Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) has consistently been one of the most popular proving grounds for UFC hopefuls, and is set to return for its 189th card on Friday night live from the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, New York.
The New York MMA fans will be treated to an LFA women’s interim strawweight championship fight between defending champion Natasha Kuziutina and Bruna Ellen.
Fight fans can catch LFA 189 streaming live on UFC Fight Pass, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT for the main card.
LFA Women’s Interim Strawweight Championship — Kuziutina vs. Ellen
A co-main event fight that would have seen Renato Valente take on Chermen Kobesov at 185 pounds was scrapped in the lead up to Friday night. Therefore, the fans in New York will be treated to just one Russia vs. Brazil clash, thought the Kuziutina vs. Ellen itself was rescheduled from June following a Kuziutina illness late in fight week.
Kuziutina has a unique background as a decorated Russian judoka, having competed in three Summer Olympic Games (2012, 2016, 2020). She earned a bronze medal in 2016, and following the 2020 games transitioned to a career in MMA. After debuting with a win in Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing promotion, Kuziutina took on perhaps a little too much too soon with Invicta FC’s Fatima Kline, who has since gone on to a career in the UFC. Since then, however, Kuziutina has ripped off four straight wins with two first-round armbar finishes, and won the interim title against Giovanna Canuto earlier this year.
Bruna Ellen, however, will be a tough out for the former judo practitioner. Ellen formerly competed in Bellator, where she fought the “who’s who” of the Bellator women’s flyweight division: former Invicta FC title challenger Kristina Williams, and Bellator champions Julianna Velasquez, and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. She went 5-4 in the promotion, and left for LFA shortly before the company’s merger with PFL. Friday will mark her first fight outside of Bellator in nine years, and while her experience could be a decider against Kuziutina, she has also shown a propensity to be controlled by grapplers.
Per LFA CEO Ed Soares, the winner of Friday night’s main event could have a chance to unify the belts against current champion Rose Conceição, who is set to appear on Dana White’s Contender Series later this summer.
Rest of the Card
Friday’ co-main event will be contested between James Gonzalez and Kyrgyzstani prospect Ilyor Bakhtiyar Uulu. Uulu is an aggressive fighter who is looking for his first win stateside. He does own a win over Charleston Pou in Conflict MMA, but the result was overturned from an early Pou knockout following an appeal from the Uulu camp. He also missed weight for that fight, which was contested at featherweight. Time will tell if Uulu can reinvent himself at lightweight, where he will fight Gonzalez, an eighteen-fight veteran, on Friday.
One of the more intriguing fights of the main card will take place at bantamweight, with Ashiek Ajim taking on Micaias Ureña. Ajim is not only an alum of Dana White’s Contender Series, but a former CES bantamweight champion. Most of his fights are won or lost on the feet, and it’s reasonable for that trend to continue against Ureña, a Dominican prospect who has competed on a handful of Titan FC’s co-promoted cards with Fighting Force. Heavyweight prospects Matt Adams and Alex Marro are also scheduled to compete on the main card.
For up-t0-the-minute results and updates from LFA 189, be sure to stay locked in to MMA Sucka!
LFA 189: Kuziutina vs. Ellen Results
Main Card
Natasha Kuzuitina def. Bruna Ellen via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) — for the Interim LFA Women’s Strawweight Championship
Ilyor Bakhtiyar Uulu def. James Gonzalez via TKO (knees) at 2:59 of Round 1
Micaias Ureña def. Ashiek Ajim via Knockout (Right Hook) at :11 of Round 1
Matt Adams def. Alex Marro via TKO (strikes) at :35 of Round 1
Will Lewis def. Everet Desilets via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Cristina Brador def. Aline David via Submission (Standing RNC) at 3:10 of Round 1
Soufiane Kabil def. Michael Pino via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Melvin Jovel vs. Xander White*
Luke Martin vs. Devon Coates*
* – Denotes amateur bout
