Uran Satybaldiev had to get through two rounds of hell against massive underdog Leon Soares to keep hold of his LFA Light Heavyweight Championship on Thursday night.
The Kyrgyzstan-based prospect survived past a hectic 10 minutes of action against Soares, leading him to a third-round submission to retain his title and close out LFA 203 from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
While Satybaldiev was heavily favored to win across sportsbooks, Soares made it clear early that he wasn’t going down without a fight. The Brazilian came out swinging immediately, charging at the champ with strikes in the opening moments of the fight.
Both fighters connected with punches while the bout went on the feet, with numerous moments where the champ was reeling due to shots connected by Soares. At times, it seemed hard to tell who was getting the upper hand due to both fighters essentially trading clean strikes. In the close opening rounds, it was the ground control from Satybaldiev—staying active from a top position with ground and pound shots—which gave him an edge in the bout.
Satybaldiev notably marked up the face of Soares early in the second round, slicing open a cut near his hairline with elbows to the head. Soares rallied back later in the round, stinging Satybaldiev with a jab before securing a takedown.
A tired and hurt Satybaldiev needed significant help from his corner to get up to his feet once the second round expired. However, he was able to recover and, a minute later, put together a round which kept him a champion.
Satybaldiev secured a takedown against the equally, if not more tired, Soares early in the second round, immediately moving into side control. He secured the rare kimura submission after two minutes on top, causing a yelp from Soares before he submitted nearly halfway through the round.
Satybaldiev acknowledged afterward that the performance, while thrilling due to its back-and-forth moments, didn’t go as he had hoped.
“I just arrived to America two days ago,” Satybaldiev said through an interpreter. “I had a 20-hour flight. I had the jet lag. I went against all the odds. I didn’t expect the opponent to explode right away like that. I was sure I was going to finish him in the first round, but I got it done in the third round.”
It certainly wasn’t easy, but the win kept Satybaldiev’s LFA streak alive. He previously became champ a year ago, rallying back against Bruno Assis for a fourth-round finish win.
Satybaldiev was given the call to compete on last year’s season of “Dana White’s Contender Series,” an appearance that would’ve given him a chance at joining the UFC roster. However, according to the LFA broadcast, Satybaldiev had to withdraw from his appearance on the show after suffering an injury playing Kokboru (also known as Buzkashi), a traditional horseback riding sport in the country of Kyrgyzstan.
Satybaldiev called for a spot on the UFC roster following his win on Thursday.
Soares, a heavily unfavored prospect heading into this weekend, was making his U.S. debut following a run of three wins on the Brazilian regional scene. Past wins included a 31-second finish victory in 2023.
Earlier in the evening, highly experienced grappler Bea Mesquita earned her fourth pro win, although likely not the way she wanted to. Opponent Hope Chase was disqualified due to illegal kicks, ending the fight after one-and-a-half rounds.
Here are the quick results for LFA 203:
Main Card (11:00PM EST / 8:00PM PST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 9: Uran Satybaldiev def. Leon Soares via Submission, Kimura (RD 3, 2:20) (LFA Light Heavyweight Championship)
Bout 8: Sharaf Davlatmurodov def. Christiano Frolich via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 7: Bea Mesquita def. Hope Chase via Disqualification, Illegal Kick (RD 2, 2:20)
Bout 6: Jose Sandoval def. Aupuni Pagaoa via Submission, Heel Hook (RD 1, 4:57)
Bout 5: Josh Hokit def. Ezekiel Latu via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 0:42)
Bout 4: Stav Koren def. Chase Whitmer via Decision, Unanimous
Preliminary Card
Bout 3: Daniel Araujo def. Azizbek Temirov via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Cameron Sandoval def. Victor Santos via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Ezra Elliott def. Jose Vasquez via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 1:42)
Knockdown News 