LFA brings Featherweight Showdown and Middleweight Tournament Semi-Final to Oklahoma at LFA 102
March 10, 2021 1:16 pm.FRIDAY, MARCH 19
LFA 102: SOUZA vs. JOHNS
MAIN EVENT:
“THE TIGER”
BRUNO SOUZA
VS.
“BABY JOHNS”
ELIJAH JOHNS
FEATHERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
CO-MAIN EVENT
“ROBOCOP”
GREGORY RODRIGUES
vs.
“SWEETNESS”
AL MATAVAO
MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT
SEMI-FINAL FIGHT
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®
GRAND EVENT CENTER
GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT
SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that two promotional fan favorites will headline LFA 102, which will be the second of three March events in the state of Oklahoma. The co-main event of LFA 102 will showcase the second middleweight tournament semi-final bout. The winner will face Josh Fremd in the tournament final with the LFA middleweight title on the line.
LFA 102: Johns vs. Souza takes place Friday, March 19th at the Grand Event Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma, which is an exurb of Oklahoma City. The main event will feature a featherweight showdown between LFA standouts Bruno “The Tiger” Souza vs. Elijah “Baby” Johns. The co-main event will showcase the second middleweight tournament semi-final bout between Dana White’s Contender Series alumni Gregory “RoboCop” Rodrigues and Al “Sweetness” Matavao. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“We are excited to bring another stacked fight card to Oklahoma at LFA 102,” stated LFA CEO Ed Soares. “Bruno Souza vs. Elijah Johns face off in an explosive main event, while Gregory Rodrigues and Al Matavao meet in the second middleweight tournament semi-final bout with a shot at the LFA middleweight title on the line.”
Souza (8-1) is a protégé of former UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. The 24-year-old possesses the same elusive and brutally efficient karate style of his sensei. The Machida Karate black belt is currently riding an eight-fight win streak with the last three coming inside the LFA Octagon. Those wins have come over top prospects Mike Hamel, Kamuela Kirk, and Guilherme Santos. The most recent win over Santos was his most impressive performance to date. “The Tiger” dismantled his rival with sniper-like precision to earn a TKO victory in the second round. Now the young Brazilian, who is actually 13 days older than Johns, looks to continue his dominance at LFA 102.
Johns (7-1) is the younger brother of former LFA bantamweight champion and current UFC star Miles Johns. The 24-year-old prospect followed his brother from their native Kansas to Dallas, Texas where the two train at Fortis MMA. The younger Johns brother, affectionately known as “Baby Johns”, will be headlining his first LFA event one day before his 25th birthday. What makes it even more satisfying is the fact that his journey with LFA began all the way back at LFA 1, where he made his amateur debut. Johns is hoping to seize the moment at LFA 102 that will put him in prime position to continue following in his brother’s impressive footsteps with his biggest win to date.
Currently Announced Main Card (Available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS®):
Main Event | Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
- Bruno Souza (8-1) vs. Elijah Johns (7-1)
Co-Main Event | Middleweight Tournament Semi-Final Bout (185 lb)
- Gregory Rodrigues (7-3) vs. Al Matavao (8-3)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
- Steve Jones (7-1) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (7-3)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
- A.J. Cunningham (7-1) vs. Javier Garcia (5-3)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
- Brandon Lewis (4-0) vs. Jimmy Meza (2-0)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
- Alberto Rodriguez (2-1) vs. Chris Mecate (1-0)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
- Haris Talundzic (1-0) vs. Luis Iniguez (3-0)
Preliminary Card (Available on Facebook.com/LFAfighting):
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
- Andrew Claborn (0-0) vs. Archie Colgan (0-0)
In 2017, RFA and Legacy FC merged to form LFA, the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts. The combined forces of LFA launched the careers of over 200 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC. In 2018, the promotion joined the Imperial Family Companies group (formerly London Trust Media). In 2019, the promotion announced a broadcast partnership with UFC FIGHT PASS®.
Please visit LFA.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Facebook.com/LFAfighting. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.
About LFA:
LFA is a professional Mixed Martial Arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. LFA was formed by the powerhouse merger between RFA and Legacy FC. LFA presents live Mixed Martial Arts events on a monthly basis around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, and Houston. Based in Las Vegas, NV, LFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About UFC FIGHT PASS®:
UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit UFCFightPass.com.
About IMPERIAL FAMILY COMPANIES:
The Imperial Family Companies maintains a diversified portfolio with one common theme: bringing power to the people. The IFC is proud to partner with the LFA management team to showcase the greatest talents of tomorrow. Learn more about the IFC at ImperialFamily.com.
About GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT:
Located a short drive east of Oklahoma City on Interstate 40, our casino features over 125,000 square feet of gaming space filled with over 2,000 of the newest, Vegas-style slots as well as Oklahoma’s only Keno lounge. We also feature a luxury 14 story hotel tower and several great dining selections. When it comes to entertainment we at the Grand Casino deliver world class shows from Vegas-style acts to national caliber events including all music genres, comedians, sporting events, and poker championships. Learn more at GrandResortOK.com.
Tags: Featured
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This post was written by Ryan Bevins
