LFA 176: Johns vs. Walker is set for February 9

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – LFA CEO Ed Soares announced that the promotion will have a new championship headliner when it returns to the “Valley of the Sun” on Super Bowl weekend at LFA 176. This will be the fourteenth LFA event to take place in the state of Arizona. Twelve of these events have taken place at the Arizona Financial Theatre in the state’s capital city of Phoenix.

LFA 176: Garcia vs. Walker, presented by the Arizona Army National Guard, takes place Friday, February 9th at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.

The main event will feature a featherweight title fight when top contender Elijah “Baby” Johns faces fellow LFA standout Alfred “Freight Train” Walker. The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

Tickets for LFA 176: Johns vs. Walker are available for purchase through LiveNation.com.

“We are excited to bring the Featherweight Championship to Arizona at LFA 176,” stated Soares. “The new main event will crown a new 145-pound champion, when Elijah Johns and Alfred Walker fight for the LFA featherweight world title. Johns was originally scheduled to run it back with Javier Garcia for the title after the controversial ending to their title fight at LFA 163. However, Garcia decided to vacate his title with a goal of being selected for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. Johns will now fight Walker, who is coming off the biggest win of his career against Landry Ward in the main event of LFA 169. Johns vs. Walker will give sports fans an exciting title fight to kick off Super Bowl weekend.”

Johns (9-3) is the younger brother of former LFA bantamweight champion and current UFC star Miles Johns. The younger Johns brother, affectionately known as “Baby” Johns, will be looking for redemption after a controversial ending brought a premature ending to his first shot at the title last summer at LFA 163. After getting caught in an Arm-Triangle Choke by Garcia, the referee stopped the fight without Johns ever tapping. Johns immediately jumped up to protest and the decision left many fans and viewers confused. The Fortis MMA product began his journey toward an LFA title all the way back at LFA 1 and now his career culminates with him fighting once again for the title in what will be a record-tying eleventh professional fight for the LFA. Johns will also become the only fighter in LFA history to fight in all eight years of the LFA’s existence from 2017 to 2024. More importantly, Johns is looking to continue the Johns brothers’ winning ways and championship legacy at LFA 176.

Walker (12-6) is a modern-day Renaissance Man with a life that involves being a professional MMA fighter, professional kickboxer, entrepreneur, business owner, promoter, trainer, role model, and motivator. However, on February 9th, he will look to add LFA world champion to his lengthy list of accolades. Walker is a native of Muskogee, Oklahoma, which is also home to eight-time GRAMMY Award winning singer Carrie Underwood. Walker now looks to give their hometown its next American Idol when he fights for his first world title in MMA. Walker earned this opportunity with a hard-fought victory against highly touted prospect Landry Ward in the main event of LFA 169. Walker then told Cub Swanson in his post-fight interview that he is coming for the title. “I got me against the world on my back. Me and my family, we put in work. My team, ‘Freight Train’ team, we going to the top, baby. There’s levels to this game… and we are jumping over obstacles and obstacles and obstacles… and we gonna keep coming.”

Main Card (Available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS):

• Main Event | Featherweight Title Bout (145 lb): Elijah Johns (9-3) vs. Alfred Walker (12-6)
• Co-Main Event | Flyweight Bout (125 lb): An Tuan Ho (5-0) vs. Miguel Sanson (4-1)
• Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb): Alik Lorenz (3-1) vs. Monte Morrison (3-2)
• Middleweight Bout (185 lb): Mansur Abdul-Malik (3-0) vs. Allan St-Gelais (1-0)
• Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb): Leslie Hernandez (2-1) vs. Brittany Camozzi (1-2)
• Lightweight Bout (155 lb): Robson Junior (4-2) vs. Carlo Ricci (3-3)

Preliminary Bouts (Select Bouts Available Worldwide on LFA FIGHT NETWORK):

• Flyweight Bout (125 lb): Chance Ikei (1-0) vs. Keynan Davis (1-0)
• Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb): Grace DiFrancesco (1-0) vs. Aline David (0-0)
• Flyweight Bout (125 lb): Jared Braun (1-0) vs. Nicholas Gjelaj (0-0)
• Welterweight Bout (170 lb): Johan Rodriguez (1-0) vs. Jeremiah Humphrey (0-0)
• Featherweight Bout (145 lb): Paul Marghitas (3-0) vs. Lucas Hightree (1-1)

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Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.