Ottawa fighter Mark Holst returns in Muay Thai main event at Lion Fight 30

Mark (Boots) Holst says he never retired from fighting, rather that he took a break while switching jobs at his Ottawa-area gym.

Holst became a manager of the Carleton Place arm of the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts.

“The training kind of stepped down a little bit but I wanted to always stay sharp, stay strong if a fight popped up,” said the former UFC fighter.

Opportunity finally knocked in the form of the Lion Fight Muay Thai promotion.

“I don’t want to pass up any opportunities to fight,” said the 30-year-old Holst. “I’m definitely ready to go any time. At the drop of the hat, I’m good to go.”

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The Ottawa fighter faces American Ky Hollenbeck (33-3-1) on Friday in a middleweight bout, which covers 154 to 160 pounds, in the main event of Lion Fight 30 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

While the spirit was willing, Holst has had to work on his body. The six-footer had a month’s notice to cut down from 200 pounds.

It’s his second outing in the promotion. Holst lost a unanimous decision to Brazilian Cosmo Alexandre at Lion Fight 15 in May 2014. Prior to that, his last MMA bout was a majority decision loss to Argentina’s Fernando (Pitbull) Martinez in December 2013.

Holst, whose record is 19-3-0 in Muay Thai and 12-6-0 in MMA, insists he is in his prime.

“I just got my man strength,” he said with a laugh. “I can’t wait to show it off.”

He is also open to a return to MMA.

“I miss it,” he said. “It’s been a while. I haven’t been in a cage fighting MMA so I always keep that door open.”

In the interim, he sees Muay Thai as a golden opportunity to sharpen his striking skills.

Holst fought twice in the UFC in 2010, losing to John Gunderson and Paul Sass. He recalls falling victim to jitters before his UFC debut, throwing up before and after the decision loss to Gunderson in Las Vegas. Sass, an English submission specialist, stopped him via triangle-choke at UFC 120 in London. 

“I’m thankful, I’m very grateful for the experience,” Holst said of his UFC time. “Obviously I’m not happy about my performance but there’s nothing I can do about that now.”

Holst took the UFC setbacks hard. He had achieved one dream by getting to the UFC but failed to get a win. He felt he had let everyone from his friends to his city down.

Eventually he opted to keep fighting, going 4-3-0 in other MMA promotions.

Along the way, he changed his mentality. He says he is more relaxed and composed, no longer twisting himself into knots before bouts.

“I don’t fight to get the win, I fight to have fun and I fight for myself,” he explained. “Win, lose or draw, I’m going to leave it all in the cage or in the ring.”

The Lion Fight 30 card also features a lightweight title match between Antonina Shevchenko, a native of Kyrgyzstan who now lives in Peru and France’s Annabelle Gely of France. Shevchenko’s sister Valentina is ranked seventh among UFC bantamweights and is scheduled to meet former 135-pound champion Holly Holm, currently the No. 1 contender, on July 23.

Dutch fighter Sergio Wielzen defends his Lion Fight lightweight title against Thailand-based Frenchman Arthur Meyer, who replaces the injured Paul Barber.

Jack Marcisz of Kitchener, Ont., takes on American Paul Banasiak in one of the amateur fights on the undercard.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press