LFA KICKS OFF SUPER BOWL WEEKEND
IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN
WITH A HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED REMATCH FOR THE
FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE AT LFA 176
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9
LFA 176: GARCIA vs. JOHNS 2
Presented By:
ARIZONA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
MAIN EVENT:
CHAMPION
JAVIER “EL MARIACHI” GARCIA
vs.
CHALLENGER
ELIJAH “BABY” JOHNS
FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
ARIZONA FINANCIAL THEATRE
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tickets are available NOW at LiveNation.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to the “Valley of the Sun” in February with a featherweight title fight at LFA 176. This will be the fourteenth LFA event to take place in the state of Arizona. Twelve of these events have taken place at the Arizona Financial Theatre in the state’s capital city of Phoenix.
LFA 176: Garcia vs. Johns 2 presented by the Arizona Army National Guard, takes place Friday, February 9th at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.
The main event will feature a featherweight title fight when champion Javier “El Mariachi” Garcia defends his title in a rematch against top contender Elijah “Baby” Johns. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Tickets for LFA 176: Garcia vs. Johns 2 are available for purchase NOW through LiveNation.com.
“We are excited to bring the Featherweight Championship to Arizona at LFA 176,” stated Soares. “The main event will feature the first title defense of the LFA featherweight champion Javier Garcia. He will defend his title against the man he defeated to win the title last summer at LFA 163. That win came against top ranked prospect and fellow LFA standout Elijah Johns with some controversy when the fight was stopped at the end of Round 2 due to submission even though Johns never tapped. These two men have 18 combined fights in the LFA and their original title fight deserves to have some proper closure, which is why it will be the first time we have a rematch for the title in LFA history.”
Garcia (11-5) returns to the LFA Octagon looking to leave no doubt in everyone’s minds on why he is the champion after capturing his first world title last summer. The 31-year-old CMMA product made his LFA debut at LFA 102 against lauded featherweight prospect A.J. Cunningham. The proud Mexican-American 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 trio of LFA victories, which includes becoming the only man to finish Johns. The win came via Arm-Triangle Choke with 21-seconds remaining in the second round when the referee felt Johns would not escape the precarious position.
Johns (9-3) is looking for redemption as he prepares to run back the controversial submission loss. After getting caught in a deep Arm-Triangle Choke by Garcia, the referee stopped the fight despite Johns never tapping. Johns immediately protested the stoppage, which occurred at the end of the second round of a fight where he started out strong at LFA 163. Now Johns, the younger brother of former LFA bantamweight champion and current UFC star Miles Johns, looks to claim the world title that eluded him last summer. The 27-year-old Fortis MMA product began his journey toward an LFA title all the way back at LFA 1, where he made his amateur MMA debut, and now his career culminates with him fighting once again for the title in what will be a record-tying eleventh professional fight for the LFA. Johns will also become the only fighter in LFA history to fight in all eight years of the LFA’s existence from 2017 to 2024. More importantly, Johns is looking to become the eighth featherweight champion in LFA history.
Currently Announced Fight Card:
Main Event | Featherweight Title Bout (145 lb)
Javier Garcia (11-5) vs. Elijah Johns (9-3)
Co-Main Event Flyweight Bout
An Tuan Ho (5-0) vs. Miguel Sanson (4-1)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
Princeton Jackson (3-0) vs. Robson Junior (4-2)
Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
Chance Ikei (1-0) vs. Keynan Davis (1-0)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
Leslie Hernandez (2-1) vs. Brittany Camozzi (1-2)
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 300 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 @LFAfights. LFA is on Facebook at Facebook.com/LFAfighting. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and X (formerly 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 ARIZONA FINANCIAL THEATRE:
Sitting in the heart of downtown Phoenix, Arizona Financial Theatre provides unique versatility for groups from 10 to 5,000 guests. From upscale award ceremonies, corporate events, private concerts, dance competitions, social gatherings or VIP concert suites, Arizona Financial Theatre offers unlimited opportunities to exceed expectations. For more information, visit their website.
