FRIDAY, JUNE 16
LFA 160: SWEENEY vs. BEGOSSO
MAIN EVENT:
“HOLLYWOOD”
JOHN SWEENEY
vs.
“MINI”
ALLAN BEGOSSO
INTERIM BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
CO-MAIN EVENT:
“THE MINDLESS HULK”
DYLAN BUDKA
vs.
“THE KINGPIN”
AZAMAT BEKOEV
INTERIM MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
OWENSBORO SPORTSCENTER
OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Tickets are available at OwensboroTickets.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced details today about the promotion’s debut event in Kentucky. The main event and co-main event of LFA 160 will feature a pair of interim title fights in the bantamweight and middleweight divisions. These interim opportunities became available as the promotion awaits the return of its sitting champions Muin Gafurov and Lucas Fernando. LFA 160 will be the first LFA event to take place in the Bluegrass State. This will also be the twenty-eighth state that the promotion has visited.
LFA 160 takes place Friday, June 16th at the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, Kentucky. The main event will feature an interim bantamweight title fight between top contenders John “Hollywood” Sweeney and Allan “Mini” Begosso. Then in the co-main event, Dylan “The Mindless Hulk” Budka meets Azamat “Kingpin” Bekoev for the interim middleweight title. 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 a Championship Doubleheader to Kentucky,” stated Soares. “John Sweeney is a Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson protégé and Allan Begosso is one of the most feared knockout artists in the bantamweight division. Then in the co-main event, we will have rising prospect Dylan Budka from nearby Ohio face off against Russian standout Azamat Bekoev at middleweight. The world will be watching on the third Friday in June, when we bring a pair of interim world title fights to the Bluegrass State at LFA 160.”
Tickets for LFA 160: Sweeney vs. Begosso are available for purchase through OwensboroTickets.com.
Sweeney (12-3) is a Karate black belt and protégé of UFC star Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. The South Carolinian is known as “Hollywood” as he possesses the same dynamic striking prowess and star qualities that has carved out a legendary career for his mentor. Sweeney began his own career by winning his first two professional bouts for the LFA all the way back at LFA 8 and LFA 17 in 2017. However, he really made his mark after returning to the promotion in 2022. After re-signing with the LFA, Sweeney defeated LFA standout Ricardo Dias in the co-main event of LFA 137. He then continued his success in January by upsetting 7x BJJ world champion Ary Farias in the main event of LFA 150. The flashy karateka now looks to add LFA gold to his impressive fight résumé.
Begosso (7-2-1) also has a long and successful history in the LFA after signing with the promotion in 2020. The Brazilian dynamo made an immediate impact by handing the highly touted Sean McPadden the first loss of his career. The win came by knockout in just 48-seconds of their contest at LFA 90 and earned him a nomination for Knockout of the Year in the LFA Fans’ Choice Awards. Begosso would then showcase his BJJ skills by submitting Kyrgyz prospect Samarbek Sabyrzhan Uulu at LFA 107. That win earned him a title fight against Richie Palencia at LFA 119, but he dropped a narrow decision. “Mini” would bounce back with another LFA Fans’ Choice Awards: Knockout of the Year nominated performance at LFA 135 and now looks to make good on his second shot at an LFA title.
The co-main event of LFA 160 will feature an interim middleweight title fight between two of the division’s top prospects as Budka (5-1) and Bekoev (15-3) vie to become the LFA’s tenth middleweight champion. The winner of Budka vs. Bekoev will face the sitting champion Fernando in a title unification bout later this year. Budka hails from Findlay, Ohio and will be traveling to the nearby Ohio Valley in Kentucky in search of his first world title. The American has been dominant in that quest with a perfect 3-0 record for the promotion. He will face a Russian standout who was dominant in his LFA debut, which took place this past February in the main event of LFA 152. Now the surging American and Russian contenders will meet with a title on the line in the co-main event of LFA 160.
Currently Announced Fight Card:
Main Event | Interim Bantamweight Title Bout (135 lb)
John Sweeney (12-3) vs. Allan Begosso (7-2-1)
Co-Main Event | Interim Middleweight Title Bout (185 lb)
Dylan Budka (5-1) vs. Azamat Bekoev (15-3)
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 270 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. Visit the official LFA YouTube page at @LFA_Fighting. 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 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 OWENSBORO SPORTSCENTER:
The Owensboro Sportscenter, located at 1215 Hickman Avenue, is a multi-purpose 5,000 seat arena which went through a multi-million dollar renovation in 1997. The Sportscenter hosts concerts, sporting events, trade shows, conventions, meetings, and receptions. The Sportscenter is the home of the 8-time Division II national champion Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers basketball team. Additional information is available at OwensboroSportscenter.com.
