LFA brings explosive Crosstown Rivalry to Oklahoma at LFA 104

April 7, 2021 2:13 pm.

FRIDAY, APRIL 16
LFA 104: McKENZIE vs. PHILLIPS

MAIN EVENT:

AARON McKENZIE
vs.
BRANDON PHILLIPS

LIGHTWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®

GRAND EVENT CENTER

GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT
SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will be returning to Oklahoma in April after hosting three events in the state in March. LFA 104 will feature an explosive crosstown rivalry when the promotion returns to the Sooner State. The event will serve as the first of three events the promotion will host in the OKC area in April.

LFA 104: McKenzie vs. Phillips takes place Friday, April 16th at the Grand Event Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma, which is an exurb of Oklahoma City. The main event will feature a lightweight showdown between OKC rivals Aaron McKenzie and Brandon Phillips. 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 return to Oklahoma in April,” stated LFA CEO Ed Soares. “The main event at LFA 104 will feature two of our most promising lightweight prospects, Aaron McKenzie and Brandon Phillips. Both fighters are local to the area, with a bit of cross town rivalry. This is the perfect way to kick off the first of three events this month at the Grand Casino.”

McKenzie (9-2-1) returns to the LFA Octagon after winning his first two fights for the promotion last year. The Rafael Lovato Jr. protégé is known for his precision striking, grappling prowess, and all-around toughness. The Bellator veteran quickly showcased these attributes after signing with LFA. In the co-main event of LFA 88, he survived a powerful onslaught from Brazilian powerhouse Gláucio Eliziário, only to flip the script, and end the fight with a Rear Naked Choke in one of the best first rounds of 2020. McKenzie returned two months later in the co-main event of LFA 94. This time, the 32-year-old defeated The Ultimate Fighter 27 (TUF 27) runner-up Joe Giannetti via Unanimous Decision.

Phillips (8-3) returns to MMA after a two-year foray into the world of professional kickboxing. The American Top Team OKC product is now looking to assert himself as the top lightweight in OKC when he makes his LFA debut. Before embarking on his recent kickboxing career, Phillips was successful in MMA, where he earned a pair of victories in Bellator. The 31-year-old also gained valuable experience fighting some of the best talent in the world. Two of those fights came against Bryce Mitchell and A.J. McKee Jr. Mitchell and McKee Jr. currently hold a combined 31-0 record and are two of the fastest-rising names in the sport. Phillips fought them in back-to-back fights in a span of 3 months.

Main Card (Available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS®):

Main Event | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)

Aaron McKenzie (9-2-1) vs. Brandon Phillips (8-3)

Co-Main Event | Flyweight Bout (125 lb)

Carlos Candelario (7-0) vs. Yuma Horiuchi (7-3)

Middleweight Bout (185 lb)

Julien Leblanc (5-1) vs. Joel Bauman (3-1)

Welterweight Bout (170 lb)

Kelvin Rayford (5-2) vs. Chris Brown (5-3)

Catchweight Bout (150 lb)

Javier Garcia (6-3) vs. Timothy Teves (5-2)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)

Thomas Petersen (3-0) vs. Odell Pantin (1-1)

Middleweight Bout (185 lb)

Obinwa Ikebunna (2-1) vs. Roland Dunlap (1-0)

Preliminary Card (Available on Facebook.com/LFAfighting):

Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)

Melissa Oddessa (0-0) vs. Sidney Trillo (0-0)

Featherweight Bout (145 lb)

Tristin Kamaka (0-0) vs. Gunner Coronado (1-1)

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 220 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

Categorized in: Featured, News

This post was written by Ryan Bevins