FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
LFA 167: PIERSMA vs. SMYTH
MAIN EVENT:
NEW YORK’S OWN
JONATHAN PIERSMA
vs.
DANA WHITE’S CONTENDER SERIES ALUM
DEVIN SMYTH
WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
CO-MAIN EVENT:
TOP RUSSIAN PROSPECT
SHAMIDKHAN MAGOMEDOV
vs.
TOP UZBEKISTANI PROSPECT
BAHROMJON MASHRAPOV
WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Tickets are available NOW at Ticketmaster.com
SENECA NIAGARA RESORT & CASINO
NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced details today about the promotion’s September event in New York. The main event and co-main event of LFA 167 will feature a pair of welterweight bouts involving four of the division’s top prospects when the promotion returns to the Empire State. LFA 167 will be the fourth LFA event to take place in the state.
LFA 167 takes place Friday, September 15th at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. The main event will feature a welterweight showdown between New York’s own Jonathan “War Hawk” Piersma and Dana White’s Contender Series alum Devin “The Prodigy” Smyth. Then in the co-main event, top Russian prospect Shamidkhan Magomedov faces top Uzbekistani prospect Bahromjon Mashrapov. 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 return to New York in September,” stated Soares. “The American and Canadian fans that attend our shows in Niagara Falls bring incredible energy and excitement. Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is a world-class venue and Niagara Falls is a worldwide destination. Accordingly, we will be featuring four of the world’s top welterweight prospects at the top of the card. In the main event, proud New Yorker Jonathan Piersma will face Devin Smyth, who is the godson of UFC Hall of Famer and Niagara Falls legend Rashad Evans. Then in the co-main event, Shamidkhan Magomedov of Russia and Bahromjon Mashrapov of Uzbekistan will meet in a battle of top international prospects.”
Tickets for LFA 167: Piersma vs. Smyth are available for purchase now through Ticketmaster.com.
Piersma (6-1) will be making his LFA debut as the first New York native to headline an LFA event in the state. Piersma was born and raised in upstate New York and would later attend St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York, which is a suburb of Rochester. Piersma played four years on the St. John Fisher University Cardinals football team as a linebacker and led the team in sacks his senior season. Coincidentally, St. John Fisher University is home to the Buffalo Bills summer training camp and Piersma has been spending his summer in training camp next door at Synthesis BJJ. The elite athlete made a seamless transition to MMA and grappling after graduation. Most notably, he competed against the legendary Rafael Lovato Jr. at the inaugural UFC Fight Pass Invitational in a grappling match, earned his brown belt in BJJ, and is currently a regional champion in the Northeast.
Smyth (9-3) is a man that will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his godfather “Suga” Rashad Evans and he will get to do it in the town where Evans still holds most of his high school’s wrestling records. Evans grew up in Niagara Falls before becoming the UFC light-heavyweight champion and a UFC Hall of Famer. Evans also helped guide Smyth’s transition to MMA, will have a more direct impact on his training camp next month, than he did three summers ago when Smyth made his LFA debut in the 2020 bubble. The bubble was implemented to safely host MMA events during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Smyth was unable to train with Evans in Florida before that bout, which is something he has changed for this camp. Smyth is now living with Evans, while he prepares for this fight at Evans’ world-famous gym Kill Cliff FC, which is one of the most successful MMA gyms in the sport.
The co-main event of LFA 167 will also feature a high-stakes welterweight encounter between Shamidkhan Magomedov (6-1) vs. Bakhromjon Mashrapov (7-2). Magomedov is a Combat Sambo expert from the famed Dagestan region of Russia and owns a 100% finishing rate in his 6 wins. Mashrapov is a Judo black belt from Uzbekistan and owns a similarly impressive finishing rate to his Central Asian neighbor at 86%. Both prospects are also coming off dominant debut performances for the LFA earlier this year. Magomedov submitted LFA veteran Kohlman Scribner via Rear Naked Choke in the first round after moving up to middleweight for their bout. One month earlier, Mashrapov showcased his world-class Judo by throwing LFA veteran and Dana White’s Contender Series alum Logan Urban in the first round. The throw and ensuing ground n’ pound caused an injury and Urban was not able to continue.
Main Card:
Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Jonathan Piersma (6-1) vs. Devin Smyth (9-3)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Shamidkhan Magomedov (6-1) vs. Bakhromjon Mashrapov (7-2)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
Ashley Nichols (5-4) vs. Nadia Vera (4-1-1)
Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)
Jimmy Lawson (4-2) vs. Matt Adams (1-1)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Jeff Craig (3-2) vs. Barrington Bishop (3-0)
Middleweight Bout (185 lb)
Liam Anderson (4-2) vs. Jay Manning (2-0)
Preliminary Card:
Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
Eduardo Penha (2-0) vs. Jessen Ramcharan (0-0)
Middleweight Bout (185 lb)
Mus’Aib Baiyina (2-2) vs. Austin Ross (0-2)
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 280 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 SENECA NIAGARA RESORT & CASINO:
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is a full-amenity resort located in picturesque Niagara Falls, New York. Featuring 604 rooms and suites, our AAA Four-Diamond rated hotel is the region’s premier vacation destination. With ten restaurants, seven shops, more than 2,500 slots, and over 80 table games, live poker, keno, a full-service spa, flexible meeting facilities, rewarding promotions, superstar entertainment, and exciting nightlife, Seneca Niagara is consistently rated as a must-see Niagara Falls casino. From honeymoons to family getaways, your adventure starts here. For more info visit SenecaNiagaraCasino.com.
