LFA will return on Friday with some late-night action from the Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. While the card is without a title fight, a series of prospects are set to take to the cage during the event. In the headlining fight, undefeated welterweight prospect Alfonso Leyva will face Daniel Reis.
Here’s a full preview of the card.
Click here to skip to a preview of the main card.
Preliminary Card
Bout 1: Enrique Barcenas (1-0) vs. Scott Hokit (1-0) (Amateur Lightweight)
In the first of two amateur bouts, Enrique Barcenas and Scott Hokit will face off.
Barcenas made a splash in his amateur debut just two months back, stopping Caleb Encinas in the first round with strikes.
Hokit had his debut on an LFA card last year. He went three rounds against Raul Mendoza in his first appearance, winning via decision in the end.
Bout 2: Chance Ikei (3-0) vs. Shamar Williams (3-0) (Amateur Lightweight)
Amateur undefeated records will collide on the prelims, as lightweights Chance Ikei and Shamar Williams will meet.
Barcenas has put together a trio of victories since debuting in 2020. His last fight was a decision over Jesus Borrego in March.
Williams’ wins have come more recently, earning three victories since debuting in November 2021. He scored a win on a CES card in May, defeating Keegan Hessler via split decision.
Bout 3: Angel Atoigue (0-0) vs. Nick Alwag (1-2) (Featherweight)
The card will switch over to pro bouts with a fight between Angel Atoigue and Nick Alwag.
Atoigue will be making his pro debut in this fight. He is transitioning to pro after scoring four wins as an amateur, with the victories being stretched out from 2016 to 2021.
Alwag will be aiming to even his pro record. He took his second pro loss in February 2020, getting stopped in just over a minute by Marcus McGhee.
Bout 4: Cedric Katambwa (1-0) vs. James Hay (3-2) (Lightweight)
Coming off a successful pro debut, Cedric Katambwa will face James Hay on Friday night.
Katambwa won his first pro fight in late 2021, defeating Ray Orsborn at LFA 119. He succeeded on the amateur scene before then, earning six wins and one loss.
Hay will be making his LFA debut on this card. His last appearance, which came just over a year ago, was a decision loss to Angel Alvarez at Titan FC 70.
Bout 5: An Ho (1-0) vs. Matt Barro (0-1) (Flyweight)
Flyweights An Ho and Matt Barro are scheduled to wrap up the prelims.
Ho had an explosive pro debut in February, stopping Guilherme Crossi in the first round of a fight due to strikes. This win was following up on a highly successful amateur career, scoring seven consecutive wins from 2018 to 2021.
Barro is looking for his first pro win. He lost his debut in late 2021, getting stopped by Charles Alex.
Barro didn’t have a successful amateur career like Ho. Instead, his run in the scene resulted in three wins and six losses.
Main Card (11:00PM EDT / 8:00PM PDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 6: Maria Henderson (0-0) vs. Melanie McIntyre (0-0) (Strawweight)
Maria Henderson, the wife of Bellator fighter Benson Henderson, will make her pro debut on the main card against Melanie McIntyre.
Henderson started competing just last year. She fought three times as an amateur, winning two fights via submission and also earning a decision victory.
McIntyre will also be turning pro. While she started her amateur career with three wins, she later took two consecutive losses. What’s more, her last fight was back in 2018.
Bout 7: Marcus McGhee (4-0) vs. Rafael do Nascimento (6-1) (Bantamweight)
Undefeated Marcus McGhee will face Rafael do Nascimento on Friday night.
McGhee will be fighting in the LFA octagon for the first time. He found success in the RUF cage from 2020 to 2022, scoring four straight finish victories due to strikes. His last win, a May victory, saw him stop Rodney Mondala in just 58 seconds.
Nascimento also has an impressive record of six wins and just one loss. He is returning after somewhat of a layoff, with his last victory being in 2019.
Bout 8: Jena Bishop (2-0) vs. Luana Santos (3-0) (Flyweight)
In a clash between two undefeated flyweights, Jena Bishop and Luana Santos will meet.
Bishop picked up her first two wins as a pro in the fall of 2021, submitting Helen Lucero and defeating Dione Barbosa on scorecards. She’ll be fighting for that third victory this weekend.
Santos has picked up her three wins in Brazilian regional promotion SFT. Her last victory came in April when she submitted Beatriz Ferreira in the third round.
Bout 9: Paris Stanford (5-3) vs. Allan Begosso (6-1-1) (Bantamweight)
Fighting to bounce back from his first pro loss, Allan Begosso will face Paris Stanford.
Begosso suffered his sole pro defeat in December 2021, dropping a decision to Richie Palencia. He had six wins and one draw before then, including a pair of victories in LFA.
Stanford will be returning to LFA for the first time since 2019. He has struggled in recent years, having lost two straight bouts.
Bout 10: Austin Wourms (5-3) vs. Lucas Clay (8-2) (Lightweight)
Coming off an unsuccessful title fight, Lucas Clay will return against Austin Wourms this weekend.
Clay attempted to claim LFA’s lightweight belt in April. He went a total of five rounds against Aaron McKenzie, but dropped a split decision in the end.
Clay earned this title fight through a solid run from 2019 to 2021, scoring four straight victories. As part of this campaign, Clay earned two LFA wins.
Wourms is currently amid a run of his own. He has scored a trio of victories since October 2021, with all of them coming via armbar submission in under two minutes. It will be discovered this weekend whether he can keep this electric run going.
Bout 11: Felipe Bunes (11-6) vs. Wascar Cruz (13-9) (Flyweight)
Experienced flyweights Felipe Bunes and Wascar Cruz will serve as the co-main event for LFA 135.
Bunes has struggled in recent years. Since 2019, the flyweight has won only one of his five pro appearances. His last fight was a defeat to UFC alum Jussier Formiga, who submitted him in the second round with a rear naked choke.
Cruz broke a two-fight skid on an LFA card earlier this year, pulling off a first-round submission against Karlee Pangilinan. Before then, he had appearances in promotions like Titan FC and Combate Global.
Bout 12: Alfonso Leyva (5-0) vs. Daniel Reis (8-1) (Welterweight)
Welterweight prospects Alfonso Leyva and Daniel Reis will meet in the final bout of the night. Both making their LFA debuts, the fight offers them an opportunity to make a statement on a new stage.
Leyva has put together five wins in the Mexican MMA promotion UWC. He first debuted in September 2020 and has won all of his fights via finish since then. His last victory was in November 2021, when he finished Alberto Galera with strikes.
Friday will be a significant step-up in competition for Leyva. The combined record of his five previous opponents is three wins and three losses, which is much less than what his next target has attained.
Reis has been fighting as a pro since 2013. He started by attaining seven wins and one loss from 2013 to 2016, then went absent from the sport for a few years. He is moving to LFA after winning in his return earlier this year, submitting Dennys Alcocer in the first round via rear naked choke.
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