LFA Announces “Phase 2,” Four Events Scheduled From 8/21 To 9/11

The Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) completed “Phase One” of their return during the coronavirus pandemic earlier this month and “Phase Two” is about to begin.

The promotion has announced four more events to take place in the next four weeks, beginning with LFA 88 on August 21 and ending with LFA 91 on September 11. A pair of title fights and the debut of UFC veteran Joe Giannetti will highlight the four-pack of LFA cards over a four week period.

A press release was issued on “Phase Two” by the LFA:

LFA announces Phase 2 events: 4 events in 4 weeks

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
LFA 88: WILLIS vs. DE JESUS

JALEEL “THE REALEST” WILLIS
vs.
VINICIUS “THE BRAZILIAN BAD BOY” DE JESUS

WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
LFA 89: MOORE vs. GIANNETTI

BRANT “KILLER BEE” MOORE
vs.
JOE “SKELETOR” GIANNETTI

LIGHTWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
LFA 90: LAZISHVILI vs. STEELE

ZVIAD LAZISHVILI
vs.
RICKY “THE KARATE KID” STEELE

BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
LFA 91: TBD vs. TBD

LIVE on UFC FIGHT PASS

SANFORD PENTAGON
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

LAS VEGAS, NV – LFA returned to action in July with four events in four weeks. Each event featured a world title fight and helped usher in a new era of live sports entertainment amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which caused a worldwide shutdown in sporting events in mid-March.

After the UFC safely returned to action in May, LFA followed suit with all four July events taking place behind closed-doors. Each event adhered to strict health codes, safeguards, and testing protocols that were put in place for the safety of the fighters, cornermen, and event staff.

LFA is now ready to continue its residency at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Starting on Friday, August 21st, LFA will host four more closed-door events in a span of four weeks. These events will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

“I am excited to announced that LFA will be returning to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,” stated LFA CEO Ed Soares. “We brought four successful closed-door events to the Sanford Pentagon in July. This continued a great working relationship we established with the South Dakota Athletic Commission and Sanford Pentagon six summers ago, when we brought the first sanctioned MMA event to the state. Our partnership with Sanford Heath has allowed us to create a safe and healthy environment for our fighters and staff. We look forward to continuing our residency on our LFA fight campus in Sioux Falls. We return on August 21st and will host four events in a span of four weeks.”

LFA 88: Willis vs. De Jesus takes place Friday, August 21st. The main event will feature an explosive welterweight world title fight between two of the most accomplished prospects in the division. Jaleel “The Realest” Willis (12-2) and Vinicius “The Brazilian Bad Boy” De Jesus (9-2) are two of the biggest stars in the 170-pound division. Willis is a 4-time LFA veteran that has either headlined or co-headlined for the promotion in each of those bouts. Prior to competing in MMA, Willis received All-American honors in Greco-Roman wrestling. De Jesus, like Willis, has made a name for himself competing in Bellator. The second-degree BJJ black belt also won and defended the CES welterweight title. The winner of this vacant title fight will become the fourth welterweight champion in LFA history.

LFA 89: Moore vs. Giannetti takes place Friday, August 28th. The main event will feature a high-stakes showdown between two of the top fighters in the stacked lightweight division. Brant “Killer Bee” Moore (7-1) and Joe “Skeletor” Giannetti (9-2-1) are two of the most promising prospects in one of LFA’s deepest divisions. Moore is a BJJ black belt that earned his first headlining bout for LFA after going 3-0 for the promotion. The proud Texan will now lock horns with a popular Boston native in Giannetti. The Bostonian made a name for himself competing on the UFC’s hit reality television show The Ultimate Fighter 27: Undefeated. Giannetti reached the tournament final after submitting his first two opponents in the first round. He then made his UFC debut at the UFC: TUF 27 Finale where he dropped a razor-close Split Decision.

LFA 90: Lazishvili vs. Steele takes place Friday, September 4th. The main event will feature a bantamweight world title fight between the top two undefeated prospects in the division. Zviad Lazishvili (12-0) and Ricky “The Karate Kid” Steele (6-0) understand the implications and prestige behind winning this title. This title has a long history as it was first awarded at LFA 1, after the merger of RFA and Legacy created LFA in 2017. Leandro Higo won the title that night and went on to fight for the Bellator title. The other three champions Ricky Simón, Miles Johns, and Casey Kenney currently fight in the UFC. Lazishvili is an undefeated Georgian fighter who earned a dominant win in his LFA debut at LFA 79. Steele is a fourth-degree black belt in Keishinkan Karate who has impressed in RFA, TUF 27, and Contender Series.

LFA 91 takes place Friday, September 11th. The main event is being finalized and will be announced soon.

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 180 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.

Please visit LFA.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Facebook.com/LFAfighting. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and 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.