IT Fight Series will return to Columbus for a third time on May 23rd, as IT Fight Series 33 is set to go down at the Stars Indoor Sports Complex on the north side of the capital city.
Headlining the event will be a professional bantamwight title matchup, as Alfred Leisure (3-0) puts his unbeaten record on the line against Pennsylvania’s Charlie Gathers (8-7).
Also on tap is a mega-sized heavyweight bout, pitting Strikeforce veteran Jason Riley (9-7) up against he hard-hitting Tim Dunn (2-4). Two other pro bouts are also currently on tap for the event, including Luke Ransbottom (0-0) vs. Matt Brown (0-1) and Chico Bays (1-0) vs. LA Hampton (1-3).
Leisure comes in looking to build off of his last outing, which was the IT Fight Series 2014 Fight of the Year in a bout where he defeated Mike Velazquez via unanimous decision at IT Fight Series 29. The 33-year-old has yet to taste defeate in his mixed martial arts career, as he posted a 6-0 record as an amateur before turning pro in 2013.
He’ll face Gathers, who has to get past Jeremiah Yeager in a planned bout in Pennsylvania next week before worrying about Leisure. Gathers had a three-fight winning streak snapped in his last outing, as he came up short in a submission loss to UFC veteran Dustin Pague. All eight of Gathers’ wins have come via stoppage, including seven via submisison.
Riley, a Columbus native, will compete for the first time since 2012 when he faces Dunn in a battle of knockout artists. Riley has faced some high profile opponents, including former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion and current UFC light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier, but he comes in looking to snap a four-fight losing streak dating to 2010. Dunn has competed six times since turning pro just over two years ago, and both of his wins have come via knockout in the first round. He’ll be looking to snap a two-fight losing streak of his own.
Ransbottom will make his pro debut after a 5-0 amateur run, in which he earned four wins via submission. He’ll face Brown, who looks for his first pro win after a loss to Albert Cheng at IT Fight Series 29.
Bays looks to keep his perfect recor intact, as the Ronin Training Center product picked up a win over Travis Hussey at IT Fight Series 29 in his pro debut. He’ll face Hampton, who has one knockout win to his credit in four professional outings.
The current lineup for IT Fight Series 33 (subject to change):
Alfred Leisure vs. Charlie Gathers
Jason Riley vs. Tim Dunn
Luke Ransbottom vs. Matt Brown
Chico Bays vs. LA Hampton