FRIDAY, APRIL 5
LFA 181: CHAPOLIN vs. HERNANDEZ
Presented By:
RESILITE
MAIN EVENT:
CHAMPION
EDUARDO CHAPOLIN
vs.
CHALLENGER
EIMAR HERNANDEZ
FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
MYSTIC LAKE CASINO HOTEL
PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Tickets are available NOW at Ticketmaster.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will kick off the second quarter of its 2024 schedule in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” in April with a flyweight title fight at LFA 181. This will be the twenty-first LFA event to take place in the state of Minnesota. Twenty of these events have taken place at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, which is located just 25 minutes southwest of the Twin Cities.
LFA 181, Presented by RESILITE, takes place Friday, April 5th at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota.
The main event will feature a flyweight title fight when undisputed champion Eduardo Chapolin defends his title against undefeated contender Eimar Hernadez. 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 the Flyweight Championship to Minnesota at LFA 181,” stated Soares. “The main event will feature the first title defense of the LFA flyweight champion Eduardo Chapolin. He will face top undefeated prospect Eimar Hernandez in a battle between the top two 125-pound prospects in the world. The Mystic Lake Casino Hotel is an incredible venue and we look forward to bringing another world title fight to our great fight fans in the Upper Midwest.”
Tickets for LFA 181: Chapolin vs. Hernandez are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.
Chapolin (12-2) grew up in Buritama, São Paulo, Brazil. This is just across the Tietê River from Birigui in the northwest area of the state of São Paulo. Birigui is the hometown of UFC star and LFA great Tabatha “Baby Shark” Ricci, who is Chapolin’s longtime friend and training partner. After making his LFA debut in Brazil in the summer of 2022, Chapolin moved to the United States to rejoin Ricci stateside, where they now train together in Ventura, California. This led to his American-soil debut, where he defeated fellow Brazilian fighter Leandro Soares at LFA 165. The 28-year-old is a veteran of nearly 70 kickboxing fights and won kickboxing titles in Brazil and Japan. This world-class striking pedigree was on full display when he knocked out LFA flyweight champion Cody Davis to capture the title at LFA 172. He now looks to solidify his throne with his first title defense.
Hernandez (7-0) is a man that is seeing his path to the LFA title come full circle. Four years ago, Hernandez concluded his amateur MMA career at LFA 82 at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. This happened just a couple weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 changed the landscape of MMA by forcing the cancellation of most events. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native decided to turn pro the following year and made the move west to train with UFC Hall of Fame member Urijah Faber at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. Hernandez, like Chapolin, also has the benefit of training alongside a female UFC star and LFA great in Maycee Barber. The two have trained together at Roufusport in Milwaukee and Team Alpha Male. The 27-year-old has won all of his bouts and a regional title since turning pro and now looks for his first world title when he returns to the LFA.
Currently Announced Fight Card (Main Card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS®):
Main Event | Flyweight Title Bout (125 lb)
Eduardo Chapolin (12-2) vs. Eimar Hernandez (7-0)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
Quang Le (7-0) vs. Tial Thang (6-3)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Noah Lindsey (4-1) vs. Mark Choinski (4-0)
Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)
Steven Asplund (2-0) vs. Jimmy Barnes (0-1)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Kelton Sneve (2-0) vs. Davion Trotter (1-0)
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 300 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 MYSTIC LAKE CASINO HOTEL:
Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, the premier gaming facility in the Midwest, continually creates new, fun and exciting entertainment experiences for its guests. Mystic Lake® offers gaming, three lively bars, exceptional dining at seven restaurants, headline performers, unique special events and luxurious accommodations. Located 25 minutes southwest of Minneapolis / St. Paul in Prior Lake. Please visit MysticLake.com for more information.
