LFA returns from coronavirus shutdown with four July events in South Dakota

It’s not exactly “Fight Island,” but LFA will return to action in July after four months away due to the coronavirus pandemic with a set of shows in South Dakota.

On four consecutive Fridays, from July 10-31, LFA, which last held an event on March 6, will run fights at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. Similar to the UFC’s model since returning in May, LFA’s Sioux Falls events, which will air on UFC Fight Pass, will be held behind closed doors and follow strict safety protocols.

“I am excited to announced that LFA will be returning with live weekly MMA events in July,” LFA CEO Ed Soares said in a statement. “We brought the first sanctioned MMA event to the state of South Dakota six summers ago and have a great working relationship with South Dakota Athletic Commission and Sanford Pentagon. This will allow us to set up a safe environment for our fighters and staff, while implementing strict coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and safeguards to control and ensure a healthy LFA residency on our fight campus in Sioux Falls.”

Each event will be headlined by a championship fight:

• On July 10, Justin Gonzales (10-0) meets Jake Childers (8-0) for the vacant featherweight title.
• July 17’s LFA 85 main event is Sam Hughes (4-0) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (4-1) to crown the company’s inaugural strawweight champ.
• July 24 sees Greg Fischer (10-1) and Jimmy Flick (13-5) square off at LFA 86 to fill the flyweight title vacated when Brandon Royval signed with the UFC.
• The slate closes July 31 with LFA 87, where South Dakota’s own Bryce Logan (11-4) and SoCal’s Jacob Rosales(12-5) fight for the vacant lightweight title, a bout that was scheduled for April 17 and then postponed due to the pandemic.