LAS VEGAS – LFA CEO Ed Soares announced that the promotion will return to Brazil in November with the second semifinal in the LFA featherweight tournament. The winner will face Jose Delano in January in the tournament finale with the featherweight title on the line.
This will be the seventh LFA event to take place in Brazil after the promotion’s international expansion began in the summer of 2021. This will also be the second LFA event to take place in the state of Sao Paulo. LFA has also visited the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco.
“LFA 146: Barbosa vs. Santos” takes place Friday, November 4 at the Ginasio do Polvilho in Cajamar, Sao Paulo. The main event will feature a featherweight semifinal bout between top prospects Marcio “Ticoto” Barbosa and Gabriel “Mosquitinho” Santos. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. ET.
“We are excited to bring the second semifinal bout in our featherweight tournament to Brazil at LFA 146,” Soares stated. “Top prospects Marcio Barbosa and Gabriel Santos will face off in the main event with the winner advancing to the tournament finale in January. The winner will face Jose Delano with the LFA featherweight title on the line. Delano secured his spot last month by winning the first semifinal bout against Jair Jesuino with a highlight-reel knockout in the first round of their bout at LFA 143.”
Barbosa (13-1) is an exciting 24-year-old prospect from Santana, which is the smallest municipality in the state of Amapa, located in the North Region of Brazil. He trains under Ronildo Nobre at Academia Ronildo Nobre in his hometown and also trains extensively in the state of Rio de Janeiro at XDGJJ Icarai with fifth degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Alexandre Vieria and the Luiz Paulo fight team. The man known as “Ticoto” has been a professional for six-and-a-half years, and in that time has earned 13 wins, with 12 coming by first-round stoppage. Now the Amapaense will look to earn the biggest win of his career and a title shot when he fights in the second semifinal of the LFA featherweight tournament at LFA 146.
Santos (8-0) is a 25-year-old undefeated prospect from Beberibe, which is a coastal municipality in the state of Ceara located in the Northeast Region of Brazil. The proud Cearense trains under Andre Dida at Evolucao Thai MMA in Curitiba, Parana in southern Brazil. The regional kingpin has won all eight of his fights since turning pro two months before his 18th birthday. The man known as known as “Mosquitinho” most recently won the Future FC featherweight title, which is one of the most prestigious regional titles in Brazil. That victory cemented his spotless resume and helped him secure a spot in the LFA featherweight tournament, where he hopes to advance to the finale with a win at LFA 146.
The LFA 146 lineup currently includes:
- Marcio Barbosa vs. Gabriel Santos – featherweight tournament semifinal
- Felipe Douglas vs. Rangel de Sa
- Jean Matsumoto vs. Inaildo Santos
- Carlos Prates vs. Moacir Rocha
- Felipe dos Santos vs. Hugo Paiva
- Ana Paula Ferreira vs. Julia Polastri
