FRIDAY, MAY 9
LFA 208: MECATE vs. REYES
Presented By MONSTER ENERGY
MAIN EVENT:
TOP AMERICAN PROSPECT
CHRIS MECATE
vs.
TOP COLOMBIAN PROSPECT
JAVIER “BLAIR” REYES
LIGHTWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®
KAISER PERMANENTE ARENA
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.COM
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Northern California in May. LFA 208 will feature a lightweight showdown when the promotion returns to the Golden State. This will be the twenty-third LFA event to take place in the state.
LFA 208: Mecate vs. Reyes, presented by Monster Energy, takes place Friday, May 9th at the Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, California. The main event will feature a lightweight showdown between top American prospect Chris Mecate and top Colombian prospect Javier “Blair” Reyes. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
“We are excited to bring another international showcase to Northern California at LFA 208,” stated Soares. “Chris Mecate is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and a three-time LFA veteran. He returns to his home state to face top Colombian prospect, parkour expert, and former LFA title challenger Javier Reyes in an explosive main event. This bout features two of the most dynamic prospects in the sport and will cap another fantastic night of action for our fight fans in Santa Cruz.”
Tickets for LFA 208: Mecate vs. Reyes are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.
Mecate (10-2) is one of the greatest California natives to successfully transition from wrestling to MMA. Mecate won the California State Wrestling Championship as a senior at Redlands East Valley High School in Redlands, California before placing third at Nationals the same year. He graduated with a 156-17 record and was later named the “Wrestler of the Year” by the San Bernardino County Sun newspaper. Mecate then became one of the most highly-touted wrestling prospects in the country and took his talents to the east coast where he became a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia. Mecate finished his college career with a 115-37 record, was a four-time NCAA Division I tournament qualifier, and became ODU’s thirteenth 100-match winner. In MMA, Mecate has joined forces with UFC Hall of Famer Cub Swanson and the results have been scary. Mecate is now a world-class wrestler with KO power, which he unleashed in his last bout at LFA 198.
Reyes (19-4) signed with the LFA last year to much fanfare in his home country of Colombia. After compiling a 30-0 record in amateur MMA, he emerged as the brightest MMA prospect to represent “Los Cafeteros” in MMA. Reyes continued his dominance after turning pro by winning and holding multiple regional titles. Hailing from his nation’s capital city of Bogotá, Reyes began practicing parkour with his group called “Warriors of the Street”. Parkour originated in France and has roots in military obstacle course training and martial arts, which includes flipping, running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, plyometrics, rolling, and quadrupedal movement. It involves seeing one’s environment in a new way and envisioning the potential for navigating it by movement around, across, through, over, and under its features. This has given Reyes excellent agility and spatial awareness in MMA. This was on full display in his LFA debut where he dismantled the hard-nosed LFA mainstay Chase Gibson at LFA 184.
Main Card (Worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Chris Mecate (10-2) vs. Javier Reyes (19-4)
Co-Main Event | Middleweight Bout (185 lb)
Theo Haig (6-0) vs. Christian Echols (7-3)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Luis Francischinelli (4-0) vs. Angel Rivera Jr. (6-1)
Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)
Josh Hokit vs. TBD (4-0)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
Allan Begosso (8-3) vs. Davaajamts Batsuren (8-6)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
Kendra McIntyre (3-1) vs. Stephanie Nayen (2-1)
Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
Tony Charles (3-3) vs. Isaiah Pinson (3-1)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Jermaine Edwards (1-0) vs. Temuujin Ulzii-Orshikh (3-0)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Noah Bey (3-3) vs. Kohl Laren (4-3)
Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
Shealor Ladd (1-0) vs. Helton Jose Jr. (0-0)
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 KAISER PERMANENTE ARENA:
Kaiser Permanente Arena is home to the Santa Cruz Warriors G League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors and is located at 140 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Visit our website for more info.
