[autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] was successful in his first fight since leaving the UFC with a submission win over [autotag]Batsumberel Dagvadorj[/autotag] in the LFA 103 headliner.
Carlyle (10-3) went tit-for-tat with Dagvadorj in the grappling exchanges to start the fight. Eventually he found an opening to take the back, though, and sunk in a rear-naked choke to force the tap at the 4:00 mark of Round 1.
The lightweight fight closed the LFA 103 card, which took place at Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Okla., and streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
Spike gets it done! Chalk one up for whatever the bad guys are called in Star Wars. #LFA103 pic.twitter.com/rENkYwR0tz
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 27, 2021
After joining the UFC roster with a first-round TKO win over Aalon Cruz in February 2020, Carlyle would go on to lose decisions to Billy Quarantillo and Bill Algeo to set up hi subsequent release from the promotion.
He signed with LFA and got a main event slot, fighting at 155 pounds rather than his usual at featherweight.
Carlyle didn’t look undersized by any means. He managed to get some key takedowns and overwhelm Dagvadorj on the mat to lock in the submission get the victory on his resume.
He felt so good, in fact, that Carlyle said he could see himself sticking around at lightweight moving forward.
“I think I can do ’45 or ’55,” Carlyle said in his post-fight interview. “I like to stay active so ’55 I feel great. I can make the weight in two weeks and there’s no power difference. I can still make the weight.”
Complete LFA 103 results included:
- Spike Carlyle vs. Batsumberel Dagvadorj via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:00
- Vanessa Demopoulos def. Cynthia Arceo via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:37
- Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady def. Jake Sebastion via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:12
- Fernie Garcia def. Isaiah Batin-Gonzalez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
- Luciano Ramos def. Kendrick Latchman via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
- Josh Quinlan def. Dallas Jennings via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:36
- Jacobi Jones def. Cameron Ansel via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:22
- Giovanna Canuto def. Amanda Lovato via verbal submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:51