FRIDAY, JULY 12
LFA 188: SWEENEY vs. DO NASCIMENTO
MAIN EVENT:
CHAMPION
JOHN “HOLLYWOOD” SWEENEY
vs.
CHALLENGER
RAFAEL “MULISHA” DO NASCIMENTO
BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
GILA RIVER RESORTS & CASINOS – WILD HORSE PASS
CHANDLER, ARIZONA
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tickets are available NOW at Ticketmaster.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to the “Valley of the Sun” in July with a bantamweight title fight at LFA 188. This will be the fifteenth LFA event to take place in the state of Arizona. The LFA 188 headliner will feature just the second title defense in LFA bantamweight history as all nine previous champions went on to sign with the UFC and Bellator.
LFA 188: Sweeney vs. Do Nascimento takes place Friday, July 12th at the Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix. The main event will feature a bantamweight title fight when champion John “Hollywood” Sweeney defends his title against top contender Rafael “Mulisha” Do Nascimento. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Tickets for LFA 188: Sweeney vs. Do Nascimento are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.
“We are excited to bring the Bantamweight Championship to Arizona at LFA 188,” stated Soares. “The main event will feature the first title defense of the LFA bantamweight champion John Sweeney. He will face top contender and former LFA title challenger Rafael Do Nascimento. The winner will cement their status as the top 135-pound fighter in the world that is currently fighting outside of the UFC. The fight fans in Arizona always create an electric atmosphere and we look forward to bringing another explosive world title fight to the Valley of the Sun this summer.”
Sweeney (13-3) will be defending his title for the first time after winning it last summer. The champion knows a win will tie him for the most title defenses in LFA bantamweight history and cement his status as the top prospect in the division. Sweeney is a Karate black belt and protégé of UFC star Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. The man known as “Hollywood” also shares the same striking skills and star qualities as his legendary mentor. Sweeney began his career by winning his first two professional bouts for the LFA in the first year of its inception. However, he really made his mark after returning to the promotion in 2022. After re-signing with the LFA, Sweeney defeated a fellow striker in Ricardo Dias. He then started 2023 by upsetting seven-time BJJ world champion Ary Farias. That win earned him a shot at the title, which he won via Unanimous Decision against Allan Begosso. The flashy karateka now looks to defeat a fourth consecutive Brazilian standout in his first title defense at LFA 188.
Do Nascimento (9-2) entered 2023 at the top of every MMA pundit’s “can’t miss” prospect list. This was a complete 180 from how he started 2022, when he signed with the LFA as a relatively unknown entity and took the division by storm. The dynamic Brazilian began his career by winning six fights (five by submission) in his home country. The man known as “Mulisha” then took his talents abroad and made his way to Los Angeles, where he found the Machida Karate dojo, which is home to former UFC champion Lyoto Machida, Bellator veteran Chinzô Machida, and former LFA featherweight champion Bruno Souza. That move was followed by him signing with the LFA and enjoying a career-year, which saw him finish two of the division’s top prospects en route to his first title shot. After dropping a narrow decision, Do Nascimento immediately bounced back three months later with a dominant win. Now he looks to address some unfinished business by capturing the LFA world title.
Currently Announced Fight Card:
Main card available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS®
Main Event | Bantamweight Title Bout (135 lb)
John Sweeney (13-3) vs. Rafael Do Nacimento (9-2)
Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
Chance Ikei (2-0) vs. Ryan Kim (1-0)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
Quinn Williams (0-1) vs. Miriam Nazar (0-1)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Johan Rodríguez (2-0) vs. Jeremiah Robinson (1-0)
Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)
Leon Mackey Jr (0-0) vs. Brent Campbell (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 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 GILA RIVER RESORTS & CASINOS:
Gila River Resorts & Casinos has been operating three locations in Arizona for over 25 years, all owned by the Gila River Indian Community: Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva. The resorts at Wild Horse Pass and Vee Quiva are Four-Diamond accredited. All three casinos offer a combination of slots, table games, poker and more, and are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additional information is available at 1-800-946-4452 or at PlayAtGila.com.
