LFA will hold their first event of 2021 on Friday, presenting a nine-fight card from the Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, USA.
The main event of the show will see the promotion look for a new lightweight champion, as Nick Browne and Arthur Estrazulas will compete for the 155-pound belt.
Follow along throughout the evening for live coverage of the event.
A full preview of the card can be viewed here.
Quick Results:
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Bout 1: Shane Shapiro def. Cam Ansel via Submission, Kimura (RD 1)
Bout 2: Claire Guthrie def. Nadine Mandiau via Decision, Unanimous
Main Card (9:00PM EST / 8:00PM CST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 3: Thomas Petersen def. Richard Luis via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:19)
Bout 4: Josh Quinlan def. Joe Boerschig via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 3:28)
Bout 5: Michael Stack def. Jordan Mapa via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:00)
Bout 6: Loveth Young def. Kelly D’Angelo via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:36)
Bout 7: Kamuela Kirk def. Guilherme Santos via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:25)
Bout 8: Jacob Rosales def. Jose Martinez via Decision, Unanimous
Live Coverage:
Bout 9: Nick Browne (10-1) vs. Arthur Estrazulas (12-4) (Vacant LFA Lightweight Championship)
Browne Outlasts Estrazulas In Five-Round Battle To Become New LFA Lightweight Champion
Nick Browne endured a back-and-forth fight against Arthur Estrazulas in the main event to become the new LFA Lightweight Champion. The unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46 & 48-46) win for Browne saw him have sharp striking as well as moments on the ground that forced Estrazulas to escape.
Browne had his best rounds late, capitalizing on the fatigue of Estrazulas to stay on the attack.
Browne scored a takedown early in the fourth round, looking for a rear naked choke from the back of Estrazulas. Estrazulas was able to escape the choke and take control on top for the rest of the round.
Fatigue became significant for Estrazulas in the final round, as Browne kept aggressive, charging forward and landing a takedown. Browne put together a hard series of hammerfist punches on top at one moment.
Browne looked again for a rear naked choke in the final minute of the fight. After Estrazulas slipped out of the choke, Browne landed punches in full mount before looking for another submission in the closing seconds.
“I definitely seen him breathing hard,” said Brown in his post-fight interview. “It’s great to see him winded as I’m winded.”
Browne’s takedowns and work on the ground would not only help him attack in the fight but also stop the momentum that Estrazulas was able to build.
Estrazulas connected with a two-punch combo early in the third round that floored Browne. Browne was able to get up to his feet and shoot for a takedown while recovering, eventually getting Estrazulas down after.
Browne mentioned after the fight that his goal was to focus on striking, although keeping the fight on the feet would leave him open to take some shots.
“He was catching me coming in and overextended,” said Browne afterwards.
Both fighters entered the bout after two consecutive wins in LFA previously.
The lightweight bout was first booked for a card in November, although plans changed after a cornerman for Browne tested positive for COVID-19.
Browne is now the fifth lightweight champion in LFA’s history. The previous champion, Bryce Logan, vacated the belt in 2020 after signing with Bellator.
Bout 8: Jacob Rosales (12-6) vs. Jose Martinez (11-4) (Lightweight)
Rosales Earns Controlling Win To Bounce Back
Putting together a good showcase of strikes and submission attempts, Jacob Rosales earned a decision win (29-27, 29-27 & 30-25) over Jose Martinez in the co-main event of the evening.
The fight was Rosales’ first since losing an LFA Lightweight Championship fight to Bryce Logan in July of 2020.
Rosales had Martinez in trouble in the first round, putting in a deep anaconda and guillotine on the ground. Martinez was able to escape the chokes and return to the feet.
Rosales landed a knee to the head that dropped Martinez halfway through the second round. While the referee let the fight continue, the knee connected while Martinez had both of his knees down, making him a grounded fighter and making the strike illegal in theory
Rosales took the back of Martinez after the knockdown from the knee in the second round, throwing a fast series of punches that did loads of damage but did not end the fight.
While the fight slowed down in the final round, Rosales continued to control the striking.
Martinez entered the fight after three-straight wins in the regional scene. He had previously competed in LFA back in 2018, where he lost to Dakota Bush.
Bout 7: Kamuela Kirk (9-4) vs. Guilherme Santos (8-3) (Featherweight)
Kirk Breaks Losing Streak, Stops Santos Within A Round
Kamuela Kirk was able to put together sharp strikes and eventually stop Guilherme Santos in the final minute of the first round, turning the tides in a fight that Santos had a good start in.
A right hard hurt Santos in the fourth minute of the fight. Putting Santos against the cage in the final minute of the round, Kirk unloaded with shots that folded him and stopped the fight.
While Santos landed some shots early, Kirk eventually took control and looked comfortable in the cage. Kirk was able to throw flashing strikes like spin kicks and front kicks.
Kirk snapped a two-fight losing streak with the win. The two losses came against Bruno Souza and now-UFC fighter Billy Quarantillo.
Kirk called out Andrew Yates after the fight, who was meant to fight him before an injury pulled him from the card.
Santos was also entering the fight following a loss, as he was stopped by Bruno Souza in November of 2020.
Bout 6: Loveth Young (2-1-1) vs. Kelly D’Angelo (4-3) (Strawweight)
Young Drops D’Angelo With Punches To Earn Second-Straight Win
Showcasing her heavy punches, Loveth Young was able to storm forward with shots that dropped Kelly D’Angelo and stopped the fight in the second round.
Young was aggressive before the stoppage, putting together punches to the head and body that backed D’Angelo up and cut her.
The win was Young’s second-straight via stoppage. Her previous LFA win was October, where she stopped Reena Norville within a round.
D’Angelo was coming back up to strawweight from atomweight in the fight. Her previous fight was a decision loss to Alesha Zappitella in February of 2020.
Bout 5: Michael Stack (4-1) vs. Jordan Mapa (3-2) (Featherweight)
Stack Wins With Ground and Pound, Returns To Win Column
Michael Stack bounced back from his first loss as a pro on Friday, defeating Jordan Mapa on the main card. Keeping active with strikes on the ground, Stack threw punches from the back of Mapa that caused the referee to end the fight.
Stack’s previous fight, his only loss as a pro, was a decision against Kai Kamaka III, who is now a UFC fighter.
The fight was Mapa’s first after over a year outside the cage. His previous bout was a loss to Zaxton Kamaka in August of 2019.
The bout was first booked for November, although it was shifted to this card due to COVID-19 complications.
Bout 4: Josh Quinlan (3-0) vs. Joe Boerschig (6-3) (Welterweight)
Quinlan Remains Undefeated With Ground and Pound Win
Dominant ground and pound gave Josh Quinlan a win on the main card, stopping Joe Boerschig in the third round. Quinlan kept a steady pace of punches from full mount in the round, causing the referee to eventually intervene.
The win kept Quinlan undefeated as a pro. His previous fight was his LFA debut, where he stopped Pete Keepers with punches in the second round. All four of his wins as a pro have come via stoppage.
Most of the fight took place on the feet. While Boerschig landed some shots early and showed his toughness throughout, it was clear that Quinlan had the better striking.
Quinlan showed a wide range of strikes on the feet, putting together leg kicks along with shots to the head and body.
There were two instances where Boerschig was able to score a takedown, although both times Quinlan was quick to reverse the position on the ground.
The fight was Boerschig’s return to MMA after some bouts in kickboxing and boxing. His previous MMA fight was in March of 2019, where he lost a decision to Lowrant-T Nelson.
Bout 3: Thomas Petersen (2-0) vs. Richard Luis (2-2) (Heavyweight)
Petersen Earns One-Punch Walk-Off Victory
It took one punch for Thomas Petersen to win his fight on Friday, dropping Richard Luis with a left cross in the opening minutes of the competition. The walk-off win for Petersen kept him undefeated through three fights as a pro.
Petersen made his LFA debut in 2020, defeating Brian Peterson within two minutes.
Luis entered the fight with an even record of two wins and two losses. His most recent fight before Friday was a win against Josh Bonner in October of 2019.
Bout 2: Claire Guthrie (1-1) vs. Nadine Mandiau (1-1) (Flyweight)
Guthrie Wins LFA Debut, Smothers Mandiau on The Ground
Claire Guthrie earned her first LFA victory to finish the prelims, defeating Nadine Mandiau via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27). The win for Guthrie came after three rounds where she controlled Mandiau on the ground.
Guthrie smothered Mandiau throughout all three rounds, scoring numerous takedowns and often keeping Mandiau down for numerous minutes after.
The bout was Guthrie’s first after a stint in Invicta FC. Her previous fight was a split decision loss to Caitlin Sammons.
Mandiau made the move up from strawweight for the fight. Her previous fight was a win over Melissa Cervantes on a Combate Americas card in 2019.
Bout 1: Shane Shapiro (0-0) vs. Cam Ansel (0-1) (Lightweight)
Shapiro Wins Pro Debut Quickly With Kimura
Shane Shapiro had a quick pro debut victory to kick off the prelims, submitting Cam Ansel with a kimura in the second minute of action.
Shapiro showed his proficiency on the ground, maneuvering around Ansel before finding the kimura for a tap. The fight went down early as Shapiro was quick to shoot for a takedown.
Shapiro had prior experience as an amateur in MMA, although his previous fight was all the way back in 2016.
Ansel’s pro debut was in 2019, where he lost to Kristian Bouchard.
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