Former UFC flyweight Sabina Mazo was making her long anticipated return to the LFA cage in Friday night’s main event, taking on Dana White’s Contender Series alum Sandra Lavado.

The fight was a battle of South American standouts, with Mazo know as “The Colombian Queen,” while Lavado represented Peru — hence being known as the “Peruvian Zombie.” The winner, meanwhile, would have a shot at heading to (or returning to, in the cage of Mazo) the UFC.

Mazo had been expected to return to action late last year, only for a broken leg to delay her comeback.

LFA 164 takes place at the Southwest University Park in downtown El Paso, Texas on Friday, August 4, 2023. The main card streams live on UFC Fight Pass. Full results from the event can be found below.

LFA 164: Mazo vs. Lavado Results

Main card

Sabina Mazo def. Sandra Lavado via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45) — for the vacant LFA women’s flyweight championship
Daniel Frunza def. Jalin Fuller via R1 KO 3:36
Myktybek Orolbai def. Glaucio Eliziario via R2 TKO 1:33
Isaac Thomson def. Lerryan Douglas via R2 TKO 1:40
Josiah Reyes def. Jordan Burkholder via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ilay Barzilay def. James Pleasant II via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary card

Nejra Repp def. Mihaela Keller by TKO, Round 3, 2:06
Travis Arrellano def. Koery Windham by TKO, Round 1, 2:20
Livio Ribeiro def. Ricardo Ramirez by submission (arm-triangle), Round 1, 3:40
Jeremy Alba def. Ricky Maynez by TKO, Round 3, 0:57

The post LFA 164: Mazo vs. Lavado Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mazo (9-4) last competed in March of 2022, losing to Miranda Maverick by submission. After exiting the UFC, she signed on with LFA, a promotion whose flyweight title she won and defended back in 2018.

Her return to the LFA cage was expected to come late last year, but injury hampered that.

“It was December, I broke my leg. It was very weird because I didn’t feel any pain at all, and it was a kind of fast recovery,” Mazo told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “Or at least, I didn’t stop. Everything I could do, I did training-wise. I went to the gym every single day to learn. So I took it as recovery for sure, but still like learning, not just like ‘I’m going to stop training and learning,’ not going to the gym.”

Recovery went by quick, added Mazo. “February, or January, I was already doing everything.”

Having fought for the biggest show in MMA, “The Colombian Queen” spoke about how her game has grown in recent years.

“For sure, experience. All these years, I’ve been getting a lot of experience. In the the past year, where I could take some time off from competition, it’s just growing skills,” explained Mazo. “It’s a moment where you can focus 100% on growing your game plan and evolving as a fighter. Because when you’re competing, yes you have some time frame after fights where you can just learn different techniques, but when you’re in fight camp you have to polish those things, and it’s going to be a little bit more towards a certain fight and your opponent. So the past year has been amazing, to have more time to just learn and grow and get better now.”

At LFA 164, Mazo challenges Sandra Lavado for the promotion’s vacant 125lb title. On the match-up, Mazo said that Lavado is “a warrior. Her nickname, Peruvian Zombie, says it all. She can handle punches, she goes through, she’s not going to surrender. I expect the best out of her. I’m hungry, and I want that belt. I just want for both of us to be in the cage, and give our best.”

Should she get the win, there’s a chance Mazo could get called back to the UFC. That’s not unheard of, even off a single win — Brandon Moreno did exactly that after his UFC release in 2019.

“For sure I’m 100% ready to go back, but I’m not rushing anything,” Mazo said of a possible return. “If I have to fight again, I will. I’m climbing again, I’m building myself with victories. I’m focused on one single thing right now, and it’s on August 4. After that, we’ll see what comes.”

Watch our full interview with LFA 164’s Sabina Mazo above.

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Having been released by the promotion earlier this year (or more accurately, she finished out her deal and was not resigned), Mazo (9-4) will return to her old stomping grounds in LFA starting with LFA 148 on December 9, 2022.

“I feel really good. I feel right now a little tired, just because of all the sessions I’m doing of training. But I’m super-excited,” she told Cageside Press just a few weeks out from her match-up with prospect Jamey-Lyn Horth. “I feel that fire inside of me, and that’s the most important thing for me right now, to get back to the cage and get that fire of wanting to fight. That starving feeling I’m having all this week— I don’t know. I feel powerful.”

Mazo parted ways with the UFC off the end of a three-fight skid, posting a 3-4 record inside the octagon overall. The move not to re-sign her was a bit of a surprise, given her youth and upside. Luckily, she did not lack for suitors when free agency hit.

“There was a lot of options, thank God. I really like that, and I thank all the promotions,” Mazo stated. “But LFA was my number one, because I have a history with LFA. I owe too much to them, and I feel that’s the path I want to go and take to be back to the UFC. Because that’s my plan.”

Mazo does have history with Legacy Fighting Alliance, as she went 4-0 for the company, winning and defending the LFA flyweight title. After speaking with her manager, Mazo signed off on the deal to return to the company. “We though that was going to be the best option. I don’t mind if I have to fight one, two, three, as many fights as I have to do to show my work and make the UFC want me again. That was the plan since the beginning.”

In a way, losing her spot in the UFC has helped Mazo learn just how much she wants what she referred to as her “dream job.”

“It’s never going to be easy to lose your dream job, but I feel that I learned so much from it, from losing. It really showed me that I can do it if I really want to. My last losses, I feel like I am super responsible for them, and I was not making the right decisions in my life.”

“That really only showed me how much I can [do]. And if you really want something, you can really get it,” Mazo continued. “That was the proof, I went to the UFC at a young age. I feel like it opened more, my eyes to MMA. I feel like it opened a door to really discover who I am and how I am as a fighter.”

Having discovered that, Mazo is now focused on working her way back. “I feel like it was just a little taste I had from the UFC, but it gives me that fire to want to go back there. I know how it works, I know the high quality of fighters. That’s why I’m fighting again.”

Watch our full interview with LFA 148’s Sabina Mazo above.

The post LFA 148: Sabina Mazo Plans to Work Her Way Back to UFC, However Many Fights It Takes appeared first on Cageside Press.

Now that a few weeks have passed, Mazo (9-4) spoke to Cageside Press about the next stage of her career, and about her move to Connecticut, where she’s training alongside light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira.

“Right now I’m a free agent, I’m looking for the best option. Nothing settled yet, I’m still working on it,” Mazo said, when asked about her contract status following reports of her release. “But I know it’s going to be exciting.”

Regarding her move east, “the most important thing for me was the environment,” Mazo told us. “The people there, Glover has such a great energy. Absolutely everyone over there has the same energy. So I think that counts a lot, the way how they are welcoming. That makes it different. For sure it’s different weather and everything, but it’s good. It was good to spend some time in California, a few years honestly, and it’s in my heart, but I think it’s time to move on.”

In Connecticut, Mazo will continue to grind, and look to rebound from the loss to Maverick, her third consecutive defeat after starting her UFC run at 9-1.

“For sure, it was not the decision I wanted. I’m back in the gym. There’s so many things I have to change, the way I train, the way everything is,” Mazo admitted. “I’ve always been disciplined, that’s my main thing I’ll always conserve and keep doing it. But many things, many aspects of my training is changing. The people I’m training with. I’ll move on, I know for sure I have a great future. It hasn’t been the best performances, but it really gives me that fuel I need to for stepping in there and being hungrier.”

Watch our full interview with “The Colombian Queen” Sabina Mazo above.

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Both Maverick and Mazo had been highly touted when they arrived in the UFC, and both found early success. However, both ladies had dropped two straight, and while youth was on their side, a third consecutive loss could still press pause on their UFC run.

Before the fight even got going, Maverick deserved a point for walking out to the theme from Top Gun while wearing aviator sunglasses. With the action underway, however, she was all business.

Maverick worked on the outside of the lengthy Mazo, but soon found her entry, feinting then powering into a takedown at center, planting “The Colombian Queen” on her back. Mazo closed her guard, then transitioned to an arm-bar, but Maverick stacked her up and forced her to drop the attempt. On the way up, Maverick nearly caught Mazo, but would take her down moments later anyway.

Mazo wouldn’t stay down long, but a third takedown from Maverick came via a throw, that seemed to have Mazo going over to her back in slow motion. On top, Maverick was again in Mazo’s closed guard, but was able to work the body and mix in some elbows.

Round two had Maverick chasing a takedown early, but Mazo was well out of range. Mazo doubled up on her jab, worked in a front kick, and did whatever she could to keep Maverick from employing her wrestling. Maverick, in response, moved in with a combination, backed off, then landed the takedown the next time she closed the distance. This time, Maverick took the back, and locked up a rear-naked choke! That was tight, and Mazo was soon forced to tap.

FEAR THE MAVERICK, INDEED!!! 👀@FearTheMaverick with the slick R2 submission!

[ #UFCVegas50 | Prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/k19G7yuZ7q

— UFC (@ufc) March 12, 2022

Following the win, Maverick said she’d made it a point to show her well-rounded game, after being referred to as a striker in the UFC, despite being best known as a wrestler in her old home of Invicta. “I like to pride myself on being coachable, and being able to improve from that,” she added.

Official Result: Miranda Maverick def. Sabina Mazo by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:15

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Maverick (9-4) is set to replace Mandy Bohm at the promotion’s March 12, 2022 Fight Night event. There, she’ll go up against “Colombian Queen” Sabina Mazo (9-3).

Mazo confirmed the booking after Maverick announced the news on social media. Both fighters will be looking to snap two-fight skids when they meet next month.

Maverick has suffered back-to-back losses in her last two outings, dropping decisions opposite Maycee Barber and Erin Blanchfield. The Barber result in particular had an air of controversy, ending in a split decision that easily could have gone the other way.

Prior to those setbacks, Maverick had picked up wins over Liana Jojua and Gillian Robertson, on top of a pair of wins under the Invicta FC banner.

In announcing the booking, Maverick said she’s been “staying in fight shape” for the opportunity.

Mazo entered the UFC with plenty of hype thanks to a pair of viral head kick knockouts in LFA. After dropping her debut, she went on three fight run before losing fights against Alexis Davis and Mariya Agapova.

UFC Fight Night 203, which takes place on March 12, 2022 at the UFC Apex in Nevada, is set to be headlined by light heavyweights Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev. The following bouts have been reported for the event thus far:

• Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev
• Marlon Moraes vs. Song Yadong
• Alex Pereira vs. Bruno Silva
• Matthew Semelsberger vs. A.J. Fletcher
• Guido Cannetti vs. Kris Moutinho
• Trevin Jones vs. Javid Basharat
• Damon Jackson vs. Kamuela Kirk
• Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Cody Brundage
• Alex Caceres vs. Sodiq Yusuff
• Tafon Nchukwi vs. Azamat Murzakanov
• Ricky Glenn vs. Drew Dober
• Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Karl Roberson
• JJ Aldrich vs. Gillian Robertson
• Sabina Mazo vs. Miranda Maverick

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ESPN Deportes was first to report the news that Sabina Mazo will fight Mandy Bohm on March 12 at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev. Bohm would confirm the booking on her Instagram.

Mazo (9-3) went winless in 2021 after riding a three-fight win streak going into the year. In her bantamweight debut, she lost a dominant unanimous decision to Alexis Davis. The “Colombian Queen” would return to flyweight in October and get submitted to Mariya Agapova. The 24-year old is currently on the first losing streak of her career.

Bohm (7-1) was unsuccessful in her UFC debut as she lost a unanimous decision to Ariane Lipski. The loss to Lipski was the first of her career. The German fighter fought once for Bellator prior to joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC’s March 12, 2022 event does not have an official location, venue, or broadcast plan announced. However, light heavyweight contenders Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev will headline the event.

The Fight Night card currently breaks down as follows:

• Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev
• Guido Cannetti vs. Kris Moutinho
• Trevin Jones vs. Javid Basharat
• Song Yadong vs. Marlon Moraes
• Alex Pereira vs. Bruno Silva
• Damon Jackson vs. Josh Culibao
• Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Cody Brundage
• Sabina Mazo vs. Mandy Bohm

The post Sabina Mazo vs. Mandy Bohm Set For March 12 UFC Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the main event, Mackenzie Dern came up short in a litmus test against Marina Rodriguez. What’s next for the BJJ ace? It’s time to play matchmaker for Dern and other main card fighters who fell short on Saturday.

Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie Dern rode a strong four-fight win streak into UFC Vegas 39’s main event, but lost a unanimous decision to Marina Rodriguez. Dern’s grappling in the second round was a spectacle to behold, but that’s to be expected from someone with her qualifications in BJJ. The question now becomes, where does Dern go from here? She was out-struck by Rodriguez and struggled to close the distance for takedowns throughout most of the fight. Ranked #4 ahead of the fight, she’s likely to slip back a spot or two.

What’s really wild is, prior to the Rodriguez fight, there was talk of Dern moving to flyweight and being a test for Valentina Shevchenko, who has never fought someone with Mackenzie’s grappling credentials. But if she can’t get the fight down, it appears Dern will continue to struggle until she shores up her striking game.

A smart option here is Yan Xiaonan. The Chinese fighter last fought in March, where she was finished by Carla Esparza. A Sanda expert, she’ll test Dern on the feet, and give us a chance to see what lessons were learned from UFC Vegas 39. She was tied with Dern in the rankings prior to this weekend, and the winner will instantly be back in the hunt.

Dern’s next fight: Yan Xiaonan

Jared Gooden

Jared Gooden missed weight for his UFC Vegas 39 co-feature with Randy Brown, then lost the fight on top of that. Never a good look. Gooden is now 1-3 in his last four, which comprises the entirety of his UFC run. On a deeper card, he’s nowhere near the top of the bill, and unfortunately, he wasn’t able to take advantage of the spotlight.

Gooden may well find himself fighting for his job next time out. But since he’s coming off something of a high profile fight, why not tap him for Gunnar Nelson’s return? Nelson has been sitting out since 2019. He had been aiming to return in the first half of 2021, but that hasn’t happened. Like Gooden, he’s 1-3 in his last four. Book these two unranked welterweights, and see who still has more upside.

Gooden’s next fight: Gunnar Nelson

Tim Elliott

Former UFC flyweight title challenger and TUF: Tournament of Nations winner Tim Elliott is rarely in a bad fight. At UFC Vegas 39, he came up just short against Matheus Nicolau, something coach James Krause took the blame for. The loss snapped Elliott’s two-fight win streak, so he’ll be looking to bounce back. Our suggestion, fellow top 15 flyweight Tyson Nam.

Elliott and Nam were supposed to fight last year, but the bout was scratched as Elliott was on a medical suspension from his previous fight. Nam was expected to face Tagir Ulanbekov this past June, but that fell through when Ulanbekov fell ill. Nam’s available, Elliott probably won’t need too much time off, so this could happen by the end of the year.

Elliott’s next fight: Tyson Nam

Sabina Mazo

After entering the UFC with a ton of hype following her LFA run, Sabina Mazo has posted a .500 average across six fights. That’s a great average in baseball, but not so much in mixed martial arts. Mazo has lost her last two, and she was beat up before being choked into submission by Mariya Agapova at UFC Vegas 39.

Mazo needs a bounce back fight, and needs to avoid the dreaded third straight loss. Gina Mazany is 1-2 in her second run with the UFC, and 2-5 overall inside the octagon. Mazany is coming off a loss in May against Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 262, and doesn’t appear to have a fight lined up. Mazany has looked better at flyweight than in her previous bantamweight run, and the pairing should show if “The Colombian Queen” still has that killer instinct.

Mazo’s next fight: Gina Mazany

Felipe Colares

Brazil’s Felipe Colares has traded wins and losses throughout his five-fight UFC career, and dropped a decision to Chris Gutierrez at UFC Vegas 39. TUF 29’s Liudvik Sholinian stepped into the octagon on short notice against Jack Shore last month, becoming Shore’s latest victim. With both fighters coming off a loss, it makes sense to pair these two bantamweights up.

Colares’ next fight: Liudvik Sholinian

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A women’s flyweight match-up at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 39 found Sabina Mazo and Mariya Agapova both looking to bounce back from losses last time out.

Agapova had come up short against Shana Dobson well over a year ago in one of the largest betting upsets in UFC history, while Mazo was coming in off a loss to Alexis Davis this past February.

In a stark contrast from her last Octagon appearance, Agapova came out calm and patient. She conceded the center of the cage to Mazo and she instead decided to work on her counter game, and she began to find a home for her right hand. Mazo struggled to find anything meaningful outside of her body kick, mainly because Agapova repeatedly landed combinations and then glided out of trouble. Agapova also hurt Mazo a couple of different times with kicks to the body, it was a dominant first frame for Agapova.

Round two was more of the same for Mazo, as she continued to get chewed up on the counter anytime she threw. Agapova’s straight left landed at will as Mazo began bleeding from the nose as well. Commentary pleaded with Mazo to even just feint a takedown to try and stifle Agapova and she did near the end of the round, but she nearly got caught in a guillotine. The two separated and although Mazo did end the round with a nice flurry, she needed a big comeback in round three.

Mazo came out aggressive in round three, throwing more output than normal but it would soon lead to her downfall. Agapova caught Mazo coming in with a short right hook that put her down badly. Rather than follow up with ground and pound Agapova jumped on with the rear-naked choke attempt and forced the tapout seconds later.

What a performance by @MMA_Mashka 🔥

[ #UFCVegas39 | We're LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/0wK1zNvk8D

— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2021

Mariya Agapova had a rough night against Shana Dobson last year, but she showed against Mazo why prior to the Dobson bout that many thought she was one of the brightest prospects at 125.

Official Result: Mariya Agapova def. Sabina Mazo via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 0:53

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MMA Junkie was first to report the news that Mariya Agapova will be returning against Sabina Mazo on October 9 at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event. Both fighters would confirm the booking on social media.

Mazo (9-2) had her three-fight winning streak snapped against Alexis Davis at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane in February. She lost a unanimous decision. Before her loss, “Colombian Queen” defeated Shana Dobson, JJ Aldrich, Justine Kish, with two of those coming in 2020.

Like her opponent, Agapova (9-2) also had her three-fight win streak snapped in her last outing. Last August at UFC on ESPN: Munhoz vs. Edgar, she would gas out against Shana Dobson and lose via TKO in the second round. The upset loss is tied with Holly Holm as the biggest in women’s UFC history at -1400. Agapova defeated Hannah Cifers two months prior in her UFC debut, earning Performance of the Night.

No location, venue, or broadcast plan has been announced for the October 9 event.

The October 9 fight card now includes the following reported bouts:

• Marina Rodriguez vs. Mackenzie Dern
• Chris Gutierrez vs. Felipe Colares
• Lupita Godinez vs. Sam Hughes
• Laureano Staropoli vs. Jamie Pickett
• Alexandr Romanov vs. Jared Vanderaa
• Sabina Mazo vs. Mariya Agapova

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