AUSTIN VANDERFORD AND BIA MESQUITA
SET TO MAKE PROMOTIONAL DEBUTS AT LFA 194
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
LFA 194: MAGOMEDOV vs. LEYVA
Presented By MONSTER ENERGY
NEW ADDITIONS:
BJJ LADY GOAT
BIA MESQUITA
DWCS VET
AUSTIN VANDERFORD
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®
SENECA NIAGARA RESORT & CASINO
NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.COM
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA 194 will feature a total of fourteen fights, which includes a pair of can’t miss prospects that will be making their promotional debut. Both will be in action prior to the previously announced championship headliner between Shamidkhan Magomedov (8-1) and Alfonso Leyva (7-1).
Austin Vanderford (11-2) will return to action two years after ascending the ranks of the Bellator middleweight division. “The Gentleman” signed with Bellator after winning a bout at welterweight on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018. He then proceeded to win his first five bouts at middleweight for the promotion to improve his record to 11-0. This earned Vanderford a Bellator middleweight world title shot against all-time great Gegard Mousasi in 2022. Prior to MMA, Vanderford was an NAIA national champion and two-time NAIA All-American, while wrestling at Southern Oregon University. The decorated athlete now looks to reinvent himself back at welterweight as he comes from an uber-competitive household as he is married to former UFC star and reality television personality Paige VanZant.
Bia Mesquita (1-0) will be making one of the most anticipated American soil debuts in MMA this year. The Brazilian super-prospect began training Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 5. By the time she was 10, she had won the Brazilian National Junior Championships, three State Championships, and several other major tournaments. After receiving her black belt from Jiu-Jitsu legend Leticia Ribeiro thirteen years ago, Mesquita would embark on a black belt career that would earn her the nickname “BJJ Lady G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time)” as she is now a member of the Guinness World Records and International Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Hall of Fame. She accomplished this by becoming the only person to win 10 gold medals, which is the record for the most IBJJF World Championship titles at the black belt level. The Jiu-Jitsu phenom made the switch to MMA earlier this year and is now eager to build her name in the sport by competing internationally for the LFA.
LFA 194: Magomedov vs. Leyva, presented by Monster Energy, takes place Friday, October 18th at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. The main event will feature an interim welterweight title fight when interim champion Shamidkhan Magomedov defends his title against two-time Olympic wrestler Alfonso “Sniper” Leyva. 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 bring another explosive title fight to New York at LFA 194,” stated Soares. “Our incredible American and Canadian fan base give us an incredible international atmosphere at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, which is a world-class venue and worldwide destination. The venue will now host two of our biggest international stars in the championship headliner. Shamidkhan Magomedov won the LFA interim welterweight title at this venue in February. He was then invited to compete on the thirty-second season of The Ultimate Fighter. He will now defend his title against Alfonso Leyva, who is a two-time Olympian in Greco-Roman Wrestling from Mexico. The winner will get a chance to unify the title against current champion Vanilto Antunes depending on the outcome of his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series this summer.”
Tickets for LFA 194: Magomedov vs. Leyva are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.
Main Card (Worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Interim Welterweight Title Bout (170 lb)
Shamidkhan Magomedov (8-1) vs. Alfonso Leyva (7-1)
Co-Main Event | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Cedric Gunnison (7-3) vs. Mirafzal Akhtamov (7-0-1)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
Erick Viscondi (13-3) vs. Busurmankul Abdibait (15-4-1)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
Giovanna Canuto (4-1) vs. Ershirley Kessy (3-0)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Josiah Harrell (7-0) vs. Uelliton Silva (6-2)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Austin Vanderford (11-2) vs. Victor Romero (13-7)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
Jacob Bohn (14-12) vs. Lance Lawrence (8-4)
Preliminary Card (Worldwide on LFA FIGHT NETWORK™ at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m PT):
Women’s Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
Bia Mesquita (1-0) vs. Shannel Butler (0-0)
Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)
Matt Adams (3-1) vs. Saulo Cavalari (3-1)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Jake Hixenbaugh (3-2) vs. Adam Livingston (4-0)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Kevin Carrier (2-0) vs. Carlo Ricci (3-4)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
Vincenzo Iannuzzo (2-0) vs. Derrick Patterson (1-2)
Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
Freddy Vidal (0-0) vs. Mike Kennedy (1-1)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Melvin Jovel (4-0) vs. Brian Torres (2-0)
About LFA:
LFA is a professional Mixed Martial Arts promotion that was formed by the powerhouse merger between RFA and Legacy FC in 2017. It has launched the careers of over 330 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC. LFA presents live Mixed Martial Arts events on a monthly basis around the world including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. 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 promotion owns and operates LFA FIGHT NETWORK™, a premium YouTube channel that features live combat sports events alongside live LFA Prelims and historical fights.
Please visit LFA.com for updates and information. Visit the official LFA YouTube channel (LFA FIGHT NETWORK™) at @LFAfights. LFA is on Facebook at Facebook.com/LFAfighting. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and X (formerly Twitter) at @LFAfighting.
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 SENECA NIAGARA RESORT & CASINO:
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is located just minutes from the world-famous Niagara Falls in Western New York, near the Canadian border. The property is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Guest can enjoy 147,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 2,600 slot machines and over 60 table games, 10 restaurants, live entertainment and a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning, 26-story hotel with 604 deluxe rooms and suites, a spa and salon, fitness center, indoor pool and STIR feature bar with live entertainment, signature cocktails, and a stunning 43-foot high-definition video wall as well as the first of its kind on the East Coast-Lightning Link Lounge! More information is available by calling 1-877-8-SENECA (1-877-873-6322) or visiting SenecaNiagaraCasino.com.
