Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) is back with its final event of the calendar year in LFA 148. The show, which will emanate from the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California, will be headlined by a 170-pound clash between Chris Brown and two-time Olympian Alfonso Leyva for the vacant LFA title.
Fight fans can catch LFA 148 streaming over on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Vacant LFA Welterweight Championship – Leyva vs. Brown
One of the most exciting Mexican prospects in the game, Alfonso Leyva came to MMA after qualifying for the Olympic games on two separate occasions in the discipline of Greco-Roman wrestling. Upon retiring from Greco, Leyva made a swift transition to MMA and has since been an unstoppable force inside the cage. Five of his six wins have come by way of stoppage due to grounded strikes. He also earned a standing knockout in the second fight of his career at a regional event in his native Mexico. Still just 29, Leyva will have a chance to taste gold for the first time in his MMA career if he can get past veteran Brown.
Brown has compiled a 9-4 record over a five-year career in the sport. The Jackson Wink product has spent the majority of his career in LFA where he holds a 4-3 record. Opportunity has come knocking for the 33-year-old, however, who will have the opportunity to become the promotion’s welterweight champion and derail the hype train of a major prospect. Either way, Brown will represent the toughest test of Leyva’s MMA career, as he is yet to be finished and three of his four defeats have come by way of split decision.
Oddsmakers currently see Leyva as a -450 favorite, while Brown can be had at a +300 price tag.
Now that the #LFA148 weigh-in is in the books, which fight are you looking forward to most?
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— LFA (@LFAfighting) December 9, 2022
Co-Main Event – Silva vs. Kawaihae
Leading into Friday’s main event will be a featherweight collision between Danny Silva and Canaan Kawaihae. Silva, 25, is a bright prospect in his own right, and is coming off a victory in his LFA debut against Elijah Leggett back at LFA 137. Silva trains out of the UFC Gym in Costa Mesa, Calif. and will be making the short trek to fight Kawaihae, who also has six wins to his name in his young career.
A native of Kailua, Hawaii, Kawaihae has leaned on his jiu-jitsu throughout his young career and picked up his last win by way of ninja choke against Jake Childers at LFA 105 last year. However, he suffered a setback when he competed on Dana White’s Contender Series 46 against fellow LFA alum Jonas Bilharinho. Despite winning the majority of the minutes, Kawaihae fell victim to a spinning wheel kick from the Brazilian four minutes into the third round, potentially squandering an opportunity to earn a UFC contract. Still just 25, Kawaihae has plenty to gain on Friday if he can upend Silva’s six-fight streak.
Rest of the Card
A lightweight bout between Richie Miranda and James Wilson is set for feature fight status on Friday’s show. Both fighters have a combined record of 9-1 but while Miranda will look to stay unbeaten, Wilson, the former Stanford University wrestler, will look to get back on the winning track after sustaining his first career defeat at the hands of Ahmad Suhail Hassanzada at LFA 124. Dione Barbosa is also slated to take on Mariana Piccolo at women’s flyweight in a battle of rising Brazilian women.
At men’s flyweight, Cody Davis will meet Alvaro Prado in a battle of 5-1 prospects. Prado missed the 126-pound flyweight limit by 1.4 pounds and will pay a penalty of his purse to Davis regardless of the outcome. A welterweight fight between Jeffery Craig and Ernesto Rodriguez will open the main card. Meanwhile, the preliminaries will play host to two fights: Joseph Dorado vs. Eduardo Penha at 135 pounds and David Secaida vs. Qudratullah Babakar Khil at 125 pounds. Secaida will be making his professional debut.
LFA 148 Results
Main Card
Chris Brown def. Alfonso Leyva via Knockout (body kick) at 3:04 of Round 1
Canaan Kawaihae def. Danny Silva via Majority Decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Richie Miranda def. James Wilson via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Dione Barbosa def. Mariana Piccolo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Cody Davis def. Alvaro Prado via Submission (RNC) at 2:25 of Round 1
Ernesto Rodriguez def. Jeffrey Craig via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Eduardo Penha def. Joseph Dorado via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
