LFA Flyweight Champion Charles Johnson will attempt to defend his belt for the first time on Friday night, facing undefeated prospect Carlos Mota in the main event of a show from The Factory at the District in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Follow along throughout the evening for live coverage of LFA 122.
A full preview of the card can be read here.
Quick Results:
Preliminary Card
Bout 1: Zac Moore def. Jared Medley via Decision, Unanimous (Amateur)
Bout 2: Will Monroe def. Avery Wilson via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:38) (Amateur)
Bout 3: Elmar Umarov def. Turner Williams via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 2:57)
Bout 4: Brittney Cloudy def. Annette Nichols via TKO, Doctor Stoppage (RD 1, 3:14)
Main Card (9:00PM EST / 8:00PM CST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 5: Dan Moriarty def. Jett Shell via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:48)
Bout 6: Sarek Shields def. Jeremiah Curtright via TKO, Unable To Answer Bell (RD 2, 5:00)
Bout 7: Glaucio Eliziario def. William Starks via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 8: Arthur Estrazulas def. Brant Moore via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 1:08)
Bout 9: Charles Johnson def. Carlos Mota via TKO, Strikes (RD 5, 0:45) (LFA Flyweight Championship)
Live Coverage:
Bout 9: Charles Johnson (10-2) vs. Carlos Mota (6-0) (LFA Flyweight Championship)
Johnson Earns Fifth-Round Stoppage To Defend Belt, Hand Mota First Loss
Charles Johnson had a tough win in Friday’s main event, stopping Carlos Mota early in the fifth round of a fight to defend his LFA Flyweight Championship.
Johnson was hurting Mota right out the gate in the final round, backing him up with shots that were landing cleaner than in previous rounds. After Mota was rocked by a shot, Johnson came forward with a right hook and a right cross that knocked him down and finished the fight.
The fight was an incredibly close battle prior to the stoppage, as a fast pace from Johnson and Mota held up for four rounds. The momentum of the fight went back and forth, with the momentum swinging frequently. Mota certainly had his moments in the fight, statistically keeping up with Johnson on the feet.
The fight was Johnson’s third title win in LFA. He became the promotion’s interim LFA Flyweight Champion in July 2021, going five rounds for a split decision win over Yuma Horiuchi.
Just a month later, he stopped Joao Camilo to defend his belt. He was promoted to the main LFA Flyweight Champion recently after former titleholder Victor Altamirano signed with the UFC.
After the fight, Johnson mentioned that he wants a shot in the UFC next.
“In the last 365 days I’ve beaten two undefeated fighters … I feel like what else can I do?” said Johnson in his post-fight interview.
Johnson wasn’t the only person who thinks he’s ready for the UFC shot. In agreement were the fans in attendance and those who run LFA as a promotion.
“He’s made his footprint here in the LFA history. I hope to see him move onto that next level now,” said LFA CEO Ed Soares on the broadcast.
Mota entered the weekend with an undefeated record of six wins. This included two previous LFA fights, including a 36-second victory he earned in 2019.
Bout 8: Brant Moore (9-1) vs. Arthur Estrazulas (12-5) (Catchweight 165 lbs)
Estrazulas Earns Quick Win In Return
Arthur Estrazulas made a splash in his return on Friday night, stopping Brant Moore early in the first round of their co-main event fight. The win saw Estrazulas shut Moore down early with shots to the body.
Estrazulas first hurt Moore with a lead kick to the body. Moments later he dropped him with a left hand to the body, causing the fight to end.
Estrazulas was making his first appearance in a year. His prior bout was a loss to Nick Browne, competing for LFA’s lightweight belt in 2021. He had a two-fight winning streak before then.
Moore had a long seven-fight winning streak entering Friday, including four LFA victories. He missed weight for the catchweight, coming in one-and-a-half pounds over what was expected.
Bout 7: William Starks (7-2) vs. Glaucio Eliziario (9-7) (Lightweight)
Eliziario Out-Strikes Starks To End Losing Streak
Glaucio Eliziario prevailed in a close war against William Starks, going three rounds in a striking battle to pick up a unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27).
Eliziario and Starks were trading shots on the feet early. Eliziario gained somewhat of a lead after the first round, having the higher output of punches in the frame.
The pace of the fight maintained throughout, causing a visible amount of damage to both fighters by the end.
Eliziario’s best moment was in the third round when he scored a knockdown with a right cross punch.
Eliziario snapped a three-fight losing streak with the win, giving him his first victory since 2018. It was also his first win since joining LFA. He missed weight for the fight on Thursday, coming in nearly four pounds over the lightweight limit.
Starks entered the weekend after winning three consecutive fights, including a prior appearance in LFA.
Bout 6: Jeremiah Curtright (4-2) vs. Sarek Shields (1-0) (Welterweight)
Shields Overwhelms Curtright With Ground And Pound For Win
Sarek Shields put on a dominant win over Jeremiah Curtright, landing a high volume of ground and pound shots to end their fight in the second round.
Shields spent most of the second round in a controlling position on the ground, using this position to land quick combinations of punches. These shots took a toll on Curtright, giving him hesitancy to get out of his corner in-between rounds. Because of this visible hesitancy, the referee decided to stop the fight.
Shields won his MMA debut in July, defeating Cameron Robinett via unanimous decision on a CageSport card.
Curtright entered the bout on a strong four-fight winning streak in MMA. This included a first-round stoppage win he earned just last month.
Bout 5: Dan Moriarty (1-0) vs. Jett Shell (2-1) (Catchweight 130 lbs)
Moriarty Prevails With Heel Hook To Remain Undefeated
Dan Moriarty picked up a sudden win in a back-and-forth fight against Jett Shell, submitting him in the second round with a heel hook.
Moriarty was able to apply a heel hook submission while on his back, eventually extending the submission to get a tap from Shell. This finish came just seconds after he was seemingly in trouble, getting dropped by knees to the head from Shell to start the second round.
The finish saw a new type of Moriarty in the cage.
“I never used jiu-jitsu in fights. I think [I mostly use] wrestling. Wrestling and striking. But jiu-jitu’s cool,” he said in his post-fight interview.
The first round of the fight was also close, as Shell showed aggression with submission attempts and striking.
Moriarty is now undefeated with two wins. He won his pro debut in August 2021, stopping Joey Scanlan in the first round with strikes.
Shell entered after winning two consecutive fights.
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