The Legacy Fighting Alliance returned to action on Friday, Oct. 9, bringing an action-packed card of mixed martial arts to fans live from the Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, California. The marquee event, LFA 243, delivered high-stakes competition across multiple weight classes, culminating in a pivotal main event that saw returning promotional veteran Nick Maximov secure a hard-fought victory in the light-heavyweight division.
In the headlining bout of the evening, Nick Maximov put on a calculated performance to earn a unanimous decision victory over Wildemar Santos. The judges ringside scored the contest in favor of Maximov, with tallies of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28, reflecting his control over the course of the three-round affair.
This victory marks a significant milestone for Maximov within the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner, advancing his promotional record to an undefeated 2-0. However, the journey to this win represents his first appearance inside an LFA cage since 2020. In the intervening years between his promotional appearances, Maximov tested his skills on the global stage of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. During his stint in the UFC, he compiled a promotional record of 2-2, securing notable victories over respectable opponents such as Punahele Soriano and Cody Brundage. With his successful return at LFA 243, Maximov has now extended his overall professional winning streak to an impressive seven fights, re-establishing himself as a formidable force and signaling that he remains a prominent name to watch in the upper-weight divisions.
The co-main event of the evening provided a dramatic finish that left fans buzzing and immediately sparked discussions about potential future opportunities on a larger stage. Flyweight contender Kevin Fernandez put away Enrique Pacheco in decisive fashion, securing a technical knockout victory courtesy of a precise knee and follow-up punches at the 1:38 mark of the second round. With this latest triumph, Fernandez improved his stellar professional record to 10-1. The dominant performance by the 27-year-old flyweight has naturally fueled speculation within the MMA community that a call from the UFC could be on the horizon as he continues to build momentum in his career.
The main card and preliminary bouts preceding the headliners were filled with explosive finishes, showcasing the depth of talent competing under the LFA banner. Among the standout performances was a lightning-fast knockout by Mason Hartshorn, who wasted no time in finishing Kelvin Martinez. Hartshorn secured a technical knockout due to a barrage of unanswered punches just 30 seconds into the very first round, setting a blistering pace for the early portion of the event.
The kinetic energy continued throughout the card with Joe Thurrott delivering a devastating left-hook knockout against Ricky Miller. Thurrott’s perfectly timed strike ended the contest at the 3:12 mark of the opening round, earning a prominent spot among the night’s most memorable highlight-reel finishes.
In the women’s division, Sophie Lang kept her unblemished professional record intact, improving to a flawless 3-0. Lang demonstrated her grappling prowess by locking in a rear-naked choke against Aysia Cortez, forcing the tap at 4:32 of the second round in a competitive and hard-fought bout.
Submission grappling also played a major role in the evening’s entertainment. Kyle Clark secured a victory over Ali Gazamatov via technical submission, applying a tight guillotine choke that forced a stoppage just 48 seconds into the first round. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Figueroa delivered a striking masterclass against Helton José Jr. in what marked José’s professional mixed martial arts debut. Figueroa overwhelmed his opponent with punches, bringing an end to the bout at 3:17 of the first round.
For fans who tuned in live, the event was broadcast across the country on VICE TV, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, delivering the full scale of mixed martial arts action directly to viewers at home.
The complete results from LFA 243 reflect an evening of competitive matchups, decisive finishes, and hard-earned decisions across the entire fight card. In the light-heavyweight main event, Nick Maximov defeated Wildemar Santos by unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. In the flyweight co-main event, Kevin Fernandez defeated Enrique Pacheco by TKO via knee and punches at 1:38 of the second round.
Additional main card and preliminary results saw Mason Hartshorn defeat Kelvin Martinez by TKO with punches at the 0:30 mark of the first round, and Joe Thurrott defeat Ricky Miller by knockout with a left hook at 3:12 of the first round. Sophie Lang earned a submission victory over Aysia Cortez using a rear-naked choke at 4:32 of the second round, while Kyle Clark secured a technical submission over Ali Gazamatov with a guillotine choke at 0:48 of the first round. Lorenzo Figueroa picked up a TKO victory over Helton José Jr. with punches at 3:17 of the first round in José’s professional debut.
The remainder of the card featured several distance fights that tested the endurance and skill of the competitors. Fernando Diaz-Marquez defeated Ramon Cornejo by unanimous decision with judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. Jacob Horton put on a dominant display to defeat Mark Lozano by unanimous decision, with lopsided scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 30-26. Finally, in a closely contested battle, Chris Chapa edged out Willy LaMacchia via split decision, with the judges turning in scorecards of 29-28, 27-30, and 29-28 to close out a memorable night of fights in Santa Cruz.
