Team McGregor was down 0-2 to start the show, with Michael Chandler’s veterans out to an early lead against McGregor’s newcomers.

We’re recapping each episode this season; beware of spoilers below.

McKenzie, an LFA veteran, had over ten amateur fights prior to amassing an 11-2-1 record as a pro, so he has plenty of experience — just a few fights shy of Hubbard himself. Coach McGregor calls him “cool, calm and calculated” and adds that “people don’t talk about calmness enough” when it comes to discussing fighters.

Hubbard says he recently lost his brother, while his wife had a miscarriage. “Life’s kicking my butt,” says Hubbard, who carries his brother’s ashes with him. He works in home restoration when not competing, having moved to Chicago after digging himself into a “financial hole” living in Colorado.

Later in the episode, Conor McGregor brings in a fan who makes his own action figures, using parts from old toys and painting on decals and tattoos. McGregor pays him $1200 for a couple of them — a whole lot of money given the kid in question is about 12 years old.

It’s weigh-in time. Dana White says the promotion wanted to give Hubbard another shot in the UFC, because they believe he’s the hard-working type of guy that deserves to be there. Both fighters make weight.

There’s plenty of back-and-forth in the early going of McKenzie vs. Hubbard. McKenzie punctuates his combos with low kicks, then catches a Hubbard kick and takes him to the cage. McKenzie cannot get his opponent down, and instead clamps on a body lock. McKenzie looks for a trip, but winds up giving up position and eventually they break. Now it’s Hubbard’s turn to press, walking forward throwing front kicks to the body. McKenzie eventually catches another one, but doesn’t get much done with it. He also gets clipped a minute or so later, and ends up going down with Hubbard getting on top of him, dropping some nasty ground n’ pound. McKenzie is a bloody mess, but does just enough, battling the wrists, to stay in the fight.

McKenzie cleans up quite well between rounds, and targets Hubbard’s lead leg early in round two. He winds up taking Hubbard to the fence again, but again can’t make a takedown happen and again loses the position, with Hubbard instead dragging him down. Hubbard was nasty on top in round one and he’s nasty here again with elbows cutting open McKenzie some more. McKenzie does wall walk up, but a trip takes him right back down. Hubbard works him over until the end of the round, but there will be no third, leaving no doubt as to who won that fight — Hubbard by unanimous decision. Team McGregor is now down 0-3.

“The work’s not finished. I came here to win the show. So two more fights, and I need two more victories before I’m happy,” Hubbard said following the victory.

Next week on TUF 31, Trevor Wells takes on UFC vet Timur Valiev.

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After grinding for years, McKenzie (11-2-1) is ready to prove himself in the UFC after winning the LFA lightweight championship. At LFA 128, he defeated Lucas Clay via a very close split decision to get the strap.

While he was a little worried about going to the judge’s scorecards, McKenzie’s coach knew he had the victory.

“Anytime I go to decision, I’m always we’re always worried. Rafael [Lovato) was so confident because he saw the stats, and he knew how the fight was. But he just kept repeating the stats, telling me I did it; he knew. And so his confidence gave me confidence that I probably could have done it,” McKenzie told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview.

“I knew I had a lot of control time in the last round on the fence. He was not going down, and I wasn’t going down that round either. I just was a little worried about that last 10 seconds after he hit me in the nuts and then just went crazy,” McKenzie continued. “That was the only thing that I think worried me about that last round, but none of that even hit, so that’s what sucks; it looked bad because I tripped and fell forward. But none of the strikes caught me at all.”

There have been five LFA lightweight champions before McKenzie, and all but one have made it to a major organization. Two have gone to Bellator, and the other two went to the UFC and PFL.

The 33-year-old wants his shot. He believes he has earned it and can compete with the best in the world. While he prefers to go straight to the UFC, if he has to go through Dana White’s Contender Series, he will.

“I understand that I’m not in a position to make the decision. I would love to go straight to the UFC. I’d love to have a chance to prove that this title is as legitimate as they come. I want to prove that I belong in the UFC. And I want to show them that I can survive and make a great career out of it,” McKenzie said. “I got five to seven more years at a high level, and I think I can put together 15 to 20 fights. I want to be active, and they’ve got the people that would help me be active. I don’t want to fight once a year, twice a year; I want to get three, four, or five fights in for as many years as I can right now.”

“I’d love for them to give me that shot. But with that being said, if they think I need a Contender fight to prove myself against another tough dude, I’ll beat up another tough dude. All right, that’s all I’ve done, and that’s all I’m going to continue to do. Those are the guys in the UFC. So, those are the guys we fought outside of UFC, and I absolutely believe Lucas will be in there eventually, too.”

With Dana White’s Contender Series coming back in a few months and with the UFC always looking for the best fighters in the world, McKenzie is staying ready. He was already back in the gym getting ready to seize any opportunity that comes his way after his title fight.

Watch the rest of our fight with LFA 128 winner Aaron McKenzie above.

The post After Claiming LFA Lightweight Title, Aaron McKenzie Wants A Shot To Prove Himself In The UFC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Atop the card, Lucas Clay was set against Aaron McKenzie for the promotion’s vacant lightweight title. The name Clay is iconic in combat sports for good reason, as boxing great Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Clay Jr. in 1942.

Lucas Clay, a distant relation, actually utilizes “Cassius” as his nickname, but in his own combat sports career, he’s best known for the “Claymore” choke — a take on the rarely seen buggy choke, which Clay has successfully used twice.

Aaron McKenzie, meanwhile, had three straight wins inside the LFA cage heading into the event — and was no doubt keen to take out a rising prospect like Clay. Not to mention winning a title.

Full results from LFA 128, which takes place Friday, April 8, 2022 can be found below. The card airs live on UFC Fight Pass.

LFA 128: McKenzie vs. Clay

Main Card

Aaron McKenzie def. Lucas Clay by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) – for the vacant LFA lightweight championship
Jimmy Lawson def. Marino Eatman by TKO, Round 1, 0:34
Richie Miranda def. Devon Dixon by submission (guillotine choke), Round 3, 2:07
Bryce Meredith def. Jay Viola by TKO, Round 3, 1:04
Mitchell McKee def. Jalen Jackson by TKO, Round 1, 2:02
Thad Jean def.. Sarek Shields by TKO, Round 2, 3:40

Preliminary Card

Adumu Isah def. Andrew Triolo by submission (strikes), Round 1, 2:44
Cheyanne Bowers def. Kaeley Fenhaus by submission (arm-bar), Round 2, 2:50

The post LFA 128: McKenzie vs. Clay Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.