LFA 132 Preview

The Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) will return to action this Friday for LFA 132: Gomes vs. Costa, set to take place at Quill Stage in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Friday will mark the LFA’s return to Brazil after running Complexo Ribalta the last time out. This time, the promotion will feature a main event of Italo Gomes taking on fellow Brazilian Melquizael Costa in a non-title lightweight bout. The card will be available for streaming on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

LFA 132 Preview

LFA 132 Main Event: Italo Gomes vs. Melquizael Costa

A lightweight clash between countrymen Gomes and Costa is set to headline Friday’s event. Gomes (10-2) will be pleased to make his return, this time in an LFA cage after having three fights fall out after his first-round finish of Claudiere Freitas at Brazilian Fighting Series 3. The 26-year-old will be making his LFA debut in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro and will be looking to make it three consecutive wins after suffering a setback against Marat Magomedov at Gorilla Fighting Championships 20. Gomes trains out of Tata Fight Team along with former UFC light heavyweight contender Thiago Santos and will be looking to assert himself as a contender in the LFA lightweight division with a win on Friday. In fact, LFA CEO Ed Soares recently announced that the winner of Friday’s main event would eventually make up one-half of a lightweight championship fight down the line.

Gomes will look to earn himself that title shot with a win against Costa (17-4), another Brazilian prospect who is not short on experience despite his age. The 25-year-old will put his five-fight winning streak to the test, during which he has gotten his hand raised in virtually every possible fashion outside of disqualification. The Chute Boxe Bauru product is a well-rounded prospect, and it will be telling to see if he showcases similar improvements to that of training partner Joanderson Brito, who is coming off a first-round knockout of UFC veteran Andre Fili last month in Las Vegas, Nev.

Current betting odds have “Melk” lined as a -170 favorite over Gomes, who can be currently had for +145 on BetOnline. Costa should be favored in a strictly stand-up fight, but Friday’s main event could come down to whichever fighter is able to get it to the ground first.

Co-Main Event

Friday’s second fight from the top will pit Luan Luiz Lacerda (11-1) against fellow Brazilian Marciley Alves (9-2) in the bantamweight division. Lacerda has rallied to win eight consecutive bouts after dropping the third fight of his career. He most recently appeared inside the LFA cage last July when he finished Tayron Pedro with a second-round heel hook. The Nova União fighter has won seven of his last eight fights by way of submission and will be looking to make it eight in nine as he makes his case for a shot at the LFA bantamweight strap. Alves, meanwhile, is coming off a knockout of Daniel Siqueira at Jungle Fight 106, and at just 22-years-old is showing improvement each time out. Alves has fought at flyweight in the past and figures to be at a size and probable reach disadvantage against Lacerda, but can make up the difference with his power, as one-third of his wins have come by way of knockout. Current betting odds have Lacerda pegged as a 3-1 favorite.