Demopoulos (6-3), LFA’s former strawweight Queen, appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series last August, only to come up short against Cory McKenna, losing a unanimous decision. Her return to LFA saw her stumble again, dropping her title to Lupita Godinez in a bloody, hard-fought war. That put her in must-win territory at LFA 103 in Shawnee, OK on Friday — and “Lil Monster” not only won, but arguably stole the show.

37 seconds was all it took to put opponent Cynthia Arceo away. Demopoulos showed improved hands, lighting her opponent up on the feet before a knee and a few more strikes sealed the deal. A TKO was the official call, while the former stripper’s post-fight victory dance lasted nearly as long as the fight itself. The knee would later be called into question, as Arceo was slumped against the cage. Arceo, however, appeared to have her own knees just barely up, leaving her fair game.

Quick work for @monster_demo tonight! #LFA103 pic.twitter.com/43PlRSiQJE

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 27, 2021

Come the main event, now-former UFC fighter Spike Carlyle returned to his showmanship roots. “The Alpha Ginger” transitioned to “Darth Ginger,” walking out in a Darth Vader costume complete with light saber, the Imperial March booming in the background. Carlyle’s return spelled doom for opponent Batsumberel Dagvadorj, a former LFA welterweight title challenger dropping to lightweight. Late in the opening round, Carlyle took his opponent’s back, and locked in a tight rear-naked choke, forcing the tap with exactly one minute remaining.

Spike gets it done! Chalk one up for whatever the bad guys are called in Star Wars. #LFA103 pic.twitter.com/rENkYwR0tz

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 27, 2021

It wasn’t a force choke, but it was the next best thing.

For Demopoulos, the win puts her on a path back to another shot at the UFC. Carlyle has gone on record saying that his dream is to compete in Japan, something previously brought to the attention of RIZIN President Noboyuki Sakakibara — who appeared willing to consider giving Carlyle a shot, at least once coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions in the nation are lifted.

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The event, airing live on UFC Fight Pass, was topped by the return of Spike Carlyle, after a brief but entertaining stint under the bright lights of the UFC. Carlyle returned opposite Batsumberel Dagvadorj, who was dropping the lightweight after coming up short in a bid for welterweight gold late last year.

In the co-main event, it was stripper turned scrapper Vanessa Demopoulos taking on Cynthia Arceo. Demopoulos, a former LFA strawweight champ and Dana White’s Contender Series veteran, was looking to snap a two-fight skid and bounce back from the loss of her title — with the goal of getting back to a shot at the UFC once again.

LFA 103 goes down live at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Oklahoma, with the main card broadcast getting underway at 9PM. Check below for full results from the night’s action.

LFA 103: Carlyle vs. Dagvadorj Results

Spike Carlyle def. Batsumberel Dagvadorj by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:00
Vanessa Demopoulos def. Cynthia Arceo by TKO, Round 1, 0:37
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady def. Jake Sebastian by TKO, Round 1, 4:12
Fernie Garcia def. Isaiah Batin-Gonzalez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Luciano Ramos def. Kendrick Latchman by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Josh Quinlan def. Dallas Jennings by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 2:36
Jacobi Jones def. Cameron Ansel by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 2:22
Giovanna Canuto def. Amanda Lovato by verbal submission (armbar), Round 1, 4:51

The post LFA 103: Carlyle vs. Dagvadorj Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

In 2 Days, @LFAfighting title challenger #BatsumberelDagvadorj returns to the @LFAfighting Octagon in the main event of #LFA103! 🇲🇳

Friday, March 26@GrandCasinoOKC#Shawnee, #Oklahoma#MMA#LFANation@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/Q1Gdnqbabg

— LFA (@LFAfighting) March 25, 2021

Taking place at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Oklahoma, LFA 103 is expected to feature eight bouts in total. First to mix it up in this trio of underrated bouts is a lightweight affair between promotional newcomer Jacobi Jones (5-1) and Cameron Ansel (0-2), who is looking to rebound after dropping his debut performance in the promotion. Then the unbeaten Josh Quinlan (4-0) puts his “O” on the line when he takes on the heavy-handed Dallas Jennings (3-1). Following those two scraps, we’ll cap things off with a bantamweight clash between Fernie Garcia (8-1) and Isaiah Batin-Gonzalez (4-1).

LFA 103 Lightweight Madness – Jones vs. Ansel

Despite Cameron Ansel’s clear weakness on the ground, having lost both his pro fights via submission, he’s a capable standup fighter and has his back up against the wall. Facing Ansel is Jones who enters the bout with a bit more experience. Not only that, but the 24-year old Jones has shown himself to be well-rounded having notched submissions and TKOs/knockouts to his record. While Ansel’s last fight with Shane Shapiro didn’t last long given it went to the ground, if Cameron can avoid that area of the fight, perhaps he can notch his first win.

Josh Quinlan vs. Dallas Jennings

The unbeaten Quinlan will look to keep his record intact when he takes Jennings, who is currently on a two-fight win streak. With Quinlan’s activity and win streak it’s hard not to see the massive upside to the young prospect, but Jenning’s durability could be a factor in this contest. Across the midwest regional scene, Jennings’ hands have been demanding respect, as he showed in his last fight against Kalel Robinson — finishing his opponent at 1:22 of round one under the Midwest Fight League banner. Overall, this fight has the potential to steal the show, as any time a 10-0 prospect is on the rise, all eyes turn toward them.

Fernie Garcia vs. Isaiah Batin-Gonzalez LFA 103 – Bantamweights Collide 

Other than a loss to Jesse Strader at Combate 41: Frausto vs. Cordoba, Gonzalez has looked impressive. Prior to that setback, he was undefeated as a pro at 4-0. On the other hand, Garcia fights out of Fortis MMA and is on a three-fight win streak. Since both can keep such a furious pace this fight certainly has the potential for excitement. However, those thinking this may go to the scorecards might be correct since Garcia has managed to pull off his last three wins with some help from the judges.

LFA 103 airs live this Friday, March 26 on UFC Fight Pass.

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LFA officials announced the news Tuesday. The event is expected to take place in Shawnee, Oklahoma on March 26.

Carlyle (9-3), a.k.a. “The Alpha Ginger,” burst into the UFC just over a year ago at UFC Norfolk, earning a TKO against Aalon Cruz. He would drop his next two fights, against Billy Quarantillo and Bill Algeo, which saw him cut by the organization despite a fan-friendly style and quirky personality.

Carlyle had expressed interest in competing for Japan’s RIZIN, something brought to the attention of that promotion’s CEO, Noboyuki Sakakibara. However, Japan is currently closed to travelers, Sakakibara noted.

Batsumberel Dagvadorj (7-1), known as “The Mongolian Falcon,” last competed in December, losing a unanimous decision with the then-vacant LFA welterweight title on the line. A Bellator MMA alum, Dagvadorj will be dropping to lightweight for the first time when he takes on Spike Carlyle.

In the co-main event, meanwhile, former champ and Contender Series alum Vanessa Demopoulos will face Cynthia Arceo. The full LFA 103 card can be found below.

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Spike Carlyle vs. Batsumberel Dagvadorj
Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Cynthia Arceo
Abdul Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Jake Sebastion
Fernie Garcia vs. Isaiah Batin-Gonzalez
Rodney Kealohi vs. Juancamilo Ronderos
Josh Quinlan vs. Dallas Jennings

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

Jacobi Jones vs. Cameron Ansel
Giovanna Canuto vs. Amanda Lovato

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“I was getting a lot of publicity, and I was getting a lot of followers, a lot of fans,” the Contender Series alum and former LFA strawweight champ told us recently. “And then all of a sudden ‘boom,’ my Instagram is suddenly disabled because of some really awesome drama I was having with Dillon Danis.”

Demopoulos had previously offered to train boxer Ryan Garcia to fight Danis, and suggested Garcia could “beat the brakes” off the black belt. Things apparently escalated from there.

“It’s my fault, I’ll take accountability for why my account got disabled. But you really see who has your back in times like this,” said Demopoulos. “Now, I don’t feel like I have the same fanbase that I did, and it doesn’t matter, because I’m always who I am, but it goes to show me the people who really actually were there. The people who really cared. You get to see who your true friends are once all the clout goes away,  and once all that dust settles.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMXwl1EDFOe/

At LFA 103 on March 26, Demopoulos will go up against Cynthia Arceo, a former KOTC strawweight champ who has also competed for Invicta FC.

“Stylistically it makes sense,” Demopoulos said of the fight. In addition to being known for her karate, Arceo has “great cardio, I know that she’s strong,” Demopoulos observed. “I’m very strong, and it’s always interesting to get into the cage with people like that. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s ex-champ versus ex-champ.”

Demopoulos does feel the fight is “a huge upgrade” for her opponent. But, she added, “I don’t have a whole lot to say, because I am also coming off my own losses, and I’ve had to reevaluate my own camps. I’m just really excited to get my ass back in there and show myself what I’m made of.”

When it comes to 2021, Vanessa Demopoulos has goals — but she refuses to look too far ahead. “I’m looking to fight this fight on March 26. Nothing else matters after that. I will be in the UFC by the end of the year, that’s a thing,” she stated. “I’m working towards that. But nothing matters if the 26th doesn’t come through. So I just need to go out there and be the best version of myself I can be.”

Watch our full interview with Vanessa Demopoulos ahead of LFA 103 above. The event takes place March 26, 2021, airing live on UFC Fight Pass.

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