At least on paper, this is one of the better LFA cards in a while. It’s not stacked with established names but a bunch of prospects on the come-up. Before I move on to who you should be watching for, I’ll get into Taner Trembley a little bit. He’s not someone we consider a prospect, being that he’s already 31. Personally, I think he could do well in the UFC if he were to make it there. He’s capable of knocking someone out with one punch and putting someone to sleep with five submission wins. Taner is fighting Elijah Johns, who is the more well-know battle tested fighter, so this would be a great win.
Lightweight, Dan Holt (4-0)
Holt started his pro career after an amateur run of 3-3. With little expectations around him, Holt has developed himself into a must-see fighter. His game is built around distance management. He’s very kick-heavy, and it starts with the side kicks from his loose karate stance. If you give him space, it’s untelling what he’s going to throw at you—hook kicks, roundhouse kicks, wheel kicks, tornado kicks, and more.
A lot of his success is drawn from feints and misdirection. He keeps opponents guessing, lulling them into a blind spots. Holt isn’t just a kickboxer, as his hands are sharp. He throws a good one-two, a piston-like straight right, and will clip opponents with counter strikes. For as much explosive offense as he throws, he has solid cardio.
I do have some questions surrounding his takedown defense, and I also don’t like that he went the distance in the two fights that went to decision. Holt needs to continue a steady build and has the perfect fight this Friday.
Lightweight, Steve Collins (6-0)
The term “dog” gets thrown around a lot with fighters, and that 100% fits Collins. He isn’t some technician who’s going to outpoint you, but he’s someone who brings the fight at full force. He does that with a technical aspect, though. In the chaos, he’s moving his head and throwing combinations. He’s been dropped, taken down, and nearly finished, but he has an answer to absolutely everything.
There is zero quit in him, and he can adapt to any position so fast. Collins is a clean, boxing-oriented fighter. He’s also a solid wrestler and an underrated grappler. Spoiler alert: Collins is a future UFC fighter.
Cole Faust (4-1) is a formidable opponent and a solid prospect in his own right. He’s coming off a loss, but getting Collins in a bounce-back fight is a tall ask.
Lightweight, Nikita Kulshin (8-0)
In badly need of a standout performance this weekend is Nikita Kulshin. The Russian has a great skill set but lacks the killer instinct. He’s won four straight by decision and only has two finishes overall. Kulshin is an intelligent fighter who can dictate the pace. His cage control is excellent, and when he goes, he covers distance so well.
He doesn’t come with much power but is smooth in those short blitzes. Kulshin throws combinations from different angles and will also mix in wonderful takedowns behind his strikes. His wrestling and top control are probably his best weapons. He’s heavy on top and hardly makes any mistakes. However, he does need to lean more on his finishing ability rather than playing it safe.
He’s fighting journeyman Junior Melo (15-9-1), who is a step down compared to his last four opponents.
Lightweight, Kelton Sneve (5-1)
Sneve is another guy who’s a straight-out dog. Someone you’d always wanna put money on because he’s gonna fight bell to bell. His only pro loss was to Steve Collins, which was an amazing fight. Sneve fights out of a karate stance that uses a blend of all weapons. Sneve throws a good jab and calf kicks on the outside and knees and elbows on the inside. He even has some slick jiu-jitsu. His problem is that he takes a lot of damage, but good luck out-toughing this guy. Sneve may not go far but his run is gonna be full of bangers if nothing else.
Sneve fights Cedric Katambwa (4-1), who, if he weren’t 35, I’d be hyping up a lot. No easy fights for Sneve and you gotta respect him for him.
Lightweight, Ralph Hernandez III (2-0)
Hernandez makes his LFA debut and looks like a promising prospect. He went 7-3 as an amateur and even took a pro boxing bout, earning a win before making his MMA pro debut. Hernandez is a compact, powerful fighter with heavy leg kicks and quick, tight combinations on the feet. He’s also a good wrestler with a capable overall ground game. The key for Hernandez is putting it all together and proving he can compete at a higher level, as he’s lost each time he’s stepped up in competition. He faces Jeremiah Huff (1-0), who is 8-0 combined as a professional and amateur.
Heavyweight, Ezayah Gomez (2-0)
Gomez didn’t really impress in his pro debut. He was a force early in round one, but that heavyweight cardio caught up to him. Still, he was able to push through and control the fight, which was nice to see. A state wrestling champion, Gomez went 42-0 during his senior year of high school. His wrestling has translated well to MMA, featuring a strong single-leg that he converts into a powerful takedown. His chain wrestling also looks good for a big man. Gomez is coming off a keylock submission win, showing some submission upside. He’s not someone to have full confidence in just yet, but with his background and at only 25 years old, he has room to develop.
