LFA brings Bantamweight Showdown to California’s Central Valley at LFA 117
October 8, 2021 4:47 pm.FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5
LFA 117: DIAS vs. TANAKA
MAIN EVENT:
BRAZILIAN DYNAMO
RICARDO DIAS
vs.
UFC VETERAN
MICHINORI TANAKA
BANTAMWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®
VISALIA CONVENTION CENTER
VISALIA, CALIFORNIA
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT VISALIATIX.COM
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to California in November. LFA 117 will feature a high-stakes bantamweight showdown between two of the division’s top international stars when the promotion returns to the Golden State. LFA 117 will be the tenth LFA event to take place in the state.
LFA 117: Dias vs. Tanaka takes place Friday, November 5th at the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, California. The main event will feature a bantamweight showdown between Brazilian dynamo Ricardo Dias and Japanese UFC veteran Michinori Tanaka. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Tickets are on sale now at VISALIATIX.com.
“We are excited to bring the LFA back to the Central Valley of California,” stated Soares. “Brazil’s Ricardo Dias and Japan’s Michinori Tanaka are two of our biggest international stars and will meet in the main event. Dias is coming off a ‘Knockout of the Year’ level performance, while Tanaka is excited to return to the global stage. The world will be watching when they meet in the main event of LFA 117.”
Dias (10-4) is one of the hottest prospects in the sport after shining in his first two fights for the LFA. The dynamic Brazilian is a native of Niterói, which is known as “Cidade Sorriso” (Smile City) and Dias has been all smiles since signing with the LFA in 2020. In his promotional debut at LFA 89, he upset top Hawaiian prospect Desmond Torres with a hard-fought Split Decision victory. The 30-year-old Kings MMA product would then return at LFA 107 this past May against M-1 veteran George Garcia. Dias would play spoiler once again, when he recorded one of the most devastating knockout victories of 2021. Dias landed a perfectly timed flying knee that leveled his opponent before becoming a viral highlight on the Internet. He is now eager to headline his first LFA event at LFA 117.
Tanaka (13-3) is one of the most revered fighters in Japan, which is the birthplace of several martial arts and home to one of the most MMA-savvy fanbases in the world. The world-class Japanese fighter is a native of Yokohama, which has been the host city to many legendary MMA events for PRIDE FC as well as the K-1 World Grand Prix Final in 2008. This made the transition to MMA a natural move for the young judoka when he made his MMA debut for Shooto in 2010. In fact, Tanaka won his first five fights for Shooto, where he won the 2011 rookie 132-pound tournament. After compiling a perfect 10-0 record, Tanaka signed with the UFC where he fought five times. Tanaka has since earned two victories in Japan and the 30-year-old is ready to return to the world stage at LFA 117.
Currently Announced Main Card (Available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS®):
Main Event | Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
- Ricardo Dias (10-4) vs. Michinori Tanaka (13-3)
Co-Main Event | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
- Batsumberel Dagvadorj (7-2) vs. Erick Sanchez (10-6)
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 250 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 VISALIA CONVENTION CENTER:
The Visalia Convention Center offers more than 114,000 square feet of beautiful convention space, offering the best options for event planners of all backgrounds including a convenient location with diverse activities, affordable rates, and extraordinary personal service. In October 2020, the Visalia Convention Center announced that it was awarded the Global Biorisk Advisory Council(R) (GBAC) Star accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. This announcement made the Visalia Convention Center the first convention center in the Central Valley of California to be industry-accredited in outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response. Visit visalia.city/depts/convention_center for more information.
Tags: Featured
Categorized in: Featured, News
This post was written by Ryan Bevins
