Rangel de Sá (10-1) vs. Ismael Bonfim (14-3)
The Legacy Fighting Alliance has a special treat in store for its fans this weekend. The longtime feeder league for the UFC is headed to Brazil for a pair of shows this weekend. It starts on Friday with LFA 111. The card is loaded with prospects, including lightweight headliners Rangel “Anaconda” de Sá and Ismael “Marreta” Bonfim.
The 24-year-old de Sá has been competing as a professional since 2016. He won his first four fights before dropping a decision to Henrique Gomes. Anaconda responded to the setback by reeling off six straight wins while facing progressively more experienced and skilled fighters. His most recent fight lasted less than two minutes before he was rewarded with a slam knockout of Ary Santos to secure the Shooto Brazil 166-pound belt. Four wins in his current streak have come via first-round knockout, which brings his career tally to five victories via strikes and three by way of submission.
Rob Wilkinson (13-2) vs. Sam Kei (8-5)
The Hex Fight Series returns this weekend with a card that’s heavy on amateur bouts and only includes a handful of professional contests. However, the headlining title tilt is certainly worthy of our attention. Light-heavyweight kingpin and former UFC fighter Rob Wilkinson puts his belt on the line against the company’s heavyweight champion, Sam Kei.
Wilkinson has spent much of his career, including his UFC tenure, at middleweight. He had the misfortune of meeting the formidable duo of Siyar Bahadurzada and eventual UFC champ Israel Adesanya in his two Octagon appearances. Needless to say, Wilkinson did not fare well in either affair. Prior to his time with the UFC, though, the Aussie had compiled a perfect 11-0 mark since his 2011 debut. Once he departed the UFC, he took a detour into the realm of kickboxing and won two fights. He returned to MMA in late 2019 and added his 12th career win with a first-round submission of fellow UFC castoff Dylan Andrews. Wilkinson then notched a first-round finish via strikes of Daniel Almeida for the Hex gold. He now has seven submission victories and five knockouts on his resume. Wilkinson suffered both of his losses via stoppage due to strikes.
Dilano Taylor (5-1) vs. Carlos Matos (8-1)
Titan Fighting Championship returns for its 69th event on Friday. The show is a co-promotion with the Dominican Republic’s Fighting Force organization and features title fights for both companies. The Titan championship affair is a clash for the vacant welterweight title between prospect Carlos Matos and up-and-comer Dilano Taylor.
The 24-year-old Matos made his pro debut in 2017 and has been nearly perfect ever since. “El Matador” secured each of his first four victories by rear-naked choke. He added a triangle-choke submission of the formerly undefeated Reynaldo Acevedo in his fifth outing and then resorted to using his fists to secure his next two victories. Matos was finally stopped by Joziro Boye in a November 2019 fight. His most recent appearance opposite Islam Bagavutdinov was a return to the basics: it ended in a first-round rear-naked-choke finish for Matos. This will be the highest-profile contest yet for the Team Mordan representative.
Juan Puerta (21-6) vs. Lloyd McKinney (14-7)
Combate’s latest transformation from Combate Americas to Combate Global has been accompanied by a regular set of late-night events. The latest, dubbed “Superfly,” features an interesting flyweight scrap between Juan Puerta and Lloyd McKinney.
The 33-year-old Puerta made his pro debut in a losing effort in 2011, and he ultimately went just 3-3 through his first six fights. Of course, the American Top Team Atlanta product’s record has improved since then. He reeled off five straight wins before suffering a knockout loss courtesy of Johnny Campbell. Another three victories followed, but then Puerta hit a rough patch in which he dropped back-to-back fights against Darren Mima and Jared Scoggins. Yet again, he has gotten back on track with 10 consecutive wins, including a finish of Gustavo Balart, a title victory over Kazbek Ashimov, and a decision nod over veteran Claudio Ledesma. Overall, “Leadfeather” has 11 submission finishes.
Paweł Pawlak (17-4-1) vs. Sergey Guzev (20-3)
Poland’s Babilon MMA returns with its 21st show on Friday. The lineup consists primarily of inexperienced upstarts, but the headliner is a pairing of veterans with gold on the line. Middleweight kingpin and UFC veteran Paweł Pawlak attempts to defend his crown when he meets Ukraine’s Sergey Guzev.
Pawlak’s short-lived UFC stint came in 2014-15. “Plastinho” entered the big show with a perfect record through 10 pro outings, but the Octagon proved to be a reality check. Pawlak lasted just over a year in the organization and only managed one win in three appearances. The victory came via decision over Sheldon Westcott, but it was sandwiched between losses to Peter Sobotta and future UFC title contender Leon Edwards. After two fights and just one win with Poland’s Fight Exclusive Night promotion, Pawlak settled in as a fixture for Babilon MMA. He has gone 5-1-1 over his last seven fights with only one foray outside of the company. The 32-year-old captured the middleweight strap in his most recent appearance in November when he defeated Adrian Błeszyński by way of a unanimous decision.
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Every week, Combat Press takes a look at three regional, developmental and international cards from the upcoming weekend, previewing from each a single fight to which people should pay close attention. We will also list other significant bouts from the card, as well as information on how to follow each promotion and watch the events.
Let’s discover those prospects that fight in obscurity, waiting for their shot at the bright lights and big stage of the UFC, and those veterans looking for one more chance at stardom.
It all begins here, from the small convention centers and high school gymnasiums to the developmental leagues that serve as a launching pad to the big show. It all begins with promotions such as these…