LFA is entering a massive year for the promotion, and a new streaming deal with Vice TV is making headlines. Departing from Fight Pass has been a controversial move, but it could prove to be a pivotal point in the future of the promotion and how it delivers its content to fans. LFA 224 marks the start of that era, and a new heavyweight champion will be crowned on January 16th in Prior Lake, Minnesota.
Arslan Bilalov (5-0) – Heavyweight
Arslan Bilalov is the latest Russian Heavyweight to come to the US. He claimed the Alaska Fighting Championship Heavyweight title over Braden Peterson in November, submitting him with an arm triangle choke in three minutes. Before coming to the US, Bilalov had two fights each in Eagle FC and UAE Warriors. Despite being 33 years old, Bilalov is just 4 years into his MMA career, but has only fought five times in his career.
Bilalov is a smaller HW but makes up for his size with aggressive wrestling and well-timed takedowns. He has a great single leg, relentlessly pushing for the takedown from the opening bell. Once Bilalov gets on top, he has strong control and heavy top pressure, rarely allowing opponents to get to their feet. His raw strength is evident once on top, and he even broke a past opponent’s arm simply from pushing it into position.
Defensively, Bilalov has a good chin and can take a punch, but he may take them too often. His takedown defense is strong, often using his opponent’s aggression against them to mount his own grappling offense. Once he takes advantage of his opponents’ mistakes, he capitalizes with submissions and transitions.
While he has been limited in striking to this point, he has shown a solid straight left with a bit of pop in it. He normally just uses it to set up his takedowns for the most part. His cardio is still a question, having only been to a decision once, in a very lackluster and low-output fight against Benjamin Sehic. Based on more recent performances, it seems to be an outlier. Adams is likely his best opponent to date, and it’ll be interesting to see how their wrestling clashes.
Matt Adams (5-1) – Heavyweight
Despite being just six fights into his career, Adams is already a veteran of LFA, with his last three fights coming in the promotion. The New Lexington, Ohio native began his pro career at home in the Ohio Combat League. Adams has also competed in boxing and fought former UFC fighter Juan Adams in BKFC.
Usually weighing in right around the 265lb limit, Adams is a massive heavyweight but stands at just 5’10”. He takes advantage of taller opponents with teep kicks up the middle, one of his favorite tools on the feet. With just a 74-inch reach, Adams likes to get on the inside where he can unleash his wrestling. He is relentless with his takedown attempts, looking to grapple from the opening bell and pushing his opponent to the cage until the fight hits the floor.
Once on top, Adams can transition to the back and mount fluently, gaining leverage that he rarely loses once in those positions. His last fight against Ben Wunder showed this in full effect, with his heavy top game trapping Wunder on his back. Once Adams lands on top, he works to find openings with his ground and pound. While it may not look the prettiest, it’s effective, and the damage adds up.
While he may not set up his takedowns apart from lunging straights, Adams manages to get the fight to the floor in most cases. Similar to his opponent, his striking remains largely untested, making this an interesting matchup if the wrestling cancels out. He suffered a knockout in his pro debut and another at the hands of Juan Adams in BKFC, suggesting his chin may be a weakness, though he has absorbed some big shots since. In his only fight to go past Round 1, Adams put everything into a first-round finish. You can argue that the referee should have stopped the fight, but Adams clearly gassed after the opening frame and even allowed a former kickboxer to reverse him. If Adams can control his bursts and span them out over the course of the fight, he may be even more dangerous.
Josiah Harrell (10-0) – Welterweight
Josiah Harrell has quietly built one of the more intriguing unbeaten records on the U.S. regional scene. Competing at welterweight, Harrell emerged out of Ohio with a perfect professional run, stacking wins across multiple promotions before gaining wider attention. Fighting under the nickname “Muscle Hamster,” he developed a reputation as a consistent finisher, with victories coming by both strikes and submissions, with a cool 90% finishing rate. He’ll face Bekmyrza Dosmatov in the co-main event of LFA 224 in a welterweight showdown.
Harrell’s momentum reached a turning point in 2023 when he was booked for a short-notice UFC debut against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290. That opportunity ultimately fell through after a pre-fight MRI revealed moyamoya disease, a rare cerebrovascular condition that required immediate medical attention. The diagnosis halted what would have been a major step forward in his career and shifted the focus from competition to recovery and long-term health.
Harrell has clearly improved since his UFC release, showing growth in experience and grappling. He enters this fight as the stronger wrestler, with grinding top control and effective ground-and-pound. While his opponent leans toward submissions, Harrell’s positional dominance and pressure make him the technically superior grappler in this matchup.
Bekmyrza Dosmatov (13-2) – Welterweight
On the other side of Josiah Harrell will be Bekmyrza Dosmatov, who has steadily built a reputation on the Asian scene and makes his LFA debut this Friday. Competing out of Osh, Kyrgyzstan, he trained with Ataman FC before joining VFS Academy in the United States. Dosmatov has compiled a professional record of 13–2 and is currently riding an 8‑fight winning streak.
While his record might make him appear highly polished on paper, Dosmatov’s performances suggest a grappler who thrives on controlled positional work and opportunistic offense rather than explosive finishing. Most of his wins have come via decision, and his finishes have generally been against lower-tier opposition. Technically, Dosmatov is a solid, submission-oriented grappler who has been refining his craft for several years. He excels at grinding through positions and hunting for submissions, which contrasts with Harrell’s improved wrestling and heavy ground-and-pound. While he may not always dominate visibly, his grappling fundamentals and ability to control scrambles make him a legitimate threat on the mat.
This matchup is likely another DWCS eliminator, and it could come down to whether Harrell’s positional pressure and ground-and-pound can neutralize Dosmatov’s submission game. Expect a competitive, tactical battle where grappling exchanges and top control will be decisive.
Taner Trembley (5‑0) – Featherweight
Taner “Killemquick” Trembley has put together an unblemished start to his professional MMA career out of St. Cloud, Minnesota, carrying a 5–0 record into his next matchup. He’s shown a consistent ability to finish fights, with four submission wins and one knockout on his résumé so far, and has done most of his damage within the Legacy Fighting Alliance. His recent victory came by guillotine choke in the third round against Cole Alaxanian at LFA 223, capping a performance where he stayed active and transitioned well across phases.
At 31 years old, Trembley isn’t a raw project, and with each outing, he has shown a well‑rounded skill set despite relatively limited professional experience. He has demonstrated he can finish fights in any round and does not rely solely on early aggression to secure stoppages. That blend of finishing ability and composure gives the impression that he’s closer to being fight‑ready for a big stage than his number of bouts alone might suggest. His fight schedule and global activity make him a prime candidate to end up on DWCS with a strong first half of the year with LFA.
His upcoming matchup pits him against a lanky, submission‑oriented opponent with notable back‑taking instincts. Santana can be tricky off his back and poses threats on the mat, but outside of that, he has shown limited striking and questionable cardio, which could become liabilities as the fight wears on. Expect Trembley to face some resistance early as he navigates clinch and grappling exchanges, but once he finds his range and timing, he should impose his pace and score a stoppage.
Jose Ferreira (13‑2‑0, 2 NC) – Lightweight
Jose “Tiro Loco” Ferreira has established himself as a dangerous and active lightweight fighting out of Temuco, Chile, and representing Elemental Dojo while also spending time with VFS Academy. Ferreira’s professional record stands at 13 wins, 2 losses, and 2 no contests.
Across his career, Ferreira has shown he is willing to engage and push the pace, which makes him a compelling watch every time he steps in the cage. He has finished fights with both strikes and submissions, illustrating an ability to mix his offensive output rather than leaning on one singular strength. His recent results tell the story of a seasoned regional lightweight who can both grind and explode, depending on the juncture of the fight.
Technically, Ferreira is not universally viewed as a high‑end prospect purely by pedigree, but his aggressive, kill‑or‑be‑killed style gives him an edge in entertaining, high‑pace exchanges. He’s shown he can brawl with pressure fighters and push the pace without immediately fading, and his cardio has allowed him to sustain aggression where others may back down. In a stylistic contrast, his upcoming opponent is known for a more submission‑oriented approach and has been described as lanky with strong back‑taking instincts, but otherwise a somewhat limited striker with endurance questions. Ferreira’s strength will be in maintaining pressure, forcing exchanges where he can implement takedowns and top control, and potentially finishing with ground‑and‑pound once he dictates where the fight goes. This blend of grit, pace, and willingness to mix levels makes him a must‑watch fighter on Friday night, even if he isn’t viewed as exceptionally “talented” on paper.
