WSOF 12 set for Aug. 9 in Las Vegas, including Gonzalez-Palomino, Markes-Tiller
WSOF won’t be going to Tokyo just yet after all. Instead, the promotion returns to its Las Vegas home base for WSOF 12 next month.
WSOF 12 will take place Aug. 9 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in “Sin City.†That date and location is a change from a previously announced Aug. 2 plan for Tokyo, which would’ve been the promotion’s first event in Japan.
The card also has its first two matchups. A WSOF official confirmed to MMAjunkie that Lewis Gonzalez (9-0) will meet Luis Palomino (22-0) in a lightweight bout, and Ronny Markes (14-3) takes on Kelvin Tiller (6-0). The official spoke on condition of anonymity since the fights have not yet been announced by WSOF.
Gonzalez will be looking to stay unbeaten after a win in his promotional debut this past August at WSOF 4, where he took a technical decision from Antonio McKee after the fight was stopped 43 seconds into the third round. It was the second straight decision win for “Lethal†after seven straight stoppage wins to open his pro career.
Palomino, who trains in Miami at MMA Masters with the likes of UFC featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas, won his WSOF debut in January when he knocked out Jorge Patino in the second round. That got him back on track after two decision losses in three fights under the CFA banner in Florida. His resume includes wins over WSOF lightweight Gesias “JZ†Cavalcante, as well as UFC fighters Daron Cruickshank and Jorge Masvidal.
Markes will make his WSOF debut after going 3-2 in the UFC. He started his UFC run with three straight decision wins, but in November, he was stopped by Yoel Romero with a third-round knockout, and in March, Thiago Santos knocked him out in 53 seconds at UFC Fight Night 39. That loss came after Markes badly missed weight. Still, he was a heavy favorite in the fight. After the weight-cut infraction at middleweight, Markes returns to light heavyweight to meet Tiller.
Tiller, a 24-year-old Kansan, will try to stay unbeaten in his pro career, which includes a perfect 3-0 record under the Bellator banner, including a win over the UFC’s Dan Spohn. In June 2013, he stopped Chris Henning with a rear-naked choke in the first round, but that was his most recent action. Five of his six wins have come by stoppage, including four submission victories.
