(Supplied/Leo Bonin)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

title shot on the line

Red Deer’s Leo ‘Lyon’ Bonin fighting for title shot, top amateur featherweight ranking

Mar 21, 2023 | 12:48 PM

A Red Deer fighter is looking to punch his ticket to a future title shot with a win at the upcoming Unified 50 MMA event.

Leo ‘Lyon’ Bonin (4-2-0) will take on Dartmouth, Nova Scotia’s Abdel Abdelaziz (2-1-0) March 31 from River Cree Resort and Casino to claim the nation’s number one ranking in the amateur featherweight (145 lb) division. He currently sits third with his opponent ranked 28th.

A win would propel Bonin, 24, towards an opportunity at Unified’s vacant amateur featherweight championship, and then a chance to consider defending it for a time or going pro.

“It’s going to be complete and total domination, and be finished within a round or two. I don’t want to drag it out to a decision. I want to get a finish on this guy,” says Bonin, who fights out of Black Dragon gym in Red Deer.

“I’ve been prepping for his takedowns, his striking, his tempo and his overall skillset. I’ve been prepping for eight weeks.”

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That includes cardio in the morning, and on average, a four-hour workout after the work day is done.

“It’s early mornings and late nights,” the Brazilian jiu jitsu specialist says of his regimen.

The fight is scheduled to be contested over three three-minute rounds.

For Bonin, it’s the biggest overall collision of his career, simply because of the stage and because he’s yet to hold a title.

“I’ve been waiting to get my shot,” he says. “This won’t be the toughest fight I’ve had, but it’ll be my biggest showing. I’m excited to bring the changes and improvements I’ve made into this fight.”

He adds that being on the card means a lot because it also includes renowned Canadian fighter Ryan Ford’s final MMA fight.

Bonin last fought in December, winning by unanimous decision. Abdelaziz is on a two-fight win streak dating back to last October.

Unified 50 will be Bonin’s sixth straight fight on a Unified card. It can be watched on UFC Fight Pass.