Tag: LFA 100

LFA 100 results: Victor Altamirano earns flyweight gold at milestone event

LFA hit a milestone on Friday – and crowned a new champion.

LFA 100 marked a big milestone for the promotion, which, for the entirety of its existence has served as an unofficial feeder league for the UFC, Bellator and more.

LFA launched in January 2017 following a merger between RFA and Legacy FC. Since that time, LFA has promoted fights involving numerous competitors who went on to sign contracts with the UFC and Bellator.

A vacant flyweight title fight between [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Smith[/autotag] headlined Friday’s card. The bout was a one-way championship fight. Altamirano (9-1) was the only fighter of the two who could walk away with LFA gold because Smith (6-2), who took the fight on five days’ notice, missed weight by 2.6 pounds.

Altamirano won a unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-44) after 25 minutes of competition. It was Altamirano’s striking that proved to be the difference. Although Smith had his moments and secured a few takedowns, he wasn’t able to muster up any significant offense.

As LFA title gold was wrapped around his waist, things came full circle for Altamirano, who competed as an amateur at LFA 1 in January 2017.

Altamirano, 30, has won three straight fights. His only professional loss came to former UFC flyweight Jarred Brooks in October 2019.

The co-main event was a back-and-forth scrap and the finishing sequence was a turning of the tides. When [autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag] was dropped by [autotag]Karlee Pangilinan[/autotag], he not only got back to his feet; he found a way to win. Johnson got up, grabbed hold of Pangilinan, and submitted Johnson with an anaconda choke.

In the card’s most violent moment, [autotag]Steven Nguyen[/autotag] returned from a nearly two-year layoff and violently face-planted opponent [autotag]Jorge Juarez[/autotag] with a brutal knockout punch. As Juarez’s unconscious body laid facedown on the canvas, Nguyen followed up with a vicious hammerfist. The fight was stopped 30 seconds into the opening round.

Earlier in the night, Tony Ferguson protege [autotag]Tommy Aaron[/autotag] channeled his inner “El Cucuy” flinging a barraged of wild and whacky strikes at opponent [autotag]Gerald Scott[/autotag]. A high-paced battle ended in Round 3 when Aaron (7-4) submitted Scott (4-1) via rear-naked choke.

On the Facebook prelims, [autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag], wife of former UFC lightweight champion and current Bellator fighter Benson Henderson, won her amateur MMA debut. She defeated fellow debutant [autotag]Amanda Mitchell[/autotag] by unanimous decision.

LFA 100 took place Friday at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The main card streamed on UFC Fight Pass after prelims on Facebook.

Full LFA 100 results include:

  • Victor Altamirano def. Nate Smith via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-44)
  • Charles Johnson def. Karlee Pangilinan via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 1:41
  • Steven Nguyen def. Jorge Juarez via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:30
  • Tommy Aaron def. Gerald Scott via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:57
  • Christian Natividad def. Evan Woolsey via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
  • Emmanuela Moliere def. Amber Danielson-Smith via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-26)
  • Maria Henderson def. Amanda Mitchell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) – amateur bout

Video: Maria Henderson, wife of Benson Henderson, wins MMA debut at LFA 100

Watch Maria Henderson, wife of Benson Henderson, debut in mixed martial arts.

[autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag] is one-for-one inside the cage.

Henderson (1-0 amateur), the wife of former UFC lightweight champion and current Bellator fighter [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], defeated Amanda Mitchell (0-1 amateur) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Friday.

The amateur strawweight fight served as the card-opening bout at LFA 100.

Despite having a Brazilian jiu-jitsu background, Henderson, 28, displayed her striking abilities throughout the fight. In Round 1, both fighters gave and took damage. A southpaw like her husband, Henderson displayed an effective body kick. Mitchell countered consistently with a right hand.

Round 2 began with more striking. Eventually, the MMA Lab’s Henderson clinched and landed knees against the fence. This came much to the delight of Benson, who served as his wife’s lone cornerman for the fight. Upon the break, Mitchell was visibly gassed. The two fighters exchanged until the end-of-round horn.

At the beginning of Round 3, Henderson engaged the clinch immediately. Once separated, both fighters, despite their visible exhaustion, pushed themselves to continue exchanging until the final bell – both absorbed big shots.

Check out Maria Henderson’s MMA debut from LFA 100 in the video below.

LFA 100 took place Friday at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The main card streamed on UFC Fight Pass after prelims on Facebook.

LFA 100 announced: Flyweight title fight headliner, tournament bout featured

MMA’s premiere feeder league has announced a milestone event.

LFA is on the verge of a milestone event.

The unofficial UFC and Bellator feeder league will host its 100th event, LFA 100, on Friday, Feb. 19 at the Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan., the promotion announced Wednesday. The event’s main card will stream on UFC Fight Pass after prelims on Facebook.

LFA launched in January 2017, following a merger between Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Legacy FC. Since that time, LFA has promoted fights involving numerous competitors who went on to sign contracts with the UFC and Bellator.

LFA 100’s main event will have the vacant LFA flyweight title on the line. American [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag] (8-1) and undefeated Brazilian [autotag]Carlos Mota[/autotag] (5-0) will square off for title gold.

UFC flyweight Jimmy Flick was the last man to hold the promotion’s 125-pound title, but he vacated after a UFC contract-earning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series.

In LFA history, there have been five 125-pound champions. None of them have needed to put forth a successful title defense to get a call to the big show. Roberto Sanchez, Casey Kenney, Brandon Royval and Brandon Moreno all were signed by the UFC before putting their belts on the line.

Joining the flyweight title challengers at LFA 100 is a middleweight tournament semifinal fight between DWCS alumni [autotag]Anthony Adams[/autotag] (8-2) and [autotag]Gregory Rodrigues[/autotag] (7-3). The winner will take on Josh Fremd (7-1), who was victorious at Friday’s LFA 98, for the LFA middleweight title later this year.

Additionally, DWCS alum [autotag]Steven Nguyen[/autotag] (6-1) takes on [autotag]Raihere Dudes[/autotag] (8-1) at featherweight. The fight will be Nguyen’s first since he was knocked out by Aalon Cruz on DWCS in 2019.

The current LFA 100 lineup includes:

  • Victor Altamirano (8-1) vs. Carlos Mota (5-0) – for vacant flyweight title
  • Anthony Adams (8-2) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (7-3) – middleweight tournament semifinal
  • Steven Nguyen (6-1) vs. Raihere Dudes (8-1)
  • Charles Johnson (7-2) vs. Karlee Pangilian (6-0)
  • Christian Natividad (2-0) vs. Evan Woolsey (1-1)

[vertical-gallery id=391998]