LFA 184: Diaz vs. Lewis (Commerce, California)

After a week off we are back this week with our first show in SoCal in almost a year. The last time the LFA touched down in Commerce, California’s Cody Davis won the LFA Flyweight title in the email event. This week’s card features 2 former LFA Champions (Cody Davis & Ozzy Diaz), 1 former LFA Title Challenger (Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani), and a 4-fight UFC-vet (Bevon Lewis).

Our Main Event this week is a Light Heavyweight matchup between Los Angeles’ own Ozzy Diaz (8-2) and Bevon Lewis (7-4). Diaz is a former LFA Middleweight champion, he captured the title in this building in March 2022 over Bruno Assis. He then went on to Dana White’s Contender Series where he lost to Joe Pyfer. After a change in weight classes and fight camp, he returned after almost a 2-year layoff to win his 205lb debut at LFA 178 in March. The Kings MMA striker brings a 100% finishing rate with him to LFA 184. Lewis is a 2-time Dana White’s Contender Series and 4-time UFC-vet. He fought on Season 1 of DWCS, won via Decision, but did not get a UFC contract. He returned the next Season and got a RD 1 TKO win that got him a contract. After that he fought 4 times from 2018 to 2020 in the UFC Octagon going 1-3. This will be only his 2nd fight since his release from the UFC in 2020 and first fight in the LFA since LFA 38 in April 2018. These two fighters have combined for 11 finishes and are hungry to get back on the UFC’s radar.

Our co-main event features California fan favorite Chase Gibson (13-6) and surging Colombian Javier Reyes (17-3). Gibson is also a DWCS-vet and 3-time LFA-vet. He headlined LFA 137 in this building in July 2022. The BJJ Black Belt has rattled off back-to-back wins in other promotions since we last saw him. Reyes is riding a whopping 7-fight win streak, his last loss came all the way back in Feb. 2019. The Bogota-born fighter has 13 finishes in 17 wins and a Brown Belt in BJJ. These two fighters have combined for 23 finishes, 14 of them in Round #1.

Also on the Card:

– Former LFA Lightweight Title Challenger and BJJ Black Belt Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (6-2) looks to build on a successful Welterweight Debut against Dutch fighter Victor Kuiks (5-1). Lebosnoyani is the son of Jiu Jitsu Royalty, his father Nono trained Royce Gracie and Jean-Paul has 5 submissions out of 6 wins. He’s coming off his 1st KO win in his 170lb debut in March. Kuiks is from Amsterdam, but has been living and training in Tijuana since the pandemic. He of course has the Kickboxing base, but has been working on his Jiu Jitsu at Entram Gym. These two fighters have combined for 10 finishes, 8 of them in the first round.

– Brazilian-born Lerryan Douglas (9-5) returns against ATT fighter Nate Ghareeb (9-2). After traveling around in search of a good team, Douglas has found a home in Southern California with Cub Swanson. He’s coming off a highlight reel KO in his last LFA appearance in November and has 6 finishes in 9 Pro wins. Ghareeb is riding a 3-fight win streak going back to September 2022 and has won multiple Pro titles. He brings in 8 finishes in 9 Pro wins.

– Former Flyweight champion Cody Davis (8-2) returns after losing his title in November to take on Hawaiian striker Rodney Kealohi (7-4). Davis captured the LFA 125lb title in this building in June against Brazilian Igor Siqueira and then lost it to Brazilian Eduardo Chapolin in November. The California Mixed Martial Arts product and former collegiate baseball player will be making his 7th LFA appearance. Kealohi is coming off a win in March and returning to the LFA for the first-time in 14 months. Training out of Xtreme Couture in Vegas, he has 6 finishes in 7 Pro wins, 5 via KO/TKO.

– We kick off the Main Card with another Flyweight battle as newcomers Gilbert Nakatani (6-1) and Gabriel Gomes (5-0) throwdown. Nakatani has won 2 straight fights and is one of Tapology’s highest ranked Flyweights in California. He has 5 finishes out of 6 Pro wins and is fighting for the second time in 6 weeks. Gomes is making his LFA and U.S. Debut. He is undefeated as a Pro and Amateur in MMA and is fighting for the first time since October 2022. He has 3 finishes in 5 Pro victories.