LFA 199: Farias vs. Zhusupov is a mixed martial arts event promoted by Legacy Fighting Alliance that will take place on January 10, 2025, at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California, United States.
Fight Card
Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Featherweight Ary Farias vs. Sabit Zhusupov
Catchweight (140 lb) Rafael Do Nascimento vs. Emran Tara Khail
Heavyweight Josh Hokit vs. John Lopez
Bantamweight Azizbek Temirov vs. Magomed Shakhbanov
Lightweight Enkhur Bayartsogt vs. Shovkhal Churchaev
Middleweight Theo Haig vs. Said-Magomedov Abdulgaziev
Heavyweight Larry Gonzales vs. Billy Ray Valdez
Preliminary Card (LFA Fight Network)
Bantamweight Julio Larrave vs. Allen Silhanek
Lightweight Sheldon Struble vs. Edmund Kwan
Women’s Flyweight Esmira Mammadova vs. Gabrielle McComb
Light-Heavyweight Shealor Ladd vs. Tylando Mattress
Catchweight (150 lb) Abraham Del Toro vs. Jermaine Edwards
Background
7x Jiu-jitsu world champion Ary Farias vs. 3x Pankration world champion Sabit Zhusupov!
LFA announced today that the promotion will kick off its 2025 schedule in one of the most influential venues in MMA history. This will happen when the LFA hosts its first event at the iconic Tachi Palace Casino Resort in California at LFA 199. LFA 199 will be the twenty-first LFA event to take place in the Golden State.
Tachi Palace Casino Resort is Central California’s premier event venue for live MMA. It has a history in the sport dating back to WEC 1 in June of 2001. In fact, this event took place just two months after the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports created the Unified Rules of MMA, which laid the groundwork for the sport to become legally regulated in the United States and abroad.
In the nearly two and half decades since, the venue has been the home to WEC, PFC, and Tachi Palace Fights. These are promotions that started the careers of many MMA legends including Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Karo Parisyan, Chris Leben, Chael Sonnen, and Urijah Faber. LFA commentators Ron Kruck, Gilbert Melendez, and Alan Jouban also got their start at Tachi Palace Casino Resort. Kruck made his broadcasting debut at WEC 9, while Melendez (WEC 5) and Jouban (Tachi Palace Fights 8) both made their professional MMA debut at this venue.
LFA 199: Farias vs. Zhusupov takes place Friday, January 10th at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California, which is located 35 minutes south of Fresno. The main event will feature an international featherweight showcase when seven-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion Ary Farias faces three-time Pankration world champion Sabit Zhusupov.
“We are excited to kick off our 2025 schedule with an International Showcase at LFA 199,” stated LFA CEO Ed Soares. “Ary Farias is a seven-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion from Brazil and Sabit Zhusupov is a three-time Pankration world champion from Kazakhstan. They are two of the most decorated grapplers to ever compete in MMA and will meet in the main event of LFA 199. Tachi Palace Casino Resort has a long and storied history in MMA dating back to the turn of the century when the sport was still in its infancy. Many of the biggest legends in MMA got their start at this venue and we are excited to add another chapter to its history with a stacked international event to start the new year on January 10th.”
Farias (14-4) is on a short list when it comes to debating who is the most decorated Jiu-Jitsu practitioner to ever compete in MMA. The seven-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion was born into the world of combat sports in Manaus, the state capital of Amazonas in northwestern Brazil. At the age of 11, Farias signed on to ASLE, one of the top Jiu-Jitsu academies in the world. This is the same academy where UFC great Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and UFC star / LFA great Jaqueline Amorim were developed prior to making the move to MMA. Farias lived and trained with Jacare for the next five years at the ASLE training camp. He would eventually make the move to Rio de Janeiro and has trained extensively with some of the biggest names in Jiu-Jitsu such as Ricardo Vieria, Rogerio Camões, Yuri Simoes, and Ramon Lemos. Farias has competed four times under the LFA banner and is the owner of one of the flashiest submission wins in the promotion’s history when he submitted Devante Sewell in his LFA debut.
Zhusupov (16-3) has been one of Kazakhstan’s top MMA prospects for years, but will be making his long-awaited LFA and American-soil debut at the perfect time. This is because his country now has the world’s attention as a rapidly emerging hotbed for MMA talent. Shavkat Rakhmonov is the #1 contender for the UFC welterweight world title and is one of the biggest stars in the sport. Nikolay Veretennikov just became the first LFA fighter from Kazakhstan to sign with the UFC this past summer. Even UFC commentator Laura Sanko is enjoying the hype as she was seen wearing a tymak at UFC 310 earlier this month, which is a traditional Kazakh fur hat. Now the man known as “Lucky” is looking to show just how ironic his nickname is when he makes his LFA debut. The three-time Pankration world champion has dominated the MMA scene in his home country and Russia. Now the regional kingpin known for his signature precision striking looks to keep the Kazakh party going with a statement win to start the new year.
