The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Muay Thai fighter DC Pratt is set to make his return to professional fighting this upcoming weekend.

Pratt will challenge Regian “The Immortal” Eersel for the super middleweight title in Lion Fight 34 at the Tropicana Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 3.

The main card will air live on AXS TV Fights in the United States, and on Fight Network throughout Canada, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Pratt was inserted as a late addition to the card to replace original contender Samy Sana.

Fully recovered from a torn ACL and meniscus suffered in 2015, Pratt has completed the rehab process and is ready to fight as a professional for the first time in approximately two years.

In an effort to bolster his Muay Thai resume, Pratt embarked on a pair of six-month stints in Thailand in 2013-14, training under renowned Muay Thai fighter and coach Lamnamoon Sor Sumalee.

He has also has trained alongside Lion Fight two-division champion ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut.

Pratt won both of his fights during his summer’s training session in Thailand, the second of which was broadcasted live on Thai national television. He suffered the knee injury in his second trip to the country as he was preparing for future fights.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, for several years before he moved back to the Bahamas, Pratt fought to a 3-1-1 amateur record since he made his Muay Thai debut in 2012. He opened the Bangkok Fight Night Atlanta Grand Prix event with a split decision over Clint Blizzard in the 160-pound weight class in that debut.

In October 2013, he won the IKF East Coast Championship.

While in Atlanta, Pratt established the connections which referred him to the camp in Thailand. He noted that aside from the fight preparation, in what he called “an experience of a lifetime” immersed in a new culture for an extended period of time.

Disillusioned with frequent fight cancellations along with the struggle to find adequate bouts and training, he chose to relocate to the mecca of Muay Thai fighting.

“There were a lot of reasons I decided to go to Thailand, one of the main ones was that fights were falling through in the United States. I started to get frustrated and I didn’t want to be in the US just training, I wanted to be actively competing,” he said.

The Eersel-Pratt bout is one of two title fights on the main card which includes a total of six bouts. The second title fight will be in the women’s division with super bantamweight champion Iman “Pretty Killer” Barlow placing her title on the line against Meryem “Mergen” Uslu.

The Lion Fight 34 main card will air live on AXS TV Fights with a start time of 9pm local time, with commentary from renowned duo “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich.