The LFA was in the WVC, yes West Valley City, Utah for LFA 66. Fun card great stuff
Main event
Tyler Diamond vs Jon Neal – Featherweight
Round 1
Diamond is stiff on the feet and gets put down a couple of times. He looks to clinch and does so well. Diamond nails Neal with a left, and he goes down like he just got shot. Diamond starts to pound Neal, but for some reason, he stops and goes for an awkward choke. Neal survives.
Round 2
Neal coming in reckless. Diamond gets glued to Neal and is just looking for the choke. Neal is able to grab a toehold. The two stand as Diamond is having the better of the exchanges.
Round 3
Neal goes for a Gogoplata, using his knee instead of his ankle. He turtles, gets to his hands and knees and gets punched in the face, and starts sarcastically yawning. Diamond continues to stick to Neal. 🚩Diamond wins by unanimous decision.
Neal looks like he cares more about entertaining the crowd, rather than finishing his opponent. When someone taunts their opponent, when they’re in a position they can’t get out of, it tells me that they are mentally weak. He has good physical tools and is very creative, but he definitely needs more Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu work. Diamond has very poor hands, he makes a lot of mistakes on the feet and he’s open to submissions on the ground as well – Diamond is mentally strong though, he has that going for him.
Josh Burkman vs William Macario – 175
Round 1
Burkman throwing things with bad intentions and Macario is handling it very well. Tough fight. Burkman gets rocked towards the end of the round
Round 2
Burkman starts off by going for kicks and going for takedowns. Macario starts to tee off on Burkman, who clinches to stop the onslaught. Burkman gets his mouthpiece knocked out and as he picks it up and puts it in his mouth, he eats several shots to the head. Burkman then tries to play to the crown and Macario gives him a swift front kick to the gut.
Round 3
Burkman is going for broke, the two clinch and Macario is winning the small exchanges. Macario gets gassed towards the end. The bell sounds. The two fighters share water like beers in the center of the cage. Burkman hugs his son. The gloves come off and go to the center of the ring. 🚩Macario wins by split decision
There are some fights where the outcome means nothing, all that matters is the performance. Burkman gives a good account of himself in this fight. Win or lose, he went out trying to win, and looked like a real-true fighter. Macario never eased up, and I wholly agree. You do not ease up on a fighter that you respect.
Westin Wilson vs Andrew Tenneson – Featherweight
Round 1
Wilson is very long, he doesn’t use his height for long. He gets kicked and taken down. Tenneson gets caught in an anaconda, then there are a few transitions. Tenneson hits a heel hook, he goes to mount.. Mounted gogoplata turns to a gogoplata from the bottom. 🚩Tenneson wins by submission.
Tenneson is a very smart fighter. He is super creative and has great kicks. He needs to improve his Muay Thai. He could be even more devastating if his technical striking gets better. He is talent, a true martial artist and he looks like Donald Glover’s uncle.
Joe Rodriguez vs Emilio Trevino – Light heavyweight
Round 1
Trevino has a point karate style. Rodriguez is stiff and a little gun-shy. Both have a problem with space – they cant seem to gauge the other fighter.
Round 2
Trevino takes Rodriguez down and Rodriguez has no ground game. Trevino is also poor on the ground.
Round 3
Trevino takes Rodriguez down. Lots of holding down. 🚩Trevino wins by unanimous decision.
Trevino didnt show much. Rodriguez cant fight off his back, he also can’t get up after he gets taken down.
Bobby King vs Fabio Serrao – Lightweight
Round 1
Feeling out. Small kicks and combos
Round 2
King gets loose with more combos. Both guys are playing it safe with distance with King getting a little better of the exchanges. Serrao gets super aggressive towards the end of the round
Round 3
King is very Tentative. Serrao gets frustrated and looks to brawl. Serrao takes King down and beats him up. Scrambles ensue. 🚩Serrao wins by unanimous decision
King needs to work on a lot. He looks terrible when he’s put under pressure, the point game isn’t gonna work all the time. Serrao was switching his style up so much I don’t know what to make of him.
Lisa Maudlin vs Kaytlin Neil – Flyweight
Round 1
Neil looks stiff, but has good physical tools, Maudlin bounces well. Maudlin clinches and Neil reverses position. The stupid ref breaks them up. Both ladies are very tentative. Maudlin takes Neil down
Round 2
Both ladies are very slow, but Mauldin gets the take down and imposes her will on Neil. She hits her with some elbows and tries to sink in the RNC. Neil reverses and ends up on top.
Round 3
Mauldin seems to have more confidence. Neil is slow and apprehensive. Both ladies are waiting on the other other to go first, 🚩Mauldin wins by split decision.
Maycee Barber, these girls are not. There was a lot of apprehension. A lot of slowness. Neil needs better footwork, both ladies need to wrestle more
LJ Shulz vs Hunter Azure
Round 1
Shulz looks incredibly stiff, he looks like this might be his first pro-fight, he looks so bad. This is actually his 11th pro fight. He gets rocked a few times and incredibly he knocks down Azure. The stunned fighter gets back up and knocks down his opponent. Azure is a little flat-footed but continues to beat his opponent on the feet
Round 2
Shulz has no head movement, and poor footwork, but every now and again he rocks Azure with a punch. Azure makes it dirty up against the cage as the round comes to an end.
Round 3
Azure is landing combos, Shulz doing ridiculous flips in the cage. Azure takes down his opponent and beats up a bloody Shulz as the round comes to an end. 🚩Azure wins by unanimous decision.
Azure needed this fight. This is a fight that he can watch over and over again. He neeeeeds to learn from the fight. “How do you beat an unskilled power puncher with with a hard head”- That is the name of this chapter. It could’ve went all wrong for Azure earlier in the fight, but he was able to get over the hump. Shulz has plenty to improve on.
Andrew Tenneson’s Gogoplata was unbroken