by Coke. They trade leg kicks. Clinch…Coke throws him to the ground and kicks him in the ribs on the way down. Jab gets through the guard of Coke. Elbow to the head by Embree. Second attempt just misses. Embree slips a punch and lands a nice counter. They’re clinching and Embree whips Coke around before being separated. 10-9 Embree

Round 4 – They trade body kicks, and I get hit with my first dose of flying sweat of the night. Nice throw by Embree in the clinch. Three punch combo by Coke lands. Big body kick by Embree. Embree using the teep more now. They land simultaneous jabs. Short elbow by Embree before they trade body kicks once more. Embree goes for a head kick and Coke kicks him in the ass after dodging it. Left right hook combo lands for Embree. Short hook by Embree. High kick by Embree connects. 10-9 Embree

Round 5 – Wai Khru music is absolutely flying now. The fighters are keeping pace to start. Hard punch lands for Embree, sending sweat flying out of the ring. Straight right connects for Embree. Coke lands one coming back. Embree with a hard leg kick, completes the combo with a trip. Body-head by Coke lands. Short left uppercut by Embree as they enter the clinch. Embree with leg kicks, then a counter hook. He lands another counter right over the top. They end the round trading knees in the clinch. Great fight. 10-9 Embree

Official Decision: Matt Embree def. Coke Chunhawat by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 48-47, 49-46)


Co-Main Event
Middleweight (160 pounds) / WBC Super Fight (non-title bout)
Chaz Mulkey (Las Vegas, NV) (Champion) vs. Gregory Choplin (Miami, FL/ France)

Round 1 – Both men feeling out their opponent in the first part of the round. Mulkey catches a kick and lands a jab on Choplin. Big knee to the body by Choplin. High kick by Mulkey is blocked. Right hook by Mulkey stuns Choplin and sends him back on wobbly legs. Head kick lands for Mulkey. Straight left lands for Mulkey. Choplin lands a right over the top. 10-9 Mulkey

Round 2 – Choplin lands a leg kick to start the round. Kick to the body by Choplin. Mulkey with a teep kick. Choplin returns the favor. Choplin throwing lots of kicks to the body, some blocked. Big inside leg kick moves Mulkey off his center of gravity. Big left hook to the body by Choplin. High kick is avoided by Choplin. Choplin lands a few knees in the clinch before being separated. Straight left gets through for Mulkey, followed by a body kick. They clinch as the round ends. 10-9 Choplin

Round 3 – Kick by Choplin lands to the groin, Mulkey shakes his head and keeps pressing forward. Choplin drops him with a flurry of punches capped by a hard right and Mulkey is on the ground. He’s right back up though. Choplin throws him to the ground in the clinch. Chaz is failing to keep his hands up. Choplin checks a leg kick. Mulkey lands a short hook as they come in for the clinch. Mulkey sweeps the leg and gets a big crowd pop before the bell rings. Don’t think he did enough to overcome the knockdown though.10-9 Choplin

Round 4 – Head kick by Mulkey partially lands. Choplin throwing multi-punch combos now. He trips Mulkey, who maintains his balance. Jab lands for Choplin, followed up by a nice body kick. Choplin throws him to the mat from the clinch. This time it’s Choplin hitting the ground from a Mulkey trip. Choplin appeared to hurt the leg of Mulkey, and followed it up with a head kick that was mostly foot. Body kick by Choplin. Another leg kick by Choplin, chopping away at that lead leg. Head kick by Mulkey just misses and he hits the deck from the effort. Mulkey finishes the round backing Choplin into the corner, landing a few punches. 10-9 Choplin

Round 5 – Choplin kicks the back leg of Mulkey, who nearly falls to the ground. Body kick by Choplin. Leaping right lands for Choplin. Mulkey is thrown to the mat again from the clinch. Teep kick by Choplin. Both men land kicks to the body of their opponent. Straight left lands for Mulkey. They clinch in the corner and Mazzagatti steps in to pull them apart. Mulkey completes a throw just before the bell. 10-9 Choplin

Official Decision: Gregory Choplin def. Chaz Mulkey via unanimous decision (50-44, 49-45, 49-45)


Main Event
Light Heavyweight (175 pounds) / Non-Title Bout
Joe Schilling (Los Angeles, CA) (Champion) vs. Simon Marcus (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Note: LOTS of trash talking in the pre-fight video interviews that they showed before these two came out. According to Schilling, everything about Marcus’ game “sucks”. The entire purse (save $1) goes to the winner. This should be a war.

Round 1 – Here we go. The crowd is electric, HEAVILY in Schilling’s favor. They trade leg kicks. Both seem to be swinging for the KO early. Hard kick to the body by Marcus. Straight right by Schilling gets through the guard. Marcus appears to have a mouse under his left eye. Marcus is able to trip Schilling to the ground from the clinch. He connects with a HUGE left hook and Schilling is down! He’s back up before the 10 count, but he looks out of sorts. He’s immediately dropped again by a front kick to the face followed by a hard right elbow to the jaw, and this time the ref waves it off during the standing 10 count.

Official Decision: Simon Marcus def. Joe Schilling by TKO at 2:50 of round 1

4 thoughts on “Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 5 LIVE results and play-by-play”
  1. Simon Marcus didn’t knock out Joe Schilling. Joe hit his head on the canvas when he and Simon fell. It was a freak accident.

    REMATCH! LET’S GET THE REAL FIGHT!!

    Change the Main Event description. It’s not accurate.

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