LFA 220 lands the promotion back in Arizona for the first time this year on Saturday night. After a heap of big fight announcements and the conclusion of the DWCS season, LFA is riding high right now and could use an exciting card to kick off its jam-packed end-of-the-year run.
This card, in particular, features an intriguing selection of fights, as the last seven fights of the night will all take place at 135lbs or lower. This is a rare but welcome occurrence that I’m intrigued to see play out. Kasey Tanner gets the honor of b2b Main Events in his home state for the promotion.
Kasey Tanner (8-1) vs. Michael Cyr (8-1) – Bantamweight
DWCS veteran Kasey Tanner has picked up two wins since his appearance on the show and now sees himself in his second straight LFA Main Event. In the striking, Tanner effectively keeps his opponent at range using quick kicks to all three levels. His kicks do a good job covering his clinch entries, which can be a bit reckless at times, but open up some big offense with his short elbows.
His left kick and left hook to the body are legit tools to avoid on the feet, and his defensive footwork allows him to slip out of any awkward positions that a missed kick may leave him in. Tanner is most effective when landing takedowns and getting the fight to the floor. Those usually starts from those clinch entries mentioned above, along with strong traditional takedowns. Once the fight hits the ground, Tanner looks to land offense immediately, either taking the back quickly while mixing in solid GnP.
His cardio stays pretty strong, and he trains with a solid team at Fight Ready MMA. The 33-year-old may not have much time despite having fewer than 10 pro fights, so a win is pivotal in pushing Tanner through to the next level.
Michael Cyr is as dangerous a submission grappler as they come. With seven submissions in eight wins, including TWO by twister, Cyr presents issues for anyone on the ground with him. Cyr seems passive at first on the feet, circling the outside while firing off kicks. However, he is more than willing to exchange in the pocket and fire off quick hooks if opponents step into boxing range.
His striking defense does leave a bit to be desired, and he can be overaggressive when crashing in recklessly for takedowns. His takedown attempts aren’t flashy, and he doesn’t shoot often, yet when he does land a takedown, he quickly transitions to slick submissions. Once Cyr’s on your back, it’s a challenge to get him off as his tight body triangle and constant submission offense force a more defensive approach from opponents.
Cyr also holds a submission win over newly signed UFC fighter Alden Coria, who impressively won his debut. This fight is a great test to see how much of Cyr’s other skills have leveled up around his grappling.
Christian Natividad (7-0) – Flyweight
Christian Natividad has been plagued by inactivity in recent years, fighting just twice since October 2022. A once-highly touted prospect and brother of former UFC fighter Kevin Natividad, Christian excels with his boxing on the feet. He works behind a clean jab and mixes in constant blitzes while throwing combinations that usually start or end with a big looping left hook. A strong straight right hand also keeps Natividad dangerous at range on the feet, despite throwing nearly no kicks.
His feints and lead hand also constantly throw opponents off guard, allowing his punches to remain unpredictable. His technique is crisp, and he keeps his striking sharp and controlled, never overthrowing or getting reckless. If anything, Natividad is too passive and gives too many chances for his opponent to survive, even when he’s dominating. Natividad’s grappling has also impressed, with clean power double leg takedowns against the cage and great control on top. His submission defense and grappling IQ seem up to par with his impressive striking.
Natividad has won his last five by decision, so a finish would really help him stand out, but the skills are evident. Natividad faces 9-2 Jostin Quilca, a submission specialist facing his first big step up in competition in his LFA debut.
Ernesto Ibarra (10-1) – Flyweight
A former Combate Global prospect, 29-year-old Ernesto Ibarra, makes his LFA debut this Saturday. Ibarra is a tricky southpaw, constantly bouncing his head from side to side and skating around the cage on awkward angles. Ibarra has big power in his left hand and a great jab, landing both accurately and consistently. His quick hands and footwork allow him to enter and exit with punches before being tagged.
Ibarra throws rear kicks to all three levels and some strong body knees. Ibarra prefers to stay patient and precise over brawling, as he struggles with heavy pressure and blitzes defensively. This is partially due to keeping his chin high when exiting the pocket, but his footwork keeps him safe.
Ibarra doesn’t grapple often, but has a clean bodylock trip in the clinch and some strong GnP if he ends up on top. Despite the lack of finishes, Ibarra has solid power for 125 pounds and keeps his cardio throughout the fight. He’ll have his toughest test in this fight against Kyle Estrada, who is the most experienced and best opponent he’ll face to date.
Chance Ikei (5-0) – Flyweight
The MMA Lab breeds talent at lower weight classes. Former D1 wrestler at Arizona State, Chance Ikei, continues that trend of explosive strikers. Ikei comes out aggressive even when on the back foot, chopping his opponent down with lots of hard leg kicks and teeps. Spinning kicks, backfists, and elbows can never be unexpected when fighting Ikei. Because of his confidence moving back, Ikei doesn’t circle away from cage and will sometimes get trapped there.
Ikei’s takedowns also impress, with solid setups and entries that open up his double leg, although he lacks dominating control when it does hit the floor. If he does even get a second on top, Ikei is an extremely opportunistic finisher with his submissions, snatching up his lone submission with an anaconda. Ikei is also a capable grappler against the cage, with a mixed bag of takedowns, but does occasionally give up his back.
He does slow down a bit as the fight wears on, but not to a concerning level. Improvements can still be made, but it’s clear that Ikei is improving fast, and he’ll need to be at 28 years old in a stacked flyweight division. His toughest test will be in front of him Saturday night in 6-2 Jordan Burkholder, a clear step up and test to see where Ikei stands right now.
Livio Ribeiro (4-0) – Flyweight
Another MMA Lab fighter to look out for on the card is a multiple-time IBJJF champion, Livio Ribeiro, whose legit black belt and grappling credentials pose a scary threat to opponents. Ribeiro racked up some incredible credentials throughout his BJJ career, which speak for themselves in the cage. Since making the switch to MMA full-time, he’s sadly been pretty inactive due to a string of cancellations that took him out of competition for a year, although he did return in July of last year.
That fight was his first to extend past four minutes, and showed more of his effective kicking game and dangerous grappling, but most importantly, showed what happens when he can’t get the submission. Ribeiro was able to win all three rounds with his grappling, staying active with submission attempts while controlling. His submission arsenal is basically everything but the kitchen sink, and it’s really a spectacle to see his scrambles and transitions.
Ribeiro is incredible in scrambles and will roll on his back, freely attacking submissions because he knows he can get right back on top. His grappling offense and pace are nonstop, and every fight ends up on the floor when he wants it to. With just four fights as a pro at 32 years old, Ribeiro will have to stay active, but his grappling credentials are definitely UFC-level.
Delton Kaufmann (0-0) – Middleweight
Wrestling sensation Delton Kaufmann’s debut will be one of the most exciting debuts made to end this year. His Tapology makes a bad impression of what to expect from this lifelong martial artist, as he is a 2x State Wrestling Champion AND a 2x IMMAF Youth Champion. On top of that, Kaufmann is a 4x PAN BJJ champion and has been locked onto the UFC since he was at least 12 years old. The now 18-year-old has been working with Ryan Bader and CB Dolloway at Power MMA in Arizona and getting ready for his LFA debut.
It’s always fun to see wrestling prodigies in the sport, but seeing a guy who has been training to be in the UFC since they were a teenager really shows how the sport is evolving. I expect dominant wrestling and capable striking from Kaufmann, but we’ll see when he makes his debut this Saturday.
Honorable Mentions
Jarome Woodbury (7-1) – Middleweight
Not a prospect or even close, but a bizarre situation like this deserves some attention. Jarome Woodbury went 7-1 from April 2010 to May 2012, and now has decided to make his return 13 years later. His age isn’t listed on Tapology, but it would only make sense if he were in his mid-30s at best. His Tapology photo seems to be from a physical therapy job, which I assume he’s worked at in his time outside the cage, but the insane nature of his return had to be mentioned.