Kevin Carrier returns to the LFA cage this Friday at LFA 223, carrying renewed confidence and a sharpened skill set as he prepares for a pivotal showdown with rising contender Kelton Sneve.
For Carrier (4-1), this matchup isn’t just another booking. It’s a chance to reassert his place among the promotion’s most dangerous lightweights and prove he’s ready for the next level. His last fight, a victory over Dey McIntosh at LFA 211 in June, brought him back to the win column after suffering the first loss of his pro career.
“Being a little older the plan was to be undefeated for as long as I can be. I thought, no disrespect to Kyle (Pufahl), I thought for sure I was going to win that fight. I knew he was tough, I knew he was dangerous, but I didn’t forsee myself losing,” Carrier told Cageside Press.
“It happens. Once that happened, I’ve been there as an amateur quite a few times. Never lost two back-to-back.”
That loss to Pufahl in March didn’t slow Carrier down one bit. Now in his early 30s, he knew he needed to get back in the cage quickly, and the McIntosh matchup presented the perfect opportunity. The fight was close, and for a moment appeared to be slipping away, until Carrier snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
“Keeping the judges out of it was good. It was definitely satisfying because…I felt the pressure. I felt the pressure and I think that was another reason why I felt like such a shell of myself. I was like damn, I’m 3-1 right now, 3-2 won’t look too good. I got a real uphill battle being at the age I am,” he said.
“He came out completely different than I was anticipating. He came out real methodical, real patient, he’s a hella athletic kid. I felt the speed. He was going tit for tat with me.”
McIntosh may have held the momentum entering the third round, but Carrier had done his homework and knew an opening would eventually present itself.
“Hook line and sinker.”
Carrier didn’t hesitate when asked what stands out about Kelton Sneve. He sees a fighter whose record doesn’t tell the full story, someone built for hard rounds and high-pressure moments.
“He’s tough, he’s young, he’s dangerous. He’s a gamer. Even though he’s lost he’s one of those guys that doesn’t really know how to lose,” he said.
“He’s there from bell to bell. In his one loss as a pro was arguably fight of the year against an undefeated guy. That being said, he’s young, and I’m expecting the best version of himself this time.”
Still, for all the danger Sneve brings, Carrier sees just as many opportunities. The matchup, in his eyes, is the kind of stylistic clash that brings out his best work.
“He also has some concrete holes that he has in his style that I think I can exploit. He’s like the perfect dance partner for me. My last few guys have just respected me too much almost, and this kid I know he ain’t going to respect me,” said Carrier.
“He’s going to come forward, he’s going to bring it and so am I. If he’s anticipating what he saw in my last two fights, it’s going to be something completely different.”
Watch the entire interview with Kevin Carrier above. He faces Kelton Sneve at LFA 223 this Friday night.
