Regional promotion LFA will showcase middleweights on Friday, as Josh Fremd and Bruno Oliveira will compete in the main event of their card. Here’s a full preview of LFA 98, which is set to happen at the Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, USA.
Click here to skip to a preview of the main card.
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Bout 1: Marisa Chavez (0-0) vs. Marisol Ruelas (1-2) (Flyweight)
Marisa Chavez will make her pro debut on the prelims against Marisol Ruelas. Chavez will begin her career as a pro after a string of wins on the amateur scene. Per Tapology, Chavez has won four fights from 2017 to 2019.
Ruelas will attempt to even her pro record with a win. Her last fight was a stoppage loss to Criszaida Adames in 2019. Her sole win was in high-level regional promotion Combate Americas.
Bout 2: Dan Olajiga (0-0) vs. Obinwa Ikebunna (1-0) (Middleweight)
Both early in their careers, Dan Olajiga and Obinwa Ikebunna will compete on the prelims. Ikebunna will be competing in LFA for the first time. His first pro win was in November of 2019, where he defeated Lee Hagel with strikes in the first round.
Olajiga will be fighting as a pro for the first time. His last amateur fight was in August, where he caught Znick Ferrell with a submission in the second round.
Main Card (9:00PM EST / 8:00PM CST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 3: Tabatha Ricci (3-0) vs. Vanessa Marie Grimes (1-5) (Strawweight)
Returning for her second LFA fight, Tabatha Ricci will face Vanessa Marie Grimes on the main card. Ricci won her LFA debut in September, where she defeated Kelsey Arnesen on scorecards.
Marie Grimes will look to break a steep five-fight losing streak. The fifth loss in the series was taken in August on a Summit FC card.
Bout 4: Dakota Bush (7-2) vs. Austin Clem (4-1) (Lightweight)
LFA veteran Dakota Bush will fight on the main card against Austin Clem. Bush returned to the win column in his last fight, defeating Brian Del Rosario with a first-round rear naked choke submission in October. His previous fight, a decision loss, came against now-Bellator fighter Jaleel Willis.
Clem will be competing under the LFA banner for the first time as a pro. He earned his most high-profile victory just under a year ago, defeating Aaron Chalmers on a Bellator card.
Bout 5: Zac Pauga (1-0) vs. Ashby Thomas (1-0) (Light Heavyweight)
Six-months after winning his pro debut, Zac Pauga is back to fight fellow light heavyweight Ashby Thomas. Pauga won his pro debut on an LFA lineup in July, winning a decision against Zac Cavender, who entered the bout with four pro bouts under his belt.
Thomas won his pro debut in February of 2020, winning over Awsome Thurman on a California Cage Warriors show.
Bout 6: Joshua Silveira (3-0) vs. Matt Paul (3-2) (Light Heavyweight)
Just three months after winning his LFA debut in 2020, Joshua Silveira is back for the promotion, this time fighting Matt Paul. Silveira defeated Fernando Alvarado in his last fight, securing an arm traingle choke in the third round to stop the fight.
The fight on Friday will be Paul’s first since 2018. His last bout was a win against Cameron Olson via submission.
Bout 7: Richard Palencia (7-0) vs. Jeimeson Saudino (9-6) (Bantamweight)
Undefeated bantamweight Richard Palencia will return to LFA on Friday, fighting Jeimeson Saudino. Palencia has built an impressive record throughout the years that includes two LFA wins and most recently a win against Frederico Olivera in Combate Americas. While Palencia does hold momentum with his victories, he has been out of action since 2018.
Saudino earned a needed win in his last fight, defeating Micah Stockton to conclude a five-fight losing streak. The skid included losses to UFC fighters Jimmy Flick and Ray Borg and dated back to 2013.
Bout 8: JJ Okanovich (7-1) vs. Lucas Clay (6-1) (Lightweight)
Lightweights JJ Okanovich and Lucas Clay will meet in the co-main event of the card. While Okanovich has high-profile wins, including five in Bellator, Friday night will be his first fight in LFA. His last fight was a 2019 victory over Christian Lohsen on “Dana White’s Contender Series.” Despite the win, Okanovich was not signed by the UFC.
While Clay was absent from action in 2020, the previous year saw him pick up victories over John Ramirez and Craig Fruth. Clay last fought in LFA back in 2018.
Bout 9: Josh Fremd (6-1) vs. Bruno Oliveira (8-2) (Middleweight)
Josh Fremd and Bruno Oliveira will compete in a three-round non-championship fight in the main event of the evening.
Fremd enters the fight with the momentum of four consecutive wins. His last two fights, which both took place in LFA, were the first-round stoppages. He last competed in October of 2020, where he stopped Antonio Jones via knockout in the first round.
Fremd’s two wins under the LFA banner in 2020 earned him the “Fighter of the Year” award in the promotion’s fan choice awards.
Entering LFA for the first time, Oliveira will try to return to the win column. His last fight was a stoppage loss to Carlos Ulberg in November on UFC TV show “Dana White’s Contender Series.” Before the loss, Oliveira had three consecutive wins from 2016 to 2019.
FURTHER READING: Josh Fremd Feels He Will Be ‘A Completely Different Fighter’ At LFA 98
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