The Fight Report: Legacy Fighting Championship 20
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and with a few key signings, Legacy Fighting Championship might just be the biggest promotion in the South. This event is all about the lower weight classes and the crop of former UFC talent LFC has been picking up, but don’t count out the home-grown products who are looking to use these guys as a stepping stone in their budding careers.
We’ve got all the action figured out already, so take a look at what’s going down this Friday at LFC 20 on AXS TV:
Carlo Prater vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira: An elite grappler that has never broken that top crust, Carlo Prater will make an appearance in LFC’s Lightweight division, taking on local BJJ phenom Carlos Diego Ferreira. Prater has fought some of the best of the best, and even holds an elusive win over Carlos Condit in the early days of his career, using a combination of BJJ and Luta Libre grappling. With a lifetime of martial arts experience, there is no aspect of his game Prater doesn’t have fleshed out, and stands as a major test to all but the best in the world.
Ferreira comes to us from the jungles of Brazil, having cut his BJJ teeth on the same mats as Jacare and Jose Aldo. Having moved to the US, Ferreira tore up the Texas grappling scene with his high-level grappling chops, and now looks to establish himself in the MMA world with a win over Prater.
This is a great main event that should prove to be a showcase of both men’s matwork, with Prater having a massive MMA grappling advantage vs. Ferreira’s more traditional style. Ferreira could very well take this on positioning, yet Prater’s movement on the mat is going to be hard to corral and his experience should bridge any minor skill gaps that could present themselves. A spirited effort on the mat leads to Prater finding dominant position at several points in the bout, winning a decision or snatching a late submission.
Damacio Page vs. Patrick Ybarra: A recently released Bantamweight veteran, Damacio Page will look to establish a new home in Legacy Fighting Championships, taking on local hot-shot Patrick Ybarra. Page made a career off of his ultra-heavy hands and underrated wrestling, but years of injuries took him out of the elite contender spot and saw him hit a backslide within the UFC. At that same time, Ybarra was on his way up the Texas MMA circuit with a trademark flying armbar that’s put him on the MMA map as someone to beat.
A win over Page would be a huge feather in Ybarra’s cap, and he has all the skills to get it done, though not without reservations on my part. Ybarra has looked unstoppable thus far, but his level of competition has been far below Page in terms of wrestling and boxing, and someone with such strong offense can be shut down with a similarly skilled fighter. It’s the slick submissions of Ybarra that seal the deal for me here, as Page has always been susceptible to a fast hook, and I don’t see that changing at this point. A fast and furious fight, but one that Ybarra forces a tap with a guillotine before the end of the first.
Alptekin Ozkilic vs. Antonio Banuelos: Turkish wrestler and part of Dominick Cruz TUF coaching staff, Alp Ozkilic will look for a career-defining fight, facing the ever entertaining Antonio Banuelos. Ozkilic is somewhat new to the MMA game, but has thus far floated on the basis of his fast shot, and heavy top game with ground and pound. Banuelos is coming off of a draw in a tough fight last time out, but has shown he’s still got plenty of gas in the tank and more than enough talent to keep afloat among the best of the Bantamweight division. This fight is a bit of a question mark, as Ozkilic’s entire game revolves around wrestling, and if Banuelos can shut him down, he’ll absolutely destroy the Turk. It’s a fight that will be largely decided in the first few minutes as Ozkilic looks to establish himself in this fight with unpredictable results.
Matt Schnell vs. Elias Garcia: Star of MTV’s Caged, Matt “Danger” Schnell will continue his trek in the Flyweight division, taking on local talent Elias Garcia. Schnell has proven himself to be a fairly lethal foe, using his long limbs and speedy transitions to hit subs and dominate most of his fights from beginning to end. Garcia is a cousin to the Pettis bros and has taken up training with Roufusport where he’s honed his wrestling with Ben Askren, and adopted the same hybrid muay thai as others in the camp. Garcia has a problem with fight smarts, but even still has the takedowns and submission defense to survive with Schnell on the mat. A potential toe-curler at times, but Garcia should dance through Schnell’s guard and survive to win a close decision.
Hector Munoz vs. David Douglas: The “heaviest” fight on the main card at 170lbs, local fighter Hector Munoz will face Strikeforce Vet and Cesar Gracie disciple David Douglas. Munoz has fought some outstanding competition in his decade in the sport, and while his record is far from unblemished, he’s shown some truly fantastic skills, even in a loss. Douglas is one of the strongest men at the lower weights, bench pressing over 400lbs as a Lightweight, but his skill set hasn’t evolved much over the last several years. I hate to say someone is showing up for a check, but Douglas doesn’t appear motivated to fight these days, and taking a fight at Welterweight against a killer like Munoz makes me think this is over as fast as Douglas can tap. A takedown from Douglas leads to a triangle from Munoz within the first minute of the fight.
Remaining Legacy Fighting Championship 20 fight card:
Adam Schindler vs. Chris Pecero
Chris Spicer vs. Roger Narvaez
Corey Bellino vs. Marcelo Lumakang
Cesar Del Angel vs. Danny Flick
Kirk Hubble vs. Gerald Gagon
Paulina Granados vs. Maria Lopez
Jerad Perez vs. Davis Siller
Category: Featured, Legacy Fighting Championship, MMA
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm a 20+ year veteran of martial arts and a fan of MMA since UFC 1, when my world was thrown on its head by the budding sport. I'm obsessive in the pursuit of martial abilities and have competed across the country in everything from Vale Tudo to archery to Scottish broadsword. Once my body broke down, I picked up a pen and went in the direction of writing. I specialize in betting advice, predictions, and I'm a walking encyclopedia of MMA trivia. I own a cafe in Exeter, NH called Hammersmith Sandwich Company and write out of my office between customers.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
