FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
LFA 194: MAGOMEDOV vs. LEYVA
Presented By MONSTER ENERGY
MAIN EVENT:
CHAMPION
SHAMIDKHAN MAGOMEDOV
vs.
CHALLENGER
ALFONSO LEYVA
INTERIM WELTERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS®
SENECA NIAGARA RESORT & CASINO
NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY AUGUST 30TH AT TICKETMASTER.COM
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to New York in October with a Championship Headliner at LFA 194. In the main event, the interim welterweight title will be on the line. This will be the fourteenth 170-pound title fight in LFA history. LFA 194 will be the seventh LFA event to take place in the Empire State.
LFA 194, presented by Monster Energy, takes place Friday, October 18th at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. The main event will feature an interim welterweight title fight when interim champion Shamidkhan Magomedov defends his title against two-time Olympic wrestler Alfonso “Sniper” Leyva. 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 bring another explosive title fight to New York at LFA 194,” stated Soares. “Our incredible American and Canadian fan base give us an incredible international atmosphere at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, which is a world-class venue and worldwide destination. The venue will now host two of our biggest international stars in the championship headliner. Shamidkhan Magomedov won the LFA interim welterweight title at this venue in February. He was then invited to compete on the thirty-second season of The Ultimate Fighter. He will now defend his title against Alfonso Leyva, who is a two-time Olympian in Greco-Roman Wrestling from Mexico. The winner will get a chance to unify the title against current champion Vanilto Antunes depending on the outcome of his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series this summer.”
Tickets for LFA 194: Magomedov vs. Leyva will go on sale Friday August 30th, 12:00 Noon ET at Ticketmaster.com.
Magomedov (8-1) is a world-class wrestler from the famed Dagestan region of Russia and boasts some of the most impressive grappling credentials in the division. The 30-year-old is a Master of Sport in Wrestling, he is a two-time Russian National Champion in Wrestling, and he is a World MMA Association amateur champion. He also owns three wins inside the LFA Octagon, which all took place in Niagara Falls. The first came against LFA veteran Kohlman Scribner via Rear Naked Choke in the first round after moving up to middleweight for their bout at LFA 155. Six months later, Magaomedov defeated top Uzbekistani prospect Bakhromjon Mashrapov via Unanimous Decision at LFA 167. He then captured the LFA interim welterweight title this past February by finishing fan favorite Devin Smyth in the first round with a brutal onslaught of punches on the ground. Now fresh off of competing as a middleweight on Team Shevchenko on TUF 32, Magaomedov is eager to go back to welterweight to defend his crown.
Leyva (7-1) returns to action after recording one of the most jaw-dropping knockouts of the year in 2023. The31-year-old Mexican warrior launched a Flying Knee midway through his bout with Sarek Shields that left his American opponent unconscious. This bout took place at LFA 173 in Las Vegas and was an incredible way for Leyva to end the year. The man known as “Sniper” signed with the LFA in the summer of 2022 to much fanfare due to him being the first Olympian from Mexico to sign with the promotion. In fact, Leyva is a two-time Olympian, having competed for Mexico in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He is also a ten-time Mexican national champion and the 2019 Pan-American Games silver medalist. Leyva transitioned to MMA after competing in the 2020 Olympics and never looked back with all seven of his victories coming by KO or TKO in the first two rounds.
Main Card (Worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Interim Welterweight Title Bout (170 lb)
Shamidkhan Magomedov (8-1) vs. Alfonso Leyva (7-1)
Co-Main Event | Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Cedric Gunnison (7-3) vs. Mirafzal Akhtamov (7-0-1)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
Erick Viscondi (13-3) vs. Busurmankul Abdibait (15-4-1)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
Giovanna Canuto (4-1) vs. Ershirley Kessy (3-0)
Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
Josiah Harrell (7-0) vs. Uelliton Silva (6-2)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
Jacob Bohn (14-12) vs. Lance Lawrence (8-4)
Preliminary Card (Featured Bouts available on the LFA FIGHT NETWORK™):
Heavyweight Bout (265 lb)
Matt Adams (3-1) vs. Saulo Cavalari (3-1)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Jake Hixenbaugh (3-2) vs. Adam Livingston (4-0)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Kevin Carrier (2-0) vs. Tyler Jones (2-1)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
Vincenzo Iannuzzo (2-0) vs. Derrick Patterson (1-2)
Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
Freddy Vidal (0-0) vs. Mike Kennedy (1-1)
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 SENECA NIAGARA RESORT & CASINO:
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is located just minutes from the world-famous Niagara Falls in Western New York, near the Canadian border. The property is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Guest can enjoy 147,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 2,600 slot machines and over 60 table games, 10 restaurants, live entertainment and a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning, 26-story hotel with 604 deluxe rooms and suites, a spa and salon, fitness center, indoor pool and STIR feature bar with live entertainment, signature cocktails, and a stunning 43-foot high-definition video wall as well as the first of its kind on the East Coast-Lightning Link Lounge! More information is available by calling 1-877-8-SENECA (1-877-873-6322) or visiting SenecaNiagaraCasino.com.
