By Press Release

HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that LFA 9 has a new main event in the promotion’s first trip to the state of Oklahoma. LFA 9 will be the ninth LFA event to take place after the strategic merger between leading developmental organizations Legacy Fighting Championship (Legacy FC) and Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA).

The main event of LFA 9 will now feature a showdown between former Legacy FC light-heavyweight champion Myron “The Future” Dennis and Brazilian finisher Danilo Marques. The change came after Ryan Spann withdrew from the headlining bout. LFA 9 – Dennis vs. Marques takes place Friday, April 14th at the FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

“LFA will feature another great prospect on our first trip to Oklahoma,” stated Soares. “Danilo Marques will replace Ryan Spann in the main event of LFA 9 against Myron Dennis on April 14th. Oklahoma fight fans will see a great contrast in styles between two of the best finishers in the light-heavyweight division.”

Tickets for LFA 9 – Dennis vs. Marques are available for purchase NOW at CombatTickets.com.

Dennis (12-6) is one of the most decorated Oklahomans to have ever competed in the famed Legacy FC promotion. The Oklahoma City native defeated former UFC heavyweight star Paul Buentello to capture the Legacy FC light-heavyweight title in the main event of Legacy FC 29. Dennis then went on to compete on the twenty-third season of the UFC’s hit reality television show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) last summer. He impressed UFC President Dana White with his elite striking skills that helped him advance to the quarter-finals of TUF 23. Dennis is now eager to make another statement in his LFA debut in his hometown on April 14th.

Marques (7-1) will be making his highly-anticipated international debut on two weeks’ notice. The Brazilian dynamo, who is a main training partner and teammate of UFC star Demian Maia, jumped at the opportunity to make a splash on the international stage of MMA. After enjoying his training trip to the United States in 2016, where he got to train alongside Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in southern California, Marques has been eager to showcase his skills stateside. He now has the perfect opportunity and platform to do that as he steps into the LFA Octagon against one of the most feared strikers and established 205-pounders in AXS TV history.

The co-main event of LFA 9 will feature Dennis’ older brother “Super” Demoreo Dennis (6-3), who made a triumphant return to MMA last summer after competing for the top-flight kickboxing promotion GLORY. The heavyweight destroyer made his MMA comeback glorious by forcing a TKO stoppage after two dominant rounds. The win earned the older Dennis brother a local MMA title in Shawnee, Oklahoma. This will be the location of his LFA debut, where he will co-headline LFA 9 just one bout before his younger brother throws down in the main event.

The man looking to play spoiler is the massive 6-foot, 6-inch, 265-pound Don’Tale “Kong” Mayes (2-1). Mayes quickly established himself as one of the top heavyweight prospects in MMA last year with two dominant stoppage wins. However, his third fight at RFA 46 in December was spoiled by one glancing blow. After battering his opponent with a barrage of unanswered strikes on the ground, his final punch glanced off of the back of his opponent’s head, bringing an unusual end to his RFA debut. Mayes now looks to right that wrong at LFA 9 when he faces Dennis.

Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):

Main Event | Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

– Myron Dennis vs. Danilo Marques

Co-Main Event | Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

– Demoreo Dennis vs. Don’Tale Mayes

Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lbs)

– Sabina Mazo vs. Jamie Thorton

Lightweight Bout (155 lbs)

– Kyle Driscoll vs. Jose Martinez

Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)

– Travis Quintero vs. Nathan Trepagnier

Featherweight Bout (145 lbs)

– Eddie Brown vs. Malcolm Hill

Featherweight Bout (145 lbs)

– J.R. Coughran vs. Daniel Carey

In September, Legacy FC and RFA officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. Legacy FC and RFA have launched the careers of over 100 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.

LFA 9 will serve as the first LFA event to take place in the state of Oklahoma. Legacy FC visited the “Sooner State” seven times before the merger. The entire main card of LFA 9 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.