While he recognizes the value it has brought to others, he’s interested in a different kind of value.

“It’s not that important for me, to be honest. It seems cool walking that path and getting that belt,” Ho said. “But I’ve been in this game for like 10 years now. This is my 10th year of grinding and not getting paid. And I literally fought 14 or 15 fights, just for free.”

And that’s the portion of his career he’s looking to change at this point. Having spent so much time trying to ‘make it’, the LFA flyweight is ready to take that next step.

“If you know anything about fighting, the hardest part is the poverty part, the beginning, the grind,” he said. “My goal this year is to get into the UFC and I want to start making some real money.”

While making a living is at the top of his list right now, it isn’t all about money for him. There are obviously other things he hopes to achieve as well.

“I don’t want to make it seem like money is all I’m after. Of course I’m after legacy as well,” Ho said. “But right now I feel like I need to be able to provide for myself and be a full-time fighter.”

The next step towards reaching those goals comes this Friday at LFA 176. Although it may be one of the biggest tests of his career, Ho isn’t worried about the challenge of facing Miguel Sanson.

“I know how good I am. Everyone around me and everyone at the gym knows how good I am,” he said. “This is just another opportunity for me to showcase to the world how good I am – that I’m ready to take that next step.”

You can catch his bout with Sanson as the co-main event of LFA 176. That fight card begins at 10pm EST on UFC Fight Pass.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 27:41.

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Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC light heavyweight, Devin Clark. Clark discusses his training for his upcoming bout and his desire to get back to what he does best. After working hard this training camp for Marcin Prachnio, Clark hopes to bring more of his wrestling back to the light heavyweight division. He also discusses the fact that there aren’t a lot of wrestlers at 205lbs and what that might mean for him in the future. Then he breaks down the UFC Vegas 86 matchup for us and gives us a prediction for Saturday.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Vegas 86 (17:34)

After an eventful UFC Vegas 85, we stick in the Apex for UFC Vegas 86. There’s yet another middleweight main event, this time between upstart Joe Pyfer and divisional stalwart, Jack Hermansson. We’ll break down that fight for you as well as some of the other top fights towards the top of this card. Plus, we’ll also dig down card to find some value for you. We’ve got a juicy underdog and a two-fight parlay that returns phenomenal odds. You won’t want to miss this segment. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

An Tuan Ho Interview (27:41)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with LFA flyweight, An Tuan Ho. One of the hottest prospects in the world right now, Ho discusses whether the LFA title means anything to him. He also outlines his aspirations for a big 2024, which includes getting to the big show and making some real money. In order to turn that corner, he’ll have a showdown at LFA 176, which comes to us the night before UFC Vegas 86. He chats with us about what he sees in that fight with Miguel Sanson and whether he feels any pressure mounting to show what he’s made of.

The post TTP Ep. 415 with Devin Clark, An Tuan Ho, and UFC Vegas 86 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The card featured a lightweight title fight in its main event, as three-time NCAA All-American wrestler JaCobi “Big Toe” Jones threw down with dangerous submission fighter Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani with the promotion’s vacant 155lb title on the line.

In the co-main event, standout flyweight prospect An Ho looked to maintain his perfect record when he took on Brazil’s Edwin De Los Santos.

LFA 158 goes down Friday, May 19, 2023 with the main card airing live on UFC Fight Pass following select online prelims. Full results from the event can be found below. The main card broadcast gets underway at 10PM ET.

LFA 158: Lebosnoyani vs. Jones Results

Main Card

JaCobi Jones def. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani by TKO, Round 2, 2:18 — for the vacant LFA lightweight championship
An Tuan Ho def. Edwin De Los Santos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Aupuni Pagaoa def. Humberto Duarte by knockout, Round 2, 0:47
Cedric Katambwa vs. Austin Wourms ends in a No Contest (accidental low blow), Round 1, 0:53
Ivan Tena def. Riley Wiseman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Eric McConico def. Kevem Felipe by unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Chance Ikei def. Joe Stafford by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Tyler Jones def. Alex Martinez by TKO, Round 1, 1:43
Paul Marghitas def. Kyetin Lindquist by TKO, Round 1, 0:14 — amateur bout
Anthony Cruz def. Adrian Muñoz by TKO, Round 2, 2:20 — amateur bout
Grace DiFrancesco def. Maia Schmidt by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) — amateur bout
Ezra Elliott def. DeShawn White by submission (D’arce choke), Round 1, 1:20 — amateur bout
Leon Mackey Jr. def. Chris Putton by KO, Round 2, 0:16 — amateur bout

The post LFA 158: Lebosnoyani vs. Jones Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

At the time, featured were names like Jake Hadley, Casey O’Neill, Ian Garry, Carlos Ulberg, and Khasan Magomedsharipov. The focus, clearly, was on young up-and-coming prospects who are still early in their career and for the better part, untested. We’re back at it again with a fresh crop of rookies worth taking a look at. Of a list of over a  hundred prospects, we’ve narrowed it down to twenty-five pro fighters who could very well be the future. Note: This list is not ranked.

Richie Lewis
Pro record: 4-0
Amateur record: 0-0
Weight class: Lightweight
Age: 28
Fighting out of Deerfield Branch, Florida, US

Lewis was known for his wrestling background coming into MMA. He wrestled in New Jersey for Rutgers University and was a division one athlete. Lewis was a U23 wrestling champion gold medalist and had an overall record of 28-7. In a short pro career, Lewis has already fought for LFA and Titan FC. Lewis is an excellent, dominant wrestler and has been an unstoppable force since coming to MMA.

An Ho
Pro record: 3-0
Amateur record: 7-0
Weight class: Flyweight
Age: 22
Fighting out of Glendale, Arizona, US

An Ho has made a name for himself over the last year with highlight-reel finishing over in LFA. Ho is a product out of the MMA Lab that has a bright future. He’s only 2-0 but was 7-0 as an amateur. Ho was the RUF MMA amateur champion and defended his title multiple times. He’s well-rounded with a flashy fighting style that will excite the fans. Ho has a deep toolset and brings a savage demeanor.

The post Top 25 Pro MMA Prospects with Five Fights or Less appeared first on Cageside Press.

An Ho Interview (2:06)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with LFA flyweight An Ho. Ho talks about how he started in martial arts as a way to connect with people when he didn’t have the language to do so. He shares how that then turned not only into a passion for him, but his career and future. In addition, he also shares some thoughts on his recent viral KO head kick and all of the attention that he got it. And, of course, we’re chatting about his LFA 149 fight coming this Friday. He’ll take on Edwin De Los Santos as part of the prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Top 5 Unranked UFC Challengers (10:57)

Believe it or not, it happens just about every year. A fighter in the UFC goes from having no number next to their name on January 1st to fighting for a title by the end of the year. Guys like Volkan Oezdemir have made this run to the top only to come up short, but there are some that have made good on the run too. Weili Zhang did it during her first title reign, and Alex Pereira did it this past year. So, as is tradition with the podcast, we’ll be counting down the top 5 fighters most likely to do it in 2023. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Felipe Bunes Interview (21:10)

Closing out this week’s edition of TTP is an interview with another LFA flyweight, Felipe Bunes. Bunes fights Yuma Horiuchi for the flyweight title at LFA 149 this Friday. He discussed the legacy of the LFA flyweight strap, which includes names like Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval and a slew of other UFC fighters. He feels with a win over Horiuchi, it might be time for him to join those ranks as well.

The post TTP Ep. 359 with An Ho, Felipe Bunes, and Unranked Challengers Countdown appeared first on Cageside Press.

Featherweight, Jose Johnson (14-7)

Johnson improved his win streak following a victory over a top prospect in Mo Miller last November. This time he took out former TUF veteran Dulani Perry. It was the first punch Johnson threw, that being the right hand. It landed and knocked Perry out cold absolutely starching him. Johnson is always putting on highlight-reel performances.
Grade: B+

Bantamweight, Kasey Tanner (6-0)

A very easy win from the Fight Ready product Kasey Tanner. With no issue prior Tanner got the single-leg takedown. Tanner took the back and kept busy landing ground and pound. On the broadcast, it was announced that Tanner landed 72 punches and eventually the ref saved his opponent. He keeps his undefeated record and gets his first stoppage by TKO as a pro.
Grade: B

Flyweight, An Ho (1-0)

Someone I really liked as an amateur, An Ho made his pro debut for LFA and looked great. Ho kept the fight standing and threw with a lot of different looks. He was using a lot of quick spinning attacks that were thrown with no wasted motion. Ho was creating traps and finding success with his hands. He landed a spinning back fist dropping his foe. The fight was stopped maybe a bit too early after some ground and pound. Nonetheless, Ho looked stellar so watch for this 21-year-old.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Paris Moran (6-1)

Moran improves his win streak to five with a dominant performance. He fought really patiently and kept sharp in his striking. He fought off every takedown as well. Moran picked his shots picking apart his opponent Joey Elzea through three rounds. When he was landed it was in combinations up to four at a time. In round three Moran picked up the pace busting up Elzea and dropping him at one point. Moran could’ve finished the fight but fought smart.
Grade: B+

Light heavyweight, Bruce Souto (15-3)

Souto started off throwing the jab and some heavy kicks to the legs. His opponent Davis ended up catching a kick and putting Souto on his back. Souto had to fight through a front choke and did get back to his feet. The Brazilian landed a flying knee and some left hands as Davis was going down putting him out on his face. In a fight that was about 50/50 Souto shut the lights out.
Grade: B-

Light heavyweight, Josh Silveira (8-0)

Silveira remains undefeated and finishes the fight with an RNC in round three. On the feet, Silveira landed a lot of good kicks but it was the wrestling being the factor. He was getting double leg takedowns putting a lot of strength into multiple takedowns. In wasn’t until round three when Silveira took the back and sunk in the RNC forcing his opponent to tap. Not a pretty performance but he did his thing.
Grade: C+

Middleweight, Jordan Newman (4-0)

Newman dominated in this fight securing his undefeated record. His wrestling won him the fight but did land a few right hands to close the distance. Newman did let his opponent back up three times but took it right back down soon after. He smashed on top with active ground pound smashing with elbows. Newman couldn’t finish but did get a 10-8 from one of the judges. Just another solid wrestler Bellator has.
Grade: C+

Bantamweight, Jaylon Bates (5-0)

Of all his pro fights this one was his least impressive but Bates still looked apart. At times he went to his back but he scrambled and got takedowns of his own. While fighting long with his hands and a diverse kicking attack he blended in some wrestling. Bates was too much in the long haul never slowing and in round three finished with a RNC. One of many bright young stars Bellator has.
Grade: B-

Welterweight, Abdoul Abdouraguimov (14-1)

This was a career performance by Abdouraguimov winning the Ares FC title and beating former UFC fighter Godofredo Pepey. They tied up early and Abdouraguimov got two takedowns. Pepey used an omoplata to create a scramble but it was Abdouraguimov that capitalized. Abdouraguimov threw up an inverted triangle and cranked on the arm forcing Pepey to tap. The “Lazy King” proves he’s a top prospect in the welterweight division.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Kevin Fernandez (3-0)

Two young flyweight prospects between Kevin Fernandez and Cody Linne threw down, and Fernandez dominated. He did a lot of things in this fight but made it look so simple. On the feet, Fernandez fought with his footwork and kicks switching stances frequently and throwing a variety of kicks. He got the takedown each round and stayed on top staying busy enough and that was the story of the fight. Fernandez looked good but we need to see more.
Grade: C+

Lightweight, Malik Lewis (5-0)

Lewis got the TKO late round one in a fight he took control of from the beginning. He used his tall frame on the outside throwing a lot of kicks and trying to find the head kick. Lewis did a great job splitting the guard with his hands throwing from different angles and combos. Lewis threw from both sides attacking frequently. As he got more comfortable he cut the cage off more and his clinch work prevailed. He started to pull away with a few knees and it was a knee and a left hand that sat his opponent down. A few more shots came and the ref stepped in. Lewis looked great and keeps his “0”.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Cody Davis (5-0)

It didn’t work out for Davis in the beginning getting taken down a few times. He did quickly turn the tide hurting his opponent with a left hand. At the end of the first round Davis had an RNC sunk in and if there were a few seconds left his opponent may have gone to sleep. Davis won this fight with his wrestling and staying on his opponent from bell to bell. He looks like a promising flyweight prospect.
Grade: A-

Bantamweight, Daniel Argueta (7-0)

Since his stint on TUF 29 he’s had two impressive performances including this one handing Brazilian Mairon Santos his first loss. Santos was someone I scouted and was high on and Argueta ran through him. Santos didn’t have a moment to breathe in this fight as in all three rounds Argueta took him down quickly and smothered him on top. Argueta kept busy with heavy pressure and ground and pound until the ref stopped it in round three. Argueta with his pace, pressure, cardio, and the ground game is a force.
Grade: A+

Atomweight, Elle Wagman (4-0)

Wagman was on point this fight with her striking. She had her right hand doing the talking for her whether that was off a one-two, the uppercut, or down the middle. Wagman was landing at will finding her range often and accurately. She dropped her opponent in round three with a right to the body and a left to the head. Shortly after Wagman locked in a standing guillotine and the other girl tapped.
Grade: B+

Featherweight, Gauge Young (4-0)

Young has been a fighter-to-watch pro coming from a successful amateur career. He beat another promising prospect who had a similar path in Davis Evans. Early on Evans caught a kick and put Young down. Nothing came from it and when they separated Young threw a counter right over the shoulder. It landed putting Evans down and the extra shots put him out cold. A statement win from a serious prospect in Gauge Young.
Grade: B

Welterweight, Mikey England (6-1)

England moved his win streak to two beating a veteran in Zak Bucia. It was a mauling performance too from England. He easily took Bucia down in the start of rounds one and two. No time lost England landed a slew of damaging ground and pound creating a bloody mess. England landed a lot of cutting elbows and never let up until the ref stopped the fight. Strong wrestling and a threatening ground game.
Grade: B-

Featherweight, Jesse Butler (11-4)

In his last two fights, Butler beat two former UFC fighters in Anthony Ivy and this time Masio Fullen. Butler found a home with a lot of kicks going low and up high. Both guys just wanted to stand and trade and that’s what they did. In an exchange, Butler landed a right-left on the butting that spun Fullen around in brutal fashion. What a highlight-reel knockout.
Grade: A

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