LFA 195: Wetzell vs. Usmonov – A Bantamweight Showdown in Colorado

LAS VEGAS, Nevada —  LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Colorado at the end of October. LFA 195 will feature a high-stakes bantamweight showdown between two of the division’s top prospects when the LFA returns to the Rocky Mountains. LFA 195 will be the sixth LFA event to take place in the Colorado resort town of Vail. Overall, this will be the thirteenth LFA event to take place in the state of Colorado. RFA hosted eight events in the “Centennial State” before the merger of RFA and Legacy FC that created LFA.

LFA 195: Wetzell vs. Usmonov, presented by Monster Energy, takes place Friday, October 25th at the Dobson Arena in Vail, Colorado. The main event will feature a bantamweight showdown between LFA standout Justin Wetzell (9-2) and The Ultimate Fighter 32 star Bekhzod “Lion” Usmonov (11-4). The entire main card will be available worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

“We are excited to bring another world-class fight card to the beautiful Resort Town of Vail, Colorado at LFA 195,” stated Soares. “That includes Colorado’s own Justin Wetzell, who is a four-time LFA veteran that trains alongside top UFC contender and LFA great Cory Sandhagen. He will return to compete in Colorado for the first time in five years. Wetzell faces top Tajikistani prospect Bekhzod Usmonov, who was a quarter-finalist on The Ultimate Fighter 32 this summer and earned the respect of UFC President Dana White. This bout features two of the most talented prospects in the bantamweight division and will conclude an incredible night of action for our fight fans in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.”

Tickets for LFA 195: Wetzell vs. Usmonov are available for purchase through LFATIX.com.

Wetzell (9-2) returns to the LFA after first signing with the promotion five years ago. In that time, the Colorado powerhouse has endeared himself to fans with his frenetic fight style and signature Dragon Ball Z scouter that he wears at the weigh-in and during his walkouts to the Octagon. In the popular Japanese anime television series, scouters are used to measure power levels. Luckily for Wetzell, his opponents do not wear them. If they did, it would be hard for him to find opponents due his powerful striking and wrestling game. This was evident in his LFA debut when he knocked out Michael Aquila in just 27 seconds. He followed up that win by defeating top Canadian prospect Teshay Gouthro and top Palestinian prospect Askar Askar. The TKO win over Askar was particularly impressive as Askar was a member of the UFC roster before their bout. Wetzell violently stole Askar’s thunder and now looks to make another statement. He will have that opportunity when he headlines his first LFA event.

Usmonov (11-4) is a man that needs no introduction to fight fans after participating in the “Fight of the Season” on the thirty-second season of the UFC’s hit reality television show The Ultimate Fighter this summer. The Tajikistani bantamweight moved up to featherweight to compete as a member of Team Grasso on the show where he faced top Lithuanian prospect Zygimantas Ramaska in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The bout took place on Episode 5 of TUF 32 and the episode was fittingly named “Full of Violence”. UFC President Dana White was jumping out of his seat throughout the two-round contest and even entered the Octagon after the fight to shake both fighter’s hands. This is something White is not known to do on the show, but he could not contain his excitement. Afterwards, he awarded both fighters $20,000 bonuses. Ramaska is now a UFC featherweight, while Usmonov is returning to his natural weight class to show the UFC boss what he can do at 135-pounds.

Currently Announced Fight Card:

Main Event | Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)

Justin Wetzell (9-2) vs. Bekhzod Usmonov (11-4)

Flyweight Bout (125 lb)

Josiah Reyes (4-1) vs. Kevin Fernandez (7-1)

Women’s Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)

Ashley Deen (8-6) vs. Melissa Croden (5-2)

Welterweight Bout (170 lb)

Haris Talundžić (6-2) vs. Ovidio Bojorquez (5-3)

Flyweight Bout (125 lb)

Kenyan Davis (1-1) vs. Isiah Torres (5-2-1)

Lightweight Bout (155 lb)

Jared Ferrera (0-0) vs. Alix Fisher (1-0)