It was not a comfortable start. Santos, 14-6, landed the cleaner early shots and opened a cut on Maximov’s nose, and when the American began pressing for takedowns in the second round, the Brazilian’s wrestling defence stopped several attempts from reaching the mat. But Maximov kept the volume high, took control of the exchanges as the fight wore on, and finished stronger as Santos faded in the third. LFA said the result moves him into contention in its light heavyweight division.
The win carries more weight than a standard regional headliner because of who Maximov is. A longtime training partner of Nick and Nate Diaz out of Stockton, he signed with the UFC in June 2021 after a run that included a Contender Series appearance, and was released in late 2022. Since then he has not lost, winning the middleweight title under Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat banner and defending it more than once, and he has now moved up to light heavyweight. Friday was his first LFA appearance since September 2020, the fight that immediately preceded his Contender Series bout. At 28, with seven straight wins and a new division, a second UFC run is a reasonable target.
The co-main event ended early. Kevin Fernandez stopped Enrique Pacheco at 1:38 of the second round, finishing with strikes on the ground to move to 10-1 at flyweight. The result came with an asterisk: Fernandez missed weight on Thursday, coming in at 126.6 pounds for the 126-pound bout, which went ahead with a penalty applied. A ten-win flyweight with a finishing touch will draw attention, but making weight will matter as much as the next highlight if he wants a call from a bigger promotion.
The night’s fastest finish belonged to Mason Hartshorn, who needed just 48 seconds to submit Ali Gazamatov with a guillotine choke in their flyweight bout, the referee stepping in for a technical submission. At heavyweight, Lorenzo Figueroa beat Helton José Jr.
LFA’s formula held on its return to Santa Cruz: a recognisable name in the main event, prospects auditioning underneath, and a card broadcast on VICE TV and ESPN’s platforms for the scouts who watch these shows closely. Maximov’s streak is now long enough to be a credential rather than a trend. Where it takes him next depends on matchmaking as much as momentum.
