LFA 160 main event in Kentucky is now for the undisputed bantamweight championship
With reigning champ Muin Gaurov signed to the UFC, stakes now elevated for the previously announced main event on June 16.
LAS VEGAS — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced that the main event of LFA 160 will now be for the undisputed bantamweight championship when the promotion makes its first trip to Kentucky on the third Friday in June.
Top contenders John “Hollywood” Sweeney and Allan “Mini” Begosso were originally vying for the interim bantamweight title, but the fight was elevated to undisputed status when champion Muin “Tajik” Gafurov was signed by the UFC. LFA 160 will be the first LFA event to take place in The Bluegrass State. This will also be the 28th state that the promotion has visited.
LFA 160 takes place Friday, June 16 at the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, Kentucky. The main event will feature the aforementioned bantamweight title fight between Sweeney and Begosso. Then in the co-main event, Dylan “The Mindless Hulk” Budka meets Azamat “Kingpin” Bekoev for the interim middleweight title. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. ET.
“John Sweeney and Allan Begosso will now fight for the undisputed LFA bantamweight title at LFA 160,” stated Soares. “They were originally going to fight for the interim bantamweight title, but our champion Muin Gafurov was just signed by the UFC. We will now visit Kentucky for the first time with the undisputed LFA bantamweight title on the line. We will also hand out hardware in the co-main event as Dylan Budka and Azamat Bekoev fight for the LFA interim middleweight title.”
While all VIP seating for the event is sold out, limited tickets for “LFA 160: Sweeney vs. Begosso” remain available for purchase at OwensboroTickets.com.
Sweeney (12-3) is a karate black belt and protege of UFC star Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. The South Carolinian is known as “Hollywood” as he possesses the same dynamic striking prowess and star qualities that has carved out a legendary career for his mentor.
Sweeney began his own career by winning his first two professional bouts for the LFA all the way back at LFA 8 and LFA 17 in 2017. However, he really made his mark after returning to the promotion in 2022. After re-signing with the LFA, Sweeney defeated LFA standout Ricardo Dias in the co-main event of LFA 137. He then continued his success in January by upsetting 7x Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Ary Farias in the main event of LFA 150. The flashy karateka now looks to add LFA gold to his impressive fight résumé.
Begosso (7-2-1) also has a long and successful history in the LFA after signing with the promotion in 2020. The Brazilian dynamo made an immediate impact by handing the highly touted Sean McPadden the first loss of his career. The win came by knockout in just 48-seconds of their contest at LFA 90 and earned him a nomination for “Knockout of the Year” in the LFA Fans’ Choice Awards. Begosso would then showcase his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills by submitting Kyrgyz prospect Samarbek Sabyrzhan Uulu at LFA 107. That win earned him a title fight against Richie Palencia at LFA 119, but he dropped a narrow decision. “Mini” would bounce back with another LFA Fans’ Choice Awards “Knockout of the Year” nominated performance at LFA 135 and now looks to make good on his second shot at an LFA title.
The latest LFA 160 lineup includes:
- John Sweeney vs. Allan Begosso – for bantamweight title
- Dylan Budka vs. Azamat Bekoev – for interim middleweight title
- Lucas Clay vs. Ahmad Sohail Hassanzada
- Nathan Williams vs. Cortavious Romious
- Mike Roberts vs. Josiah Harrell
- Aaron Bush vs. Cameron Kinzig
