Just one night before UFC will present a trilogy championship fight in their flyweight division, LFA will showcase the best 125-pound fighters on their roster. In the main event of LFA 122, Charles Johnson will look to defend his LFA Flyweight Championship for the first time when facing undefeated prospect Carlos Mota. The title bout headlines a card that will take place at The Factory at the District in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Here’s a full preview of the card.
Click here to skip to a preview of the main card.
Preliminary Card
Bout 1: Jared Medley (1-0) vs. Zac Moore (5-4) (Amateur Catchweight 150 lbs)
In the first of three amateur fights on the card, Jared Medley will meet Zac Moore at a catchweight.
Medley had a successful amateur debut just last month, submitting Dalton Rose in the third round of a fight.
Moore has fought in LFA before, having made his amateur debut for them back in 2019. He enters this fight on a two-fight losing streak for the first time in his career.
Bout 2: Jacob Highly (2-0) vs. Arvin Mills (2-11) (Amateur Welterweight)
Undefeated welterweight Jacob Highly will look for his third amateur win when facing Arvin Mills.
Highly debuted in October, stopping his opponent in just 57 seconds. Two months later, he returned to earn a decision victory against Cameron Collins.
Mills, a fighter with a negative record, enters Friday on a four-fight losing streak.
Bout 3: Will Monroe (10-2-1) vs. Avery Wilson (5-0) (Amateur Heavyweight)
In the final amateur fight, Avery Wilson will face Will Monroe at heavyweight.
Wilson has put together a strong record of five wins since his amateur debut in 2017. He went the distance for the first time in October, defeating Shelby Hill on a B2 Fighting Series card.
Monroe is the most experienced amateur fighter on the card, entering the weekend with a record of 15 appearances. He bounced back from a loss in his last showing, scoring a submission victory in October.
Bout 4: Elmar Umarov (3-1) vs. Turner Williams (0-1) (Welterweight)
Attempting to bounce back from his sole pro loss, Elmar Umarov will fight Turner Williams on the prelims.
Umarov was given his first loss in August, as he was finished within a round by Benjamin Bennett. He had previously attained three wins, including an LFA victory over Cody King.
According to Tapology, Williams lost his pro debut back in 2017 to Roger Kupfer.
Bout 5: Brittney Cloudy (3-3) vs. Annette Nichols (2-0) (Bantamweight)
The prelims will wrap up with a fight between Brittney Cloudy and Annette Nichols.
Nichols scored two wins in her rookie year as a pro, beating Rainn Guerrero and Brookie Mayo in 2021.
Cloudy has appeared on an LFA card before, losing a fight in early 2020. She snapped a two-fight skid in her last appearance, defeating Sarah Kleczka in November.
Main Card (9:00PM EST / 8:00PM CST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 6: Dan Moriarty (1-0) vs. Jett Shell (2-1) (Catchweight 130 lbs)
The main card, which is five fights in total, will open with a fight between Dan Moriarty and Jett Shell. The event was set to have another fight on the main card between Fred Freeman and AJ Cunningham. However, that bout was withdrawn Thursday after illness pulled Freeman from the card.
Moriarty made a statement in his pro debut last year, scoring a first-round stoppage win over Joey Scanlan in August. He will look to build on that performance in this fight.
Shell is fighting for the first time in his rookie year. While he lost his debut to Enrique Marte in May 2021, he later picked up two first-round finish wins in the year.
Bout 7: Jeremiah Curtright (4-2) vs. Sarek Shields (1-0) (Welterweight)
In a fight that is much like the main card opener, Sarek Shields will face Jeremiah Curtright.
Shields won his pro debut in July, defeating Cameron Robinett at CageSport 61. He was turning pro after a strong amateur career of five wins and just one loss.
Curtright has the experience advantage in this fight, having fought six times as a pro. He is also on a strong four-fight winning streak from last year that was all finish victories.
Bout 8: William Starks (7-2) vs. Glaucio Eliziario (9-7) (Lightweight)
Glaucio Eliziario will attempt to break a three-fight losing streak when he meets William Starks.
Eliziario has yet to win since joining LFA, as he has lost three fights with the promotion. He was finished last time around, getting slammed by Chris Brown in July 2021.
On the other hand, Starks has won three in a row. This streak includes an August 2021 LFA appearance that saw him submit Irfan Mulabitinovic with a rear naked choke.
Elizario missed weight for the fight yesterday, coming in nearly four pounds over the limit.
Bout 9: Brant Moore (9-1) vs. Arthur Estrazulas (12-5) (Catchweight 165 lbs)
Making his first appearance after losing a title fight early last year, Arthur Estrazulas will face Brant Moore in the co-main event of this card.
Estrazulas challenged for the promotion’s lightweight belt in January 2021, facing Nick Browne for the vacant title. He went five rounds in the fight, but in the end, lost via unanimous decision. This defeat broke a two-fight winning streak that he had developed previously.
Moore is entering Friday with the hopes of keeping a long winning streak alive. He has won seven consecutive fights since 2018, including four in the LFA cage. His most recent victory dates back to February 2021, when he beat Ago Huskic on scorecards.
Moore missed weight for the catchweight fight on Thursday, coming in one-and-a-half pounds over the limit.
Bout 10: Charles Johnson (10-2) vs. Carlos Mota (6-0) (LFA Flyweight Championship)
Charles Johnson has the chance to defend his LFA Flyweight Championship for the first time when he meets Carlos Mota in Friday night’s main event.
Johnson became LFA’s interim titleholder in July, going the distance against Yuma Horiuchi for a split decision win. Despite that fight being a war on the feet, Johnson came back just a month later to finish Joao Camilo in a title fight and defend his interim belt for the first time.
Johnson was later promoted to the main flyweight champion in LFA after the former titleholder Victor Altamirano departed the roster to sign a contract with the UFC.
This bout actually isn’t the first time Mota has been considered for a title fight. He was booked to fight Altamirano in 2021, however, that fight didn’t come to fruition. Mota has attained an undefeated record of six wins since debuting in 2016. He scored his second LFA victory in July when the promotion went to Brazil. In that fight, he beat Jefferson Oliveira via unanimous decision.
Mota’s previous win was a short appearance, as he stopped George Martinez in just 36 seconds for his LFA debut two years back.
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