Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions will be back in action next Saturday, January 18, as WBC Youth World Super Featherweight champion Carlos Dixon (10-1, 8 KOs) defends that title in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Dixon will make his homecoming as the main event of a loaded fight card that will take place at the Louisville Memorial Auditorium.
“We are excited to be a part of the first world title defense in Louisville. The entire city is behind Carlos Dixon, and we expect this to be a remarkable event,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “This card has some really great matches lined up, and we look forward to putting on an entertaining show for the people of Louisville.”
In his most recent bout, Dixon picked up his fourth victory of 2019 with a sixth round finish of Edinson Torres, Jr. That match took place in Jamaica this past November, with the Louisville native claiming the WBC Youth World Super Featherweight Title as a result. Dixon fought a total of five times last year, including back-to-back outings in Jamaica. For his career, he is undefeated in seven pro fights that have been staged in his hometown of Louisville.
Standing opposite of Dixon next Saturday night will be the hard-hitting Luis Ronaldo Castillo (22-5, 17 KOs), who has scored consecutive knockouts in his two most recent bouts. Castillo was victorious over the first 16 fights of his professional campaign, stopping 15 of those opponents inside of the distance.
Undefeated super bantamweight Ariel Lopez (13-0-1, 8 KOs) will also be back in action on this card, facing Jonathan Lecona Ramos. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, Lopez now lives and fights out of New York. This contest marks the sixth overall appearance on an Uprising Promotions show for Lopez, who most recently fought Victor Trejo Garcia this past October in Brooklyn.
Unbeaten Chicago bantamweight Shawn Simpson (11-0, 3 KOs) will make his first start of 2020 when he meets battle-tested Felipe Rivas, who is a veteran of 49 professional bouts. As an amateur boxer, Simpson was a three-time junior national Golden Gloves champion, four-time National PAL champion, two-time U.S. Championship silver medalist and 2012 Olympic alternate. He turned professional in 2015, with his second professional fight occurring on an Uprising Promotions card in Long Island City. Most recently, he defeated 47-bout veteran Samuel Gutierrez in Minneapolis last August.
Featherweight Angel Luna (12-6-1, 7 KOs) will look to pick up his second consecutive win when he takes on Louisville native Christopher Nelson. Luna has proven time and time again that he will take on all comers, with a resume that holds a seven bout stretch against opponents with a combined record of 85-7-2. The most notable win for Luna came over Jose Lopez, who was previously undefeated in 16 fights before the two met at Barclays Center in 2015. In that bout, Luna floored Lopez twice as he cruised to a six-round unanimous decision.
Recent Uprising Promotions signee Daniil Platonovschi will make his pro debut next Saturday night when he battles Raymond Locker in a four-frame featherweight scrap. A native of Tiraspol, Moldova, Platonovschi had a successful amateur career and now looks to test himself among the professional ranks.
Filling out the card will be a six-round lightweight encounter that pits Donte Strayhorn (10-3, 3 KOs) against Elliott Brown of Pennsylvania, as well as a four-frame welterweight affair that features Brooklyn native Raymond Wilburg (1-0, 1 KO) and Wendell McGee.
Reserved seating for this show is sold out. To purchase general admission tickets, fans are encouraged to purchase them online now to ensure that they have a seat for this event.
Uprising Promotions would like to thank The New Mexican Promotion and former WBO middleweight champion Peter Quillin for their contributions to this card. Stay tuned for further updates about the show as next Saturday approaches.
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