A new Tachi Palace Fights light heavyweight champion will be crowned Thursday when veteran Anthony Ruiz battles rising talent Angel DeAnda in the main event of TPF 15 “Collision Course.”
Additionally, the Nov. 15 show will offer up a bantamweight co-main event, as “Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 qualifier Carson Beebe collides with onetime Palace Fighting Championship titlist Rolando Velasco. A pair of featherweight bouts will also be featured, as Anthony Avila meets Darren Crisp Jr. and Art Arciniega faces Alexander Crispim.
A veteran of 46 fights, Ruiz last competed Aug. 11 in Russia, where he was outpointed by two-time Bellator tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko. The setback snapped a four-fight winning streak for Ruiz, who previously fought for both the Strikeforce light heavyweight title and the TPF middleweight belt earlier in his career. Known as “A-Train,” the American Kickboxing Academy talent owns 16 of his 29 pro victories by way of knockout.
By contrast, DeAnda holds just 10 pro wins to his credit, posting a 90 percent knockout rate during his four-year career. However, the Californian’s two losses have also come by way of knockout, the most recent of which was delivered by UFC veteran James Irvin just over two years ago. Since stumbling against “The Sandman,” DeAnda has won three straight, most recently knocking out Drew Montgomery two months ago at TPF 14.