09Oct 2026
LFA 243
Santa Cruz, California
Card to be announced
Legacy Fighting Alliance
LFAEvents, champions and history
The leading regional MMA promotion in the United States, formed in 2017 from the merger of Legacy FC and RFA. The usual last stop before the UFC.
- Founded 2017
- Houston
- Vice TV
- U.S. and Brazil
245numbered events by end of 2026
22events in 2026
11divisions
5UFC champions from LFA, Legacy FC or RFA (as of 2019)
Champions
Heavyweight
Arslan Bilalov 馃嚪馃嚭
LFA 224, January 2026
Featherweight
Erick Visconde 馃嚙馃嚪
LFA 232, May 2026
Bantamweight
Rafael Pereira 馃嚙馃嚪
LFA 241, September 2026
Flyweight
Marcos Degli 馃嚙馃嚪
August 2026
Women's strawweight
Aieza Ramos Bertolso 馃嚙馃嚪
LFA 216, September 2025. Earned a UFC contract on the Contender Series, Sept. 29, 2026
Light heavyweight
Vacant title
Middleweight
Vacant title
Welterweight
Vacant title
Lightweight
Vacant title
From LFA to the UFC
Kamaru Usman
UFC 路 2015
RFA and Legacy FC veteran, UFC welterweight champion in 2019
Valentina Shevchenko
UFC 路 2015
Legacy FC alum, UFC flyweight champion
Henry Cejudo
UFC 路 2014
Legacy FC alum, two-division UFC champion
Holly Holm
UFC 路 2015
Legacy FC alum, UFC bantamweight champion in 2015
Nicco Monta帽o
UFC 路 2017
First UFC women's flyweight champion
Brendan Allen
UFC 路 2019
LFA middleweight champion
The story of LFA
Legacy Fighting Alliance was formed from the merger of two U.S. regional promotions, Legacy Fighting Championship and Resurrection Fighting Alliance, announced in 2016. Ed Soares, the founder of Legacy FC, runs it from Houston, Texas. The first event, LFA 1, took place on January 13, 2017, at The Bomb Factory in Dallas.
The promotion is the last step before the UFC for many American prospects. Its champions and top prospects are regularly called up to Dana White's Contender Series and then signed by the UFC, which is why LFA belts change hands or go vacant so often. Several divisions are vacant in fall 2026.
Kamaru Usman, Valentina Shevchenko, Henry Cejudo and Holly Holm all fought in Legacy FC or RFA before winning UFC titles. Brendan Allen, now ranked in the UFC middleweight top 5, is a former LFA champion.
LFA aired on AXS TV until 2019, then exclusively on UFC Fight Pass. Since January 2026 it airs on Vice TV. It runs events in the United States and Brazil.
Standout facts
2017
first event, LFA 1 in Dallas, after the Legacy FC and RFA merger.
5
LFA, Legacy FC or RFA alumni who had won UFC titles by 2019, per the promotion.
25
events covered by the Vice TV deal signed in January 2026.
2
regular host countries: the United States and Brazil.
LFA events in 2026
| Event | Date | Venue | Main event | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFA 242 | Sep 18, 2026 | Prior Lake, Minnesota | Lozej vs Bittencourt | |
| LFA 241 | Sep 11, 2026 | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Pires vs Pereira | Pereira |
| LFA 240 | Aug 28, 2026 | Clarksville, Tennessee | Sanders vs Gomez | Sanders |
| LFA 239 | Aug 21, 2026 | Ventura, California | Mecate vs Exposito | Mecate |
| LFA 238 | Jul 31, 2026 | Bras铆lia, Brazil | Sousa vs Portillo | Sousa |
| LFA 237 | Jul 24, 2026 | La Crosse, Wisconsin | Lee vs Tardio | Lee |
| LFA 236 | Jun 26, 2026 | Phoenix, Arizona | Ikei vs Parra | Ikei |
| LFA 235 | Jun 19, 2026 | Louisville, Kentucky | Stewart vs Havener | Havener |
| LFA 234 | May 29, 2026 | Cajamar, Brazil | Fernando vs Soares | Fernando |
| LFA 233 | May 22, 2026 | Salamanca, New York | Piersma vs Bianchini | Piersma |
| LFA 232 | May 15, 2026 | Mashantucket, Connecticut | Visconde vs Pintos | Visconde |
| LFA 231 | Apr 17, 2026 | Prior Lake, Minnesota | Lozej vs Ibarra | Lozej |
| LFA 230 | Apr 3, 2026 | Shawnee, Oklahoma | Bartling vs Cleveland | Cleveland |
| LFA 229 | Mar 27, 2026 | S茫o Paulo, Brazil | Martins vs Gon莽alves | Martins |
| LFA 228 | Mar 13, 2026 | Chandler, Arizona | Natividad vs Garcia | Natividad |
| LFA 227 | Feb 27, 2026 | Ventura, California | Nascimento vs Kamikubo | Nascimento |
| LFA 226 | Feb 6, 2026 | Clarksville, Tennessee | Allakhverdiev vs Kropschot | Kropschot |
| LFA 225 | Jan 23, 2026 | Bras铆lia, Brazil | Degli vs Aguiar | Degli |
| LFA 224 | Jan 16, 2026 | Prior Lake, Minnesota | Adams vs Bilalov | Bilalov |
Rules and format
- Unified Rules of MMA, overseen by state athletic commissions.
- Title fights over five rounds, other bouts over three.
- Eleven divisions: eight men's from flyweight to heavyweight, three women's.
Broadcast and partners
Vice TV in the U.S. since January 2026, after AXS TV (2017 to 2019) and UFC Fight Pass (2019 to 2025).
Official links
FAQ
What is LFA?
Legacy Fighting Alliance, the leading regional MMA promotion in the United States, formed in 2017 from the merger of Legacy FC and RFA. It is the main feeder league to the UFC.
Where can I watch LFA?
On Vice TV in the U.S. since January 2026. The promotion left UFC Fight Pass at that point.
Which UFC champions came through LFA?
Kamaru Usman, Valentina Shevchenko, Henry Cejudo and Holly Holm fought in Legacy FC or RFA, the two promotions that formed LFA. Nicco Monta帽o and Brendan Allen also came through LFA.
Page updated on October 1, 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, news.lfa.com, mmamania.com.
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