So its a tough time for MMA in Texas right now. There were zero local shows in Texas in the last six months and a lot of fighters are heaving a hard time. Guys can travel to places like Florida to try to get fights, but the fighters would have to have those connections already made, and they’d have to stop working to make the trip. Yes, All local fighters have jobs. The LFA is doing a good job getting fighters out to Sioux Falls, and putting on good shows. It would be nice if they could find a more central location for the fighters – But in this pandemic, you have to take what you can get.
Zviad Lazishvili was able to finish Ricky Steele by rear naked choke, in the first round to win the LFA Bantamweight title at LFA 90
Main Event
Zviad Lazishvili vs Ricky Steele – Bantamweight
Round 1
Steele throws a few kicks, Lazishvili clinches, takes the back, beats up Steele and eventually sinks in the RNC. 🚩Lazishvili wins by submission
I dont rate Steele very highly. Sure, he won on the contender series, but that match-up was hot garbage. His style just doesn’t make there grade here. Lazishvili is OK, he has a below average stand up game, an average BJJ game, and an above average wrestling game. Do I think he’s ready to go to the UFC after this performance? No. There are still super talented guys that are ahead of him. IMO Levi Mowles should’ve been the one fighting for the title. – Maybe Mowles has something else planned… otherwise that is the fight to make Lazishvili vs Mowles. As for Steele, he needs to get a better wrestling game. check out my 2019 Contender Series grade on Steele
Devin Smyth vs Maycon Mendonca – Welterweight
Round 1
Kicks by Mendonca, Mendonca throws a body kick and gets taken down. They get up. Both throwing sloppy strikes
Round 2
They throw sloppy strikes. Mendonca hits Smyth with spin kick to the gut, and Smyth goes down as if it was a low-blow. The ref says fight on and Mendonca lands some good punches. Smyth then goes for, what looks like a spinning back-fist, and gets dropped before he can finish the spin, Mendonca then pounds him out on the ground.🚩 Mendonca wins by TKO
Smyth looks lazy when he fights, and his fight IQ just looks horrible. He almost looks like an amateur in there to me. I actually know some amateurs that would be looking at Devin Smyth like meat. I graded him in his 2019 Contender Series loss against Brok Weaver here. Mendonca has below average striking, below average BJJ and below average wrestling. He’s had some favorable matchups recently, and has fought some guys with some poor fight IQs
Chris Brown vs Ignacio Bahamondes – Welterweight
Round 1
Bahamondes moves around a lot. Brown throws some kicks and takes Bahamondes down, but Bahamondes promptly works himself back to his feet. Bahamondes throws a variety of kicks
Round 2
Flailing shots and lots of kicks
Round 3
More of the same. 🚩Bahamondes wins by split decision.
This fight was super sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Bahamondes was pressuring for the majority of the fight, but he didn’t know how to setup Brown, who was fighting with his hands down. I didn’t learn a lot about Bahamondes’ wrestling game here. Brown? Super-sloppy and almost like a street fighter at times. I’m not that impressed.
Mando Gutierrez vs Mo Miller – Bantamweight
Round 1
Miller drops Gutierrez and goes for a guillotine. They go to the ground, and Gutierrez puts a tight Gogoplata on Miller. Miller eventually fights out of the choke and they stand up
Round 2
Miller rocks Gutierrez with a right and drags him to the floor, he puts a beat down on the Barber, before he slaps on the RNC and gets the sub.🚩 Miller wins by submission
This was a pretty high level Bantamweight fight. Gutierrez kept keeping his head on the center-line, and was not moving enough, and Miller was finding that chin. IMO Gutierrez should’ve went in-and-out with the taller fighter. When the fight went to the ground is where Gutierrez had the most success in this fight, I say that, even though he got finished on the ground. Miller? Miller is talent, he has a good wrestling game, and OK BJJ game, and a wolf-like striking game. I love to see guys sizing up other guys in fights and looking for weak-points. I would personally like to see Miller vs Lazishvili
Allan Begosso vs Sean McPadden – Bantamweight
Round 1
McPadden keeps his head on the center-line. Begosso plants his feet and starts swinging. McPadden gets rocked with a left, dropped with another left and pounded out on the floor. 🚩Begosso wins by TKO
McPadden was way too casual, there was an air of you cant hurt me, about his style. Begosso hurt him indeed. All we learned here is that Begosso has some power in his hands
Tabatha Ricci vs Kelsey Arneson
Round 1
They clinch, very competitive round. Arneson slightly has the better postions
Round 2
Ricci throws some hands to get in close and get the takedown. She works in Arneson’s guard for a little bit
Round 3
Ricci comes forward throwing wild and lands a few punches, Ricci then grinds out Arneson against the cage.🚩 Ricci wins by unanimous decision
Ricci was just physically stronger, and she just imposed her will. I didn’t see anything too technical from the Brazilian, a lot of wild punches, but credit to Ricci, Arneson did not know how to deal with those punches. When it went to the ground, the Jiu Jitsu was basic from both ladies
Mo Miller was unbroken at LFA 90