FRIDAY, JULY 21
LFA 163: JOHNS vs. GARCIA
MAIN EVENT:
“BABY JOHNS”
ELIJAH JOHNS
vs.
“EL MARIACHI”
JAVIER GARCIA
FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®
BELL COUNTY EXPO CENTER
BELTON, TEXAS
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT BELLCOUNTYEXPO.COM
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will begin its Texas Tour in July. The tour will allow the promotion to return to the state of its inception with 3 action-packed events across 3 regions starting at the end of July and ending the first week of October. The first stop will take place in Belton (Central Texas) at LFA 163. The promotion will then head west to El Paso (Upper Rio Grande) in August, which will be its first visit to the Borderplex that includes an international border with Mexico. The tour will then conclude in the birthplace of LFA by returning to Dallas (Metroplex) in October.
LFA 163 will feature the featherweight championship at the top of the card. The winner will become the seventh 145-pound champion in LFA history. This will be the sixth LFA event to take place in the Centroplex of Texas. It will also be the twenty-third time that the LFA has visited “The Lone Star State”. Once the Texas Tour has concluded in October, the promotion will have visited the state 25-times, making it the LFA’s most frequented destination.
LFA 163: Johns vs. Garcia takes place Friday, July 21st at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, Texas. The main event will feature a featherweight title fight between top prospects Elijah “Baby” Johns and Javier “El Mariachi” Garcia. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for LFA 163: Johns vs. Garcia are on sale NOW at BellCountyExpo.com.
“We are excited to bring the Featherweight Championship to the Centroplex of Texas at LFA 163,” stated Soares. “Elijah Johns has been a part of the LFA since our first event and he now looks to join his brother Miles as an LFA champion. Javier Garcia has also enjoyed a lot of success in our cage and now looks to make good on his second shot at an LFA title. This will give our loyal Texas fight fans an incredible championship headliner deep in the heart of Texas.”
Johns (9-2) is the younger brother of former LFA bantamweight champion and current UFC star Miles Johns. The 27-year-old prospect followed his brother from their native Kansas to Dallas, Texas where the two developed into world-class prospects at Fortis MMA. The younger Johns brother, affectionately known as “Baby Johns”, will be fighting for his first world title in the promotion that he grew up in. That journey began all the way back at LFA 1, where he made his amateur MMA debut, and it now culminates with him fighting for the title in what will be a record-tying tenth professional fight for the LFA. Johns earned the title shot by dominating U23 World Wrestling Championships gold medalist Masuto Kawana at LFA 138. He now looks to capture gold of his own, that will allow him to continue the Johns brothers’ winning ways and championship legacy at LFA 163.
Garcia (10-5) returns to the LFA Octagon after gaining popularity among the LFA faithful for developing a flair for the dramatic with his all-action style and fight-ending sequences. The 30-year-old CSW product made his LFA debut at LFA 102 against lauded featherweight prospect A.J. Cunningham. The proud Mexican fighter known as “El Mariachi” announced his arrival by stealing Cunningham’s thunder with a dominant Unanimous Decision win. Then just 4 weeks later, he doubled down with a dramatic Triangle Choke submission win over Bellator veteran Timothy Teves in the final seconds of their bout at LFA 104. The win earned him his first title shot, which ended in a close decision win for Bruno Souza at LFA 114, but Garcia would not be deterred. He has since picked up a pair of LFA victories, which includes becoming the only man to submit BJJ black belt Leandro Gomes.
Currently Announced Fight Card:
Main Event | Featherweight Title Bout (145 lb)
Elijah Johns (9-2) vs. Javier Garcia (10-5)
Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
Kevin Fernandez (5-1) vs. Javier Cepeda (3-0)
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 BELL COUNTY EXPO:
Whether you’re in search of great music, championship rodeos, or exciting motocross action, the Bell County Expo Center, home of the Central Texas State Fair, is truly the center of it all. Just a short trip down I-35 from virtually anywhere in Texas will take you to Central Texas’ best entertainment arena. Please visit their website at BellCountyExpo.com for more information.
