The Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota hosts LFA 85, where a 6-fight card is topped by a battle to become the first LFA women’s strawweight champ, Sam Hughes vs. Vanessa Demopoulos.
Recap: Heavyweights trade leather early. A big overhand right from Mitchell Sipe stuns Darion Abbey. Sipe closes in, garbs the Thai clinch, knocks Abbey down with a knee & punches to the finish. You can only make one first impression and Christian Natividad came out unloading power punches. After knocking down Michael Aquila twice, Natividad lands a left hook right cross putting Aquila to sleep in the first round. Relentless efforts from Jordan Leavitt to force Leivon Lewis into a grappling battle paid off, multiple leg lock attempts early, a deep americana in the second, & finally getting the tap from an anaconda choke. Leandro Gomes against Jacob Thrall is the first fight to require the judges services, both fighters were cut open after the first round from elbows, frequent scrambles saw Gomes a step ahead, plus Gomes had several deep submission attempts, totally owning the third round. In the co-main event Kyle Estrada attacked Kevin Natividad’s left leg with low legs in the first round. Natividad found his way to punching range in the second round, two jabs disguise the right hand that put Estrada out. The main event saw Sam Hughes start strong scoring with jabs & low kicks. The second round saw Hughes mix in her right hands and tricky left hand. The closing seconds of the 2nd round Demopoulos lands and illegal up-kick coast a point deduction. Demopoulos came back in third finding a home for her strikes. In the fourth round Demopoulos closed the distance, Hughes clinch, Demopoulos dropped down from a leg lock, Hughes defends, Demopoulos trasitions to a inverted triangle choke putting Hughes to sleep. With the comeback win Vanessa Demopoulos is the first ever LFA women’s Strawweight champion.
Fight Card
- Inaugural Women’s Strawweight Title Bout: Vanessa Demopulos (5-1) def. Sam Hughes (4-1) by technical submission (inverted triangle choke) 2:21 R4
- Bantamweight Bout: Kevin Natividad (9-1) def. Kyle Estrada (10-6) by KO (right hand) 1:57 R2
- Featherweight Bout: Leandro Gomes (6-1) def. Jacob Thrall (6-3-1) by (30-26, 30-27 x2) unanimous decision
- lightweight Bout: Jordan Leavitt (6-0) def. Leivon Lewis (3-1) by submission (Anaconda Choke) 2:01 R2
- Bantamweight Bout: Christian Natividad (1-0) def. Michael Aquila (1-2) by KO (left hook/right cross) 2:14 R1
- Heavyweight Bout: Mitchell Sipe (5-2) def. Darion Abbey (1-2) by TKO (strikes) 1:37 R1
