Dominic Bennett Targets Coleman Kickboxing 155-Pound Title After IKF Tournament Appearance
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Dominic Bennett discusses his IKF tune-up and October 24 Coleman Kickboxing title opportunity.
Dominic Bennett is not interested in protecting his record by waiting for comfortable opportunities. The Indiana kickboxer wants activity, difficult opponents and the chance to prove that his recent success represents a permanent turning point in his career.
Bennett recently told JMurrayAthletics that he is considering competing in an IKF tournament-style event on August 1 or August 2. He described the appearance as an opportunity to sharpen his skills rather than a traditional fight-card assignment.
The larger objective comes on October 24, when Bennett is scheduled to challenge for the Coleman Kickboxing 155-pound title against what he described as a “very game opponent.”
The two appearances represent different stages of the same plan. The August tournament would allow Bennett to remain active and test his timing, conditioning and decision-making under pressure. The October championship fight will determine whether he can carry his recent momentum into one of the most important opportunities of his amateur career.
Bennett Continues His Climb Through Regional Kickboxing
Bennett’s Coleman Kickboxing title opportunity follows a stretch in which he has become increasingly willing to travel, change weight classes and accept difficult matchups.
During his appearance on the JMA Podcast, Bennett discussed winning a Rival FC kickboxing championship and following that performance with a third-round stoppage victory on April 18. Rather than allowing those wins to create complacency, Bennett has continued searching for opportunities that can move his career forward.
He has competed at different weights, including contests around 165 and 170 pounds, but the October 24 fight will bring him down to the 155-pound division.
The move is being made with the guidance of his coach, Ryan Gosnell, and the team at Risen Muay Thai. Bennett said he has generally felt comfortable competing around 165 pounds because the weight does not require a difficult cut. However, his team believes the move to 155 could place him against opponents who are closer to his natural size.
Bennett has not yet competed at 155 pounds, making the Coleman Kickboxing title fight both a championship opportunity and an important test of how his body performs in the new division.
Trusting the Game Plan
One of the clearest themes from Bennett’s interview was the trust he has developed in his coaching team.
Bennett credited Gosnell with designing the game plan behind his recent stoppage victory. That experience strengthened Bennett’s willingness to listen when his coach recommended moving down in weight.
For Bennett, coaching is not simply about receiving instructions between rounds. It is about trusting someone who can recognize weaknesses, identify favorable matchups and prepare a strategy that may not always be obvious to the fighter.
That trust has helped Bennett improve his combinations, movement and ability to create angles during exchanges. He believes those improvements have separated the fighter he is today from the less experienced version who began his career.
Bennett said the difference was not created by one dramatic change. More conditioning, more combination work and more consistent training gradually transformed his performances.
Those improvements will be critical against a Coleman Kickboxing opponent Bennett considers one of the most technical and well-rounded fighters he has faced.
The October 24 Fight Carries Added History
The Coleman Kickboxing 155-pound title matchup is not simply a meeting between two unfamiliar fighters.
Bennett and his October opponent have repeatedly found themselves on opposite sides of the regional martial arts scene. Their teammates have competed against one another, and both men have spent time working from opposing corners at previous events.
Now, instead of supporting other fighters from across the ring, they will finally compete directly.
That history gives the championship fight additional meaning for Bennett. He is not only pursuing another belt for himself; he also sees the matchup as an opportunity to represent Risen Muay Thai and settle a competitive rivalry that has developed between the teams.
Bennett expects the fight to be technical and physically demanding. His opponent is taller, experienced and capable of presenting problems Bennett has not encountered in previous contests.
There will be no easy path to the Coleman Kickboxing title.
That is exactly why the fight matters.
An IKF Tournament Could Provide Valuable Preparation
Before Bennett reaches October 24, he is looking at a possible IKF appearance on August 1 or August 2.
Bennett emphasized that the event would be structured more like a tournament than a traditional fight card. The goal is not to manufacture another major storyline or championship opportunity. It is to remain sharp.
Tournament competition can demand quick adjustments, disciplined energy management and the ability to respond to different styles with limited preparation. Those conditions could provide Bennett with meaningful experience before beginning the final stages of his Coleman Kickboxing training camp.
The appearance would also continue Bennett’s commitment to activity.
He has repeatedly spoken about wanting to compete more frequently than he did earlier in his career. Bennett believes regular competition forces him to remain accountable in the gym while providing the experience needed before eventually turning professional.
His long-term plan is to continue developing through the remainder of his amateur eligibility, evaluate his progress with his coaches and potentially make the professional transition after building a stronger foundation.
Fighting for More Than Another Belt
Bennett’s career has developed alongside responsibilities outside the gym.
He works for Move You Forward LLC, a moving-labor company serving customers within approximately 150 miles of Terre Haute, Indiana. He is also a father to a four-year-old son and must balance fight camps with the time and stability required by his family.
Those responsibilities make every fight camp a calculated commitment.
Bennett has openly acknowledged that consecutive camps can be difficult for his family. He understands that staying active must be balanced against work, recovery and being present at home.
That reality makes his progress more significant.
He is not pursuing championships from a position of unlimited time or resources. He is working, raising a family, training and building relationships with local sponsors while attempting to establish himself in a regional fight scene that often requires athletes to create their own opportunities.
After winning the Rival FC title, Bennett personally approached local businesses about sponsorship. Instead of waiting for someone to discover him, he walked into B&R Automotive with his championship belt and explained why he believed he was worth supporting.
The business owner attended one of Bennett’s sparring sessions and later agreed to sponsor him.
That willingness to promote himself has helped Bennett manage the expenses associated with travel, equipment and time away from work. It has also demonstrated the same quality visible inside the ring: Bennett is prepared to take action instead of waiting for ideal circumstances.
Proving He Is More Than a “50 Percent Fighter”
Bennett summarized his career position bluntly during the JMA Podcast.
After experiencing three losses and three wins, he said he had reached a midpoint and needed to prove that he was not simply a “50 percent guy.”
His recent performances have begun changing that narrative.
Winning a Rival FC championship, earning another stoppage victory and securing a Coleman Kickboxing title opportunity have placed Bennett on a clear upward trajectory. However, Bennett understands that momentum only matters when it is followed by results.
The possible IKF tournament on August 1 or August 2 will be another chance to develop. The Coleman Kickboxing 155-pound title fight on October 24 will be the opportunity to prove that development under championship pressure.
Bennett is not presenting himself as a finished product. He is still learning how his body will respond at 155 pounds, continuing to improve his grappling and evaluating when the professional transition should happen.
What he has already demonstrated is the willingness to keep moving forward.
Another championship would strengthen his position within the Midwest kickboxing scene and bring him closer to the professional career he is building toward. More importantly, it would validate the work completed since the early losses that once left his record sitting at an even mark.
On October 24, Bennett will have the chance to leave with more than another belt.
He will have the chance to show that the fighter who began his career and the fighter now challenging for the Coleman Kickboxing 155-pound title are no longer the same person.
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