LFA brings the Flyweight Championship to St. Louis at LFA 122

December 30, 2021 11:30 am.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21
LFA 122: JOHNSON vs. MOTA

MAIN EVENT:

CHAMPION
CHARLES “INNER G” JOHNSON
vs.
CHALLENGER
CARLOS “TIZIL” MOTA

FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT

LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®

THE FACTORY AT THE DISTRICT
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT LFATIX.COM

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Missouri in January. LFA 122 will feature a flyweight world title fight when the promotion returns to the Show Me State. This will be the fifth event the promotion has hosted in the state of Missouri.

LFA 122: Johnson vs. Mota takes place Friday, January 21st at The Factory at the District in St. Louis, Missouri. The main event will feature a flyweight title fight when undisputed LFA flyweight champion Charles “Inner G” Johnson defends his title against top undefeated prospect Carlos “Tizil” Mota. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for LFA 122: Johnson vs. Mota are on sale NOW at THEFACTORYSTL.COM. Special 8-Seat VIP Tables can be reserved by calling 303-521-0966 or online at LFATIX.com.

“We are excited to bring the flyweight championship to St. Louis in January,” stated Soares. “Charles Johnson had one of the most impressive breakthrough years of any prospect in 2021. He is now our undisputed flyweight champion after going 3-0 last year, which includes winning and defending the interim title. He will now look to defend the undisputed title against Carlos Mota, who was originally set to fight for the title at LFA 100. Mota shined at LFA 112 in Brazil and is eager to get his long-awaited title fight at LFA 122.”

Johnson (10-2) returns home to St. Louis after enjoying a breakthrough year in 2021. The man known as “Inner G” made a triumphant return to the LFA Octagon on the historic LFA 100 card that crowned Victor Altamirano the new flyweight champion. The win came via Anaconda Choke against previously undefeated Karlee Pangilinan. More notably, it came after the Midwest grappler spent two and half years away from MMA to train his Muay Thai striking skills in Thailand. Johnson continued his run by winning the interim title at LFA 110 against Japanese standout Yuma Horiuchi since Altamirano set to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series. Then not wanting to wait for a title unification bout with Altamirano, Johnson defended his interim title against João Camilo eight weeks later at LFA 114. This was the quickest turnaround for a title defense in LFA history. Now with Altamirano in the UFC, Johnson is the undisputed champion.

Mota (6-0) is one of the most promising flyweight prospects to emerge from the MMA hotbed of Brazil in recent years. The Brazilian dynamo burst onto the global MMA scene with a thrilling performance in his North American debut at LFA 79. The jiu-jitsu black belt faced another top undefeated prospect George Martinez that night, but he surprised his American opponent with a body kick KO just 36-seconds into their encounter. The win earned him a shot at the title at LFA 100, but travel issues from his native Brazil prevented his title fight against Altamirano. Mota then set his sights on fighting on the first LFA event in Brazil this past July, but when his opponent was forced to withdraw at the LFA 111 weigh-in, the always game Mota moved up two weight classes and defeated Jeferson Oliveira just two days later at LFA 112. Now the 26-year-old is looking to become the first Brazilian to capture the LFA flyweight championship.

Currently Announced Main Card (Available worldwide on UFC Fight Pass):

Main Event | Flyweight Title Bout (125 lb)

  • Charles Johnson (10-2) vs. Carlos Mota (6-0)

Co-Main Event | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)

  • Brant Moore (9-1) vs. Arthur Estrázulas (12-5)

Feature Fight | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)

  • William Starks (7-2) vs. Glaucio Eliziário (9-7)

Featherweight Bout (145 lb)

  • A.J. Cunningham (8-2) vs. Fred Freeman (3-3)

Currently Announced Preliminary Card:

Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)

  • Kelly D’Angelo (5-4) vs. Tiani Valle (3-3)

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 260 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®. In 2021, the LFA expanded internationally by hosting multiple events in Brazil.

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 Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix , Denver, Dallas, and Minneapolis. 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 THE FACTORY AT THE DISTRICT:
A brand-new music club built on a foundation of solid rock and roll. The first built from-the-ground-up performance venue in the Midwest in over twenty years. 52,000 square feet constructed specially for live events with every detail designed for the performers and the audience. Located in St. Louis’ upscale community of Chesterfield, The Factory is one of the anchors in the new entertainment complex – The District. The Factory is surrounded by restaurants, shops and entertainment options designed to appeal to everyone. Visit TheFactorySTL.com for more information.


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This post was written by Ryan Bevins