LFA brings International Bantamweight Showdown to the Sooner State at LFA 138

June 27, 2022 10:01 pm.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
LFA 138: FARIAS vs. TANAKA

MAIN EVENT:

7x BJJ WORLD CHAMPION
ARY FARIAS
vs.
5x UFC VETERAN
MICHINORI TANAKA

INTERNATIONAL BANTAMWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT

GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT
SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA

TICKETS ON SALE 10:00 AM CST, WED. JUNE 29th AT LFATIX.COM

LIMITED VIP TABLES AVAILABLE NOW AT 303-521-0966

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Oklahoma in August. LFA 138 will feature a high-stakes bantamweight showdown between two of the division’s top international stars when the promotion returns to the Sooner State. LFA 138 will be the thirteenth LFA event to take place in the state.

LFA 138: Farias vs. Tanaka takes place Friday, August 5th at the Grand Event Center inside the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Oklahoma, which is an exurb of Oklahoma City. The main event will feature a bantamweight showdown between seven-time BJJ world champion Ary Farias and five-time UFC veteran Michinori Tanaka.

“We are excited to bring the LFA back to the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Oklahoma,” stated Soares. “Ary Farias is a seven-time BJJ world champion from Brazil and Michinori Tanaka is a five-time UFC veteran from Japan. They are two of our biggest international stars and will meet in the main event of LFA 138. They are both excited to return to the LFA Octagon with the world watching on August 5th.”

The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for LFA 138: FARIAS vs. TANAKA will go on sale 10:00 AM CST, Wednesday June 29th at LFATIX.com.

A limited number of VIP tables are available for pre purchase now by calling 303-521-0966.

Farias (11-3) is on a short list when it comes to debating who is the most decorated BJJ practitioner to ever compete in MMA. The seven-time BJJ world champion was born into the world of combat sports in Manaus, the state capital of Amazonas in northwestern Brazil. At the age of 11, Farias signed on to ASLE, one of the top BJJ academies in the world. This is the same academy where UFC star Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and LFA women’s strawweight champion Jaqueline Amorim were developed prior to making the move to MMA. Farias lived and trained with Jacare for the next five years at the ASLE training camp. He would eventually make the move to Rio de Janeiro and has trained extensively with some of the biggest names in BJJ such as Ricardo Vieria, Rogerio Camões, Yuri Simoes, and Ramon Lemos. Farias has already competed twice under the LFA banner and is the owner of one of the flashiest submission wins of 2019 when he submitted Devante Sewell at LFA 71.

Tanaka (14-3) is one of the most revered fighters in Japan, which is the birthplace of several martial arts and home to one of the most knowledgeable MMA 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 Tanaka, when he was a young judoka and 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 then earned two victories in Japan before signing with the LFA in 2020. The pandemic delayed his debut for the promotion, but the wait was well worth it as he defeated Ricardo Dias in the main event of LFA 117. He now looks to defeat another Brazilian star in the main event of LFA 138.

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

Main Event | Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)

  • Ary Farias (11-3) vs. Michinori Tanaka (14-3)

Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)

  • Askar Askar (13-2) vs. Diego Silva (14-7)

Featherweight Bout (145 lb)

  • Elijah Johns (8-2) vs. Masuto Kawana (5-1)

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 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 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 combat 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 maintain 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:

Categorized in: ,

This post was written by Ryan Bevins