The first MMA event to be held at the famed Taichi Palace in Lemoore, Calif. since the COVID-19 pandemic will take place on Friday evening. If the name of the casino sounds familiar to fight fans, it might be because UFC President Dana White attempted to make it the location of UFC 249 in an effort to work around regulations put in place by athletic commissions.
Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 8 will reportedly be headlined by a welterweight bout between Art Arciniega and Sergio Quinones. A flyweight title fight between Anthony Do and Joseph Morales is also on top for Friday night.
Fight fans can catch Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 8 streaming live on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for the prelims with the main card set to get underway two hours later.
Main Event
Arciniega vs. Quinones
With both fighters set to make their A1 Combat debuts, the biggest story heading into Friday’s main event resides with Arciniega making his return to the sport following a five-year layoff. “King Arthur” is a veteran of promotions such as Bellator and Combate where he combined for an 0-3 record. However, he was able to win consecutive fights before 2018, after which he took a five-year break from the sport. Arciniega, at one point, held a seven-fight winning streak between 2010 and 2013, and he’ll be looking to get back to his winning ways beginning on
While he will need to stave off the ring rust that is sure to follow him into the cage on Friday night, Arcinega will also need to contend with a formidable foe in Quinones. Quinones has fought many of the same fighters as his opponent on the Northern California regional circuit, such as Brad McDonald and Sergio Cortez. Moreover, while Quinones has been susceptible to finishes in the past, Arcinega has been to the judges’ scorecards in each of his last nine fights.
Rest of the Card
A flyweight title fight between Morales and Do is also scheduled to take place Friday evening. Morales is no stranger to the spotlight having fought in the UFC on two separate occasions. He went 0-2 during his brief 2018 stint, but one of those losses came at the hands of two-time UFC flyweight champion Deivison Figueiredo. Do, meanwhile, has spent his time making a name for himself in front of international audiences in promotions such as ONE Championship and Pancrase. Fury FC standout Paris Moran handed Do his latest defeat, however, so both fighters will enter the cage on Friday night having faced a high quality of competition.
Other notable fights on the show include Erik Sanchez taking on Salvador Becerra at 155 pounds, and Josue Lugo facing off with Carl Seumanutafa in the heavyweight division. Sanchez is a 32-year-old Team Alpha Male product who is coming off a huge win over James Lynch in Lynch’s hometown of San Diego at Cage Warriors 143. If he can defeat Becerra, he will have made it three consecutive wins and have a considerable amount of momentum behind him. Lugo, meanwhile is hoping to put his finishing ability on display against Seumanutafa. The 41-year-old was once tabbed to fight Tyrell Fortune inside the Bellator cage, but the fight fell through and Lugo will now find himself standing across the cage from the 39-year-old Samoan Seumanutafa. “Badwater” most recently competed in the 2021 PFL season, compiling an 0-2 record.
A1 Combat 8 Results
Main Card
Joseph Morales def. Anthony Do via Triangle Choke at 4:50 of Round 3 — For the A1 Combat Flyweight Championship
Art Arciniega def. Sergio Quinones via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
AJ Perez def. Kail Melton via TKO (punches) at :54 of Round 1
Brandon Olson def. Diego Bigelow via Submission (Kimura) at :57 of Round 2
Ernie Juarez def. Alex Arteaga via TKO (punches) at 4:05 of Round 2
Arturo Burgos def. Dominic Pasquale via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Elijah Ozuna def. Racelis Cardenas via Submission (RNC) at 3:35 of Round 1
