FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18
LFA 147: MELO vs. COSTA
MAIN EVENT:
“THE FORTALEZA KID”
JUNIOR MELO
vs.
“MELK”
MELQUIZAEL COSTA
LIGHTWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
PLUS:
TUF 30 COMPETITOR
HELEN PERALTA
vs.
GLORY KICKBOXING STAR
ALINE PEREIRA
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®
WINNAVEGAS CASINO RESORT
SLOAN, IOWA
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT TIX.COM
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Iowa next month. LFA 147 will feature an explosive lightweight showdown when the promotion returns to the Hawkeye State. This will be the second LFA event to take place in the state of Iowa. RFA also hosted one event in Iowa before the merger of RFA and Legacy FC that created LFA.
LFA 147: Melo vs. Costa takes place Friday, November 18th at the WinnaVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, Iowa, which is located in the Sioux City metropolitan area. The main event will feature a lightweight showdown between Brazilian standouts Junior “The Fortaleza Kid” Melo and Melquizael “Melk” Costa. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for LFA 147: Melo vs. Costa are on sale NOW at Tix.com.
“We are excited to have the LFA return to Iowa next month,” stated Soares. “Junior Melo and Melquizael Costa are two of the most exciting prospects to come out of Brazil this year. They have both headlined events for us in the past 6 months and they are both coming off big knockout wins on back-to-back nights in August. There will be a lot on the line when they meet in the main event of LFA 147!”
Melo (12-5) is a surging Brazilian prospect that is looking to cap a flawless 2022. In March, the BJJ black belt made his LFA debut on just 4 days’ notice. LFA fan favorite Tommy Aaron had lost his opponent and Melo did not hesitate to take the fight and make his long-awaited American soil debut. The grappler shocked the home crowd by knocking out the dangerous striker in just 97-seconds. The knockout changed his career. First it went viral online, then it earned him a “Knockout of the Night” bonus, and ultimately positioned him to headline his first LFA event in August. “The Fortaleza Kid” again took advantage of his opportunity and knocked out another local favorite in Canadian standout Adam Assenza. Now he will look to make it three in a row at LFA 147.
Costa (18-5) is one of the more popular prospects to come out of Brazil in recent years and was also eager to step up to make his LFA debut on short notice. His opportunity came when Rodrigo Lídio withdrew from the main event of LFA 132 in May, after being signed to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series. The man known as “Melk” jumped at his chance and made an immediate impression with the promotion and its fans. Costa has also been making an impact outside the cage as he (like former UFC star Scott Jorgensen) is an advocate and role model for people with vitiligo, which is a disorder that causes the skin to lose its color. Now the Brazilian star returns looking to take the same path as his teammate Joanderson “Tubarão” Brito, who went from the LFA to the UFC.
LFA 147 will also feature an explosive women’s flyweight showdown between two of the division’s most accomplished strikers.
Peralta (5-3) is a Bare-Knuckle Boxing champion that will be fighting in her home state of Iowa for the first time in her professional career. Earlier this year, she competed on the 30th season of the UFC’s hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter, where she was coach Julianna Peña’s first overall pick. Now the woman known as “Iansã” looks to continue to build her name and fierce fighting reputation in MMA. This will happen at LFA 147, which will be her first fight for the LFA since she competed for the promotion nearly six years ago at LFA 2. Peralta also holds a notable win over LFA alum and current UFC star Cheyanne Vlismas.
Pereira (0-0) will make her professional MMA debut for the LFA two years after her older brother Alex “Poatan” Pereira landed an incredible knockout in his LFA debut. Alex is widely considered the most dangerous striker on earth having been crowned GLORY Kickboxing’s two-division champion. He also possesses a highlight reel for the ages, which includes a pair of kickboxing victories against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Aline is also a GLORY Kickboxing star and now looks to follow in her brother’s footsteps just six days after he fights Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title in the main event of UFC 281.
Currently Announced Fight Card:
Main Event | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
- Junior Melo (12-5) vs. Melquizael Costa (18-5)
Co-Main Event | Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
- Justin Wetzell (7-1) vs. Rafael do Nascimento (7-1)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
- Askar Askar (14-3) vs. Rickey Furar (7-2)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
- Haris Talundžić (5-1) vs. Omoyele Gonzalez (3-1)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
- Ryan Leininger (8-3) vs. Jeremiah Curtright (5-3)
Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
- Helen Peralta (5-3) vs. Aline Pereira (0-0)
Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)
- Ben Tynan (3-0) vs. Henrique Silva (5-2)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
- Will Starks (7-3) vs. Ben Halder (5-3)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
- Leslie Hernandez (0-1) vs. Jasmin Pouncy (1-2)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
- Jasmine Montoya (0-0) vs. Amanda Macioce (0-0)
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 260 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. 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 WINNAVEGAS CASINO RESORT:
WinnaVegas is owned and operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a federally recognized tribe in northeastern Nebraska. Opening in April 1992, WinnaVegas has grown over the years to become the largest gaming floor in the area. Our total gaming space is 54,353 square feet. The casino has over 750 slot machines – the most in Siouxland, 9 casino table games, poker room with 3 tables and bingo hall. We also feature a beautiful hotel, delicious dining options, a spacious event center and multiple meeting rooms. We focus on taking good care of our customers and are proud of our reputation for being so friendly – and the most fun! We always want our guests to enjoy themselves and have a better chance at winning.
