Khil takes WBC Muay Thai Title

September 8, 2007



GARDENA, CA. -- Taking the fight on only four days notice, Evgeni Khil emerged victorious in a tough five round, split decision win over Hiromasa Masuda of Japan, to capture the WBC Muay Thai International Super Featherweight Championship Title.

In addition to Denis Grachev’s IKF Muay Thai World Championship Title, this is the second major Muay Thai championship title for City Boxing this summer.

City Boxing’s position as the leading MMA training center in San Diego is now stronger than ever with an elite stable of fighters and trainers.

• Manny Melchor - former WBC & IBF World Champion
• KJ Noons - SHOWTIME Boxing & EliteXC Golden Boy
• Denis Grachev - IKF Muay Thai World Champion
• Evgeniy Khil - WBC Muay Thai International Champion
• Baruch - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt & MMA Fighter/Trainer

A versatile all-around fighter, K.J. Noons wants to make his mark in boxing ring

The following is an article posted on www.signonsandiego.com.

By Jerry Magee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Not guaranteed to happen:

K.J. Noons is boxing. He is stunned. Momentarily disoriented, he launches a kick at his opponent.

Noons is an all-purpose fighter, as adept at mixed martial arts as he is at boxing, in which he is 8-1 as a junior middleweight with six knockouts. His ambition is to become a world champion, either as a boxer or in MMA. Choose one. Or choose both.

For K.J. (for Karl James) to become a champion simultaneously in both boxing and MMA is within his capabilities, in the belief of Mark Dion, operator of the City Boxing gyms downtown and in Pacific Beach and the man who is handling Noons.

“He's like the Bo Jackson of the sport,” contended Dion. Jackson, of course, was a leading figure in both baseball and football. “Now we've got a boxing and an MMA star, one of the only ones going,” said Dion.

Others would seem to agree. According to Dion, Gary Shaw of Main Events has completed a three-year deal to promote Noons' boxing matches and Pro Elite has a contract to do three of his MMA appearances.

Boxing is where the money is in Noons' sports. “True,” he said, “but look at where I am in boxing. When can I be in the top 10 with a title shot? Not before 15 or 20 fights. I'm still in the building phase.”

For this reason, Noons, 24, considers claiming an MMA title more immediately attainable for him than a boxing championship. He is 4-1 in MMA. Whatever he does, Noons is going to be highly marketable. The native of Hawaii bears a resemblance to Tom Cruise, the actor, and he is an outgoing, positive young man.

“He's got a right to be cocky,” Dion said.

Noons was in Houston when he determined to make San Diego his base. “I've got all my stuff packed in a truck,” he said. “No job prospects, no nothing. I called my buddy Uriah Faber (an MMA lightweight champion) and I said, 'Hey, man, got a job?' ”

From Faber, Noons received Dion's telephone number.

“I called Mark,” Noons said. “I said, 'I can be a trainer, a sales person, whatever you need. I just need to make ends meet so I can be a fighter.' ”

Dion invited him to show up at the City Boxing gym downtown. “He says, 'How good are you?' ” Noons related. “I say, 'The best you've ever seen, hands down.' He didn't believe me; he sees a bunch of knuckleheads come in. He says, 'All right, jump in the ring.' ”

Noons was about to have a job audition in MMA.

“The first guy comes, I drop him. He's out,” Noons said. “The second guy comes in, I drop him. He's out. The third guy who comes in, Mark is on the side of the ring going, 'Go, K.J.!' So I kick that guy's butt and he says, 'All right, you're hired.' It's been all good from there.”

Maybe not all good. Noons broke his left thumb in his most recent MMA bout when he reached his rival with a left hook.

Noons said his father was a kick-boxing champion in Hawaii who introduced him to boxing when he was 6. In addition to boxing and MMA, he is schooled in kick boxing and in the Thai form of kick boxing that involves striking with the feet, elbows, knees and hands. “It's very brutal,” Noons said.

Dion said he became aware of what sort of prospect he had in Noons when he took him to Freddie Roach's gym in Hollywood and the place fell silent when Noons was sparring. Noons worked in Hollywood against such fighters as Peter Manfredo and Carlos Baldomir and did well, by Dion's account. Here, he spars regularly against Francisco “Panchito” Bojado, a super lightweight who is 17-2, with 11 KOs.

Bojado is to box Steve Forbes of Las Vegas (32-5, 9 KOs) on an all-star card being offered by Golden Boy Promotions at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 15.

“People say they would pay money just to see us spar,” Noons said of his work with Bojado.

“MMA is an easy transition for me because I'm using body shots, I'm going up and down,” Noons said. “The other guy doesn't know what I'm doing because he's not a boxer. In MMA, they can take a person down with one punch, which is possible, but it's much more fun breaking him down mentally and physically.”

Noons said there is no likelihood that he could be shaken up while boxing and without being aware of it revert to MMA.

“I know how to turn it on and off,” he said. “Whenever I box, I don't throw a kick for six to eight weeks.”

High Noons

The following was posted on Sherdog.com by Mike Sloan.

Let me start off this mid-week Reverie by stating that in my opinion, I firmly believe Karl James Noons (Pictures) will succeed in the sport of mixed martial arts.

Now, before you fill my inbox with flame e-mails that directly and blatantly misquote me, read closely: I'm not saying he'll be a world champion (though he might be one day). I'm not saying he'll be an all-time great. And I'm not saying that he'll end his career as a billionaire.

All I'm declaring is that Noons has the fighting style and charisma that will bring him more monetary success than most of his peers. As anybody with even half a brain knows by now, most of the time the fighters who are paid more handsomely than other great fighters are the ones people want to see. Just because someone is great doesn't always translate into fistic riches, and that's where the 24-year-old from San Diego fits the bill.

Noons is a talented fighter who is fresh off an explosive knockout of the solid James Edson Berto (Pictures) in the main event of ShoXC's debut. Noons kept Berto guessing the entire time and in the end, a final sloppy takedown attempt from the Haitian-American cost him as a sinister knee was planted onto his grill, ultimately ending the contest in brutal fashion.

While the victory wasn't against a fighter the caliber of, say, Takanori Gomi (Pictures), it was against a solid competitor who some were picking to triumph.

Obviously it's far too early to gauge just how far Noons will go in his professional fighting career, but I think it's safe to say that EliteXC had better keep him under contract for as long as they can. He's not as talented as such fighters as B.J. Penn (Pictures), Gomi or Hayato Sakurai (Pictures) but he possesses a characteristic that one day could possibly trump them all -- marketability.

Noons is entertaining and comes to fight every time out. Of course he was laid flat on his back courtesy of an evil counter punch from Charles Bennett (Pictures) a few months ago, but he bounced back with style.

Fans, especially those here in North America, salivate for knockout artists and have an insatiable appetite for explosive finishes. KJ hones both of those traits perfectly and while he most definitely will never garner the same sort of popularity as a Lebron James or Derek Jeter, he has what it takes to stand shoulder to shoulder with someone like Matt Hughes (Pictures).

ShoXC

When it comes to boxing, HBO is still the alpha male of television in the eyes of casual observers. Come on, how can you not be the best network when you have guys like Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao signed exclusively?

However, pretty much anybody who closely follows boxing -- or is a member of the boxing media like me -- will tell you that it is Showtime, not HBO, that holds the crown for the sweet science.

Showtime has pillaged HBO's stash in recent years and when it comes to delivering the best fights (see: best fights, not bouts pitting the most popular fighters) Showtime rules the roost.

And Showtime's cards are never televised on pay-per-view anymore. That coupled with their awesome ShoBox series -- a show designed to showcase young, unknown talent -- blows every other boxing network out of the water, including HBO, ESPN and TeleFutura.

Oh, I can't forget to mention those slimy, snake-driven lousy PPV networks that try to squeeze every penny out of fight fans by "offering" events featuring the elderly Evander Holyfield squaring off against -- insert the sound of a slap to the forehead -- Lou Savarese.

To make matters even better for Showtime, they chose to evolve their programming by airing mixed martial arts, including the initial ShoXC card, an MMA show modeled after the successful and important ShoBox.

It's only a matter of time before EliteXC actually becomes a viable alternative to whatever Zuffa brings to the table, as long as they steer clear from the mistakes of other disastrous organizations that have come before them.

The Sloandog Prophecy

In Anaheim, Calif. on Sept. 22, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell (Pictures) will return to the octagon and face 205-pounder Keith Jardine (Pictures).

Will Liddell bounce back with a win and kick off his quest to regain the title that, if he happens to land another title shot, should be comfortably wrapped around Dan Henderson (Pictures)'s waist? Or will "The Dean of Mean" capitalize on an aging Liddell and score the biggest win of his career?

On the undercard, Mauricio Rua (Pictures) will lock horns with fan-favorite Forrest Griffin (Pictures). The 2005 PRIDE Grand Prix champion will finally make his UFC debut, and those proud members of Generation TUF will get to see just what this guy is made of.

Rua is one of the best fighters on the planet and he's looking to wow novice fans by dispatching one of the sport's most beloved figures in the States. For Griffin, he'll try to avenge the sour taste of a lousy points win in Ireland.

In the Liddell-Jardine fight, I see Jardine shocking the world. Yes, that's right: I am picking Jardine, who will assuredly be an enormous underdog, to capitalize on a comebacking Liddell.

Why?

Liddell is seasoned. Age assassinates fighters who rely on quick reflexes and counter-punching much sooner than fighters who rely on pressure, strength and endurance.

Liddell is not shot, but he looked offbeat against Rampage in their rematch, and that was after "The Iceman" had the greatest training camp in the history of Chuck Liddell (Pictures).

Another reason why I'm picking Jardine is because Team Jackson is in a pitiful slump. Virtually all of trainer Greg Jackson's men have been beaten lately: Jardine, Diego Sanchez (Pictures), Joey Villasenor (Pictures), and Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) -- not to mention Tito taking it to Rashad Evans (Pictures). The Albuquerque crew is due for a turnaround and it'll start against Liddell.

As for Rua and Griffin, expect this to be the coming out party for "Shogun" in the U.S. He's going to steamroll Griffin and he'll quickly be Generation TUF's favorite fighter of all-time. I'm picking him to do to Griffin what Gomi did to Mitushiro Ishida. I expect an emphatic first round blast out in favor of the Brazilian.

Now if those predictions don't come to fruition, blame my Magic 8-Ball and not me.

Misc. Debris

How many more moronic fighters will have to fail urinalyses due to illegal steroids until this epidemic of idiocy ends?

I have received quite a bit of emails from readers who are growing literally angry about the amount of MMA that is readily available these days. People are actually complaining that so many UFC, IFL, EliteXC and various other events can be seen every weekend. My question is this: How can you possibly not like these days? Sure the talent pool is a little watered down, but what would you rather have: more MMA or hardly anything?

Exactly.

Hit me up at www.myspace.com/sherdogsloan

Noons Dominates Berto on ShoXC Debut

The following was posted on Sherdog.com by Josh Gross (Photos by D. Mandel)

SANTA YNEZ, Calif., July 27 -- The last time we saw Karl James Noons (Pictures) he was flat on his back as Charles Bennett (Pictures) did back flips in front of a Mississippi crowd.

Tonight, about five hours north of his home of San Diego, Noons showed flashes of the hype that followed him onto the first EliteXC card in February by spectacularly stopping James Edson Berto (Pictures) 45 seconds into the third period at the Chumash Casino.

Making a quick turnaround after fighting on short notice and submitting Victor Valenzuela (Pictures) in late June, Berto, unbeaten in eight fights, could not figure out Noons in the main event of Showtime's inaugural ShoXC fight card, designed to showcase up-and-coming mixed martial artists.

Noons picked away at Berto (11-4-1) when they squared off, and for the most part fended off the Haitian's takedown attempts. Berto wasted considerable resources trying to put Noons, known more for his striking than his ground work, on the canvas. But he was inconsistent in his shots and instead of setting them up with strikes, Berto dove in from the outside.

It was obvious by the start of the second that Berto had to work far too hard to put Noons down, and when he did manage a takedown he couldn't control the 24-year-old lightweight. Noons (5-2-0) also paid attention to the body, landing wide hooks to Berto's sides.

"He looked like he was in pretty good shape so I wanted to make sure I wore him down," said the body snatching 24-year-old Noons.

"I was really dehydrated and very fatigued," said Berto. "It just didn't allow me to be myself out there."

Noons stopped one last sloppy Berto shot in the third by countering perfectly with a right knee that smashed into the 27-year-old's chin. He followed with a punch and an elbow before referee Jason Herzog halted the contest and rescued the Winter Haven, Fla. resident.

"Last fight I couldn't show how good of a fighter I was, because I got taken out in the first round," said Noons. "But this fight I got to definitely show my skills. My wind wasn't all the way up, but it's all good. It ended the way I wanted it to."

Gladiator Challenge welterweight champion Jeremiah Metcalf (Pictures) was slated to face King of the Cage champ Aaron Wetherspoon (Pictures) in a unification bout, but the KOTC title holder was bumped from the card after failing to be medically cleared.

On three-day's notice Gladiator Challenge middleweight champion Jaime Jara (Pictures) was brought in to fight at a catch-weight of 175. Officially tonight's contest was for Jara's belt, but behind the scenes the winner knew he'd have to step up on Sept. 22 and make the welterweight limit.

Jara's lack of preparation was evident early, as the heavily tattooed veteran appeared to take in oxygen from his mouth in the first minute. Metcalf (5-3-0), a local fighter, controlled with single punches while moving forward. His confidence grew and in the final minute of the opening round he traded with Jara, who has held GC titles at heavyweight, 205 and 185.

A left hook slammed into Metcalf's jaw and he collapsed to the canvas; Jara (16-4-0) landed two more shots before referee Cecil Peoples moved in at the 4:15 mark.

"I know I hit like a heavyweight, so I knew if I hit him he'd go down," said Jara, "He's used to fighting at 170. I've been up there fighting heavyweights, so I know I hit hard."

Boise, Idaho's Scott Jorgenson ensured his war with Chris David (Pictures) was a one-sided one, as the 135-pound wrestler continually pressured on the feet and the canvas to take a unanimous decision (30-27 and 29-28 twice).

Though David was purported to have an edge the feet, it was Jorgenson that scored first, landing a high kick that dropped the 25-year-old David. Jorgenson pressed forward but David recovered well and made it to the end of the first.

Jorgenson, who spent his collegiate career wrestling for the Boise St. Broncos, showed his pedigree by lifting David in the air, walking across the cage and driving the Southern Californian into the canvas. Within earshot of his corner, Jorgenson kept a high work-rate inside the guard with both punches and elbows, thudding both off David's head.

The two scrambled and Jorgenson (4-1-0) nearly secured an armbar by countering a David Kimura attempt. They continued to roll around and David (8-6-1) finished the period on top, looking to connect from an awkward angle.

Jorgenson, as he did throughout the first two periods, delivered the more damaging strikes in the final five minutes. A cracking right hand by Jorgenson, 24, was followed by a tight elbow that put David on wobbly legs to start the third. The wrestler pressed forward for the duration of the bout to take the commanding decision.

San Antonio's Aaron Rosa outworked 2003 K-1 Brazil Grand Prix champ Jefferson Silva to stop the Mario Sperry (Pictures)-flanked light heavyweight after one full round.

Silva, 29, smirked as he stalked Rosa around the cage. That changed when the Brazilian found himself underneath the 24-year-old Rosa, a Tito Ortiz (Pictures) sparring partner, eating elbows and punches. Rosa, who wore a cross on his shorts, put Silva in the crucifix and wailed away.

The striker managed briefly to reverse position, including taking the mount, before Rosa put Silva on his back for a second time and finished the round on top.

Between rounds, the ringside physician deemed a cut to Silva's head was bad enough to call an end to the contest.

"I can see OK, but I can't complain about them stopping it," said Silva.

Muhsin Corbbrey's showboating earned him a chorus of boos, but judges at ringside felt his continual battering of Lee Gibson (Pictures)'s lead leg was enough to warrant a unanimous decision win (30-27 twice and 29-28).

Gibson (10-2-0), 31, worked well on the inside, scoring with punches to the stomach and short uppercuts when he put Corbbrey (5-2-0) against the fence. But the 29-year-old lightweight from South Carolina stood up well to Gibson's power punches and danced his way around the cage to collect the win.

Off TV Bouts

Shayna Baszler (Pictures) (6-3-0) capitalized off a takedown by out-positioning Jan Finney (Pictures) (3-4-0) before scoring an armbar at 2:40 of the first.

Josh Neal (2-0-0) escaped several submission attempts from Eric Beondo (1-1-0) in the bout's opening minutes, before a right knee from the Thai clinch ended the bout at 2:56 of the first period.

Jason Geris (4-3-0) injured his right knee in the first round against Anthony Ruiz (Pictures), prompting referee Cecil Peoples to halt the contest on advice from the cage-side physician before the second round were to begin. Ruiz moved to 16-10-0 with the TKO victory.

Tony Rubalcava made good on his mixed martial arts debut, picking up a TKO at 4:19 of the opening period against Drew Montgomery (3-2-0).

Brian Cobb (Pictures) (9-4-0) submitted John Reedy (2-3-0) with a rear naked choke for the third time in his brief career, this time at 4:19 of the first.

Noons Scores Devastating Knockout over Berto in Main Event of Spectacular Premiere of SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES

Friday, July 27, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME
Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (July 28, 2007) - In a scintillating finish to a thrilling, crowd-pleasing and exciting debut of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series, KJ Noons bounced back to register an impressive third-round knockout over Edson Berto Friday on SHOWTIME.

In the co-feature of a live two-hour telecast that featured five competitive, evenly-matched fights between determined, well-conditioned athletes, Jaime Jara blasted out Jeremiah Metcalf in the third round to capture his fourth Gladiator championship belt.

EliteXC presented the event from the Chumash Casino. It aired on SHOWTIME at
11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Noons (4-1), of San Diego, was knocked out by "Krazy Horse" Charles Bennett in the first Mixed Martial Arts fight shown on premium television (Feb. 10, 2007, on SHOWTIME), but mostly had his way against Berto (12-4-1), of Orlando, Fla., before dropping him with a devastating right knee to the face.

Talk about a finishing kick.

"This is definitely a different feeling than I had the first time I fought on SHOWTIME, but it solidified what I have been saying, that my last MMA fight was a fluke," said Noons, who followed the knockdown with a right hand and right elbow to the face before the referee stepped in and stopped the proceedings 45 seconds in the third round.

"This win reestablishes my status in MMA. I don't want to say that a loss would have been devastating but now I am right back where I need to be."

"I was really dehydrated and very fatigued," said Berto, who had an eight-fight unbeaten streak (7-0-1) end. "It just didn't allow me to be myself out there."

Jara (16-4), of North Highlands, Calif., won a brawl and the Gladiator Challenge middleweight title with an exciting first-round knockout over Jeremiah Metcalf (5-3) of Modesto, Calif.

In a match that featured numerous non-stop exchanges, Jara caught Metcalf with a punishing left hook that dropped him shortly before the fight was stopped at 4:15.

"I think it tells a lot about a guy like me who can win a fight like this on two days' notice," Jara said. "I had to cut a bunch of weight so that is why I was a little slow. Winning my fourth belt in my fourth different weight class (heavyweight, light heavy, middleweight and welterweight) is quite an accomplishment that I am proud of. I am a warrior. I get calls all the time.
I am always ready to fight.''

Metcalf, who connected with his fair share of shots, disagreed vehemently with the ref's decision to stop the slugfest.

"I had him where I wanted him,'' he said. "The punch flashed me, but it wasn't a knockout. I was fine. They called it too early."

In other bouts on the ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series, Scott Jorgensen (4-1) of Boise, Idaho, took a three-round unanimous decision over Chris David (8-6-1), of Santa Rosa, Calif., winning a one-sided war by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice; in an excellent performance, undefeated Aaron Rosa (10-0), of San Antonio, Tex., scored an impressive technical knockout over the more highly regarded Brazilian Jefferson Silva (3-2) in a bout halted by the cageside physician after the first round due to an eye injury; and Muhsin Corbbrey (5-2), of Hilton Head, S.C.), opened the telecast with a unanimous three-round decision over Lee Gibson (10-3) of Kansas City. Corbbrey won by the scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28.

EliteXC announcer Mauro Ranallo called the action from cage side with The Fight Professor, Stephen Quadros serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of ShoXC is David Dinkins, Jr. with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

Immediately following the SHOWTIME telecast, five bouts were streamed live on the Internet (http://www.blogger.com/www.proelite.com <http://www.proelite.com/> ). In fights called by Todd Keneley (blow-by-blow) and $kala "Jared" Shaw (color commentator) , Shayna Baszler (8-4) of Sioux Falls, Iowa, won by first-round submission (armlock), over Jan Finney (3-4) of Springfield, Ohio; Josh Neal
(2-0) of Turlock, Calif., scored a 2:15, opening round knockout over Eric Biondo (2-1) of Sacramento, Calif.; Anthony Ruiz (16-10) of Coarse Gold, Calif., scored a first-round TKO over Jason Geris (4-3) of Sacramento, Calif.; Tony Rubalcava (1-0) registered a first-round TKO over Drew Montgomery (3-2); and Brian Cobb (12-4) defeated John Reedy (2-3) with a rear naked choke at 4:09 in the first round.

EliteXC returns to SHOWTIME on Saturday, Sept. 15 from Hawaii. Viewers and fans can expect to see EliteXC's world middleweight champion, Muilo 'Ninja' Rua, top-notch welterweight Nick Diaz, world-ranked welterweight Jake Shields and women's superstar Gina Carano.

Ruskie Business

The following is an article that was featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Impresario counts on Russians to boost boxing, martial arts ventures

By Jerry Magee
STAFF WRITER

July 5, 2007

Two all-purpose warriors schooled in boxing, kick-boxing and mixed martial arts are in the vanguard of what could become a colony of fighters from Russia based here.

They are Evgeny Khil, 24, and Dennis Grachev, 23. They were brought to San Diego by Mark Dion, proprietor of the City Boxing gym on 14th Street in the downtown area and also of a gym in Pacific Beach.

“If they do everything right, they are going to be my mentors for bringing in other people,” Dion said.

In Russia, Khil and Grachev were most active in kick-boxing, but they boxed in a recent series of four-rounders at the San Diego County Fair. Grachev's appearance was an explosive one. A super middleweight with a shaved head who is known as “the Pirate,” he scored a second-round knockout of an opponent who could not be revived for several minutes.

Khil lost a majority decision to an unbeaten super featherweight, but his defeat did nothing to disabuse Dion of the notion that Khil could have a future in boxing.

“He's a tough kid, that's the thing,” Dion said. “If he can get the technique down, he's money, especially at 126 pounds.”

Should he continue in boxing, Grachev “can be somebody to reckon with,” said Sergio Melendrez, a City Boxing trainer. “He has one-punch knockout power.” But whether Grachev will concentrate on boxing or mixed martial arts has not been determined, according to Dion.

“He likes MMA, and he's super strong,” Dion said. “With City Boxing guys, it's all a matter of which one is going to make the most sense for them as far as a future. There's no money in kick-boxing, so it angles them for MMA or boxing, either way.”

Khil and Grachev are college graduates, Khil in chemistry, Grachev in physical education, but when they came to this country eight months ago, Khil had only a slight understanding of English, Grachev none. Across the street from City Boxing is San Diego City College, where Dion enrolled them in an English course. While learning English, they also have picked up a smattering of Spanish. They share an apartment Dion leased for them in Golden Hill.

“Usually, one hour a day, we try to speak English, for practice,” said Khil, who at the gym is addressed as “Eugene.”

Khil and Grachev are from communities about 100 miles apart. They had known one another for nine years when they made the determination to respond to Dion's summons.

Coming to Southern California meant adjusting to a new lifestyle.

“Every time, when you change your life, you worry,” Khil said.

“Here, everything is different. I have had to change my mentality. In Russia, the mentality is very different than in America. Here, the people are different. Now, I am better. I feel comfortable – almost comfortable.”

Grachev on the things he has come to enjoy: “Beach, nightclubs, gym. Because I like to train,” he said.

Dion manages K.J. Noon, a junior middleweight who is 8-1 with seven knockouts and has signed a promotional contract with Gary Shaw of Showtime. One time, after Noon had been working against a Russian at the Pound Per Pound gym in North Hollywood, Dion and the Russian began talking.

“He said he used to be a kick-boxer,” Dion said. “I said, 'That's funny, I'm looking for a kick-boxing trainer.' He said, 'My friend is a former world champion.' I said, 'What's his name?' ”

His name was Khil. Dion sought out some video on him.

“He was small, which wasn't exactly what I was looking for,” Dion said, “but he had amazing skills. The kid had 240 fights at 24 years old. I don't know anybody with that kind of record. I told Khil, 'Find me a big boy.' Khil told me about Grachev. The only way I was bringing Khil over was if I had a bigger guy than him.”

By Dion's account, he retains one of the leading immigration attorneys in Beverly Hills. Soon enough, the two Russians were encamped at City Boxing, where they serve as instructors.

“If you were that impressed at Del Mar by Dennis, then a year from now, you'll be really impressed because he still has a long way to go,” Dion said. “His whole career has been 150 kick-boxing fights. Eugene is just really crafty, while Dennis is more of a straight-ahead powerhouse. We've got to train Eugene to sit down more on his punches and Dennis to be a little more crafty and get some Mexican-style body punching going on.”

Dion said he has applied to the California State Athletic Commission for a promoter's license for boxing, kick-boxing and MMA and by the end of summer could be offering cards in San Diego if, that is, he can come up with the proper venue.

“When the time is right,” he said he expects to expand the number of Russians campaigning out of City Boxing. In particular, he would like to acquire a heavyweight. Meantime, he has Khil and Grachev. The Russians aren't merely coming to San Diego. They're already here.

Noons Defeats Cannon

KJ Noons improves professional boxing record to 8-1 In a middleweight bout held at the Chumash Casino, KJ Noons gave a dominating performance, and powered through Anthony Cannon with a 60-54 unanimous decision victory on all three judges cards. KJ Noons improves his professional boxing record to (8-1, 5KOs).