By Press Release

HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that the LFA will have a new headliner for its first trip to Arizona this Friday on Cinco de Mayo.

The new main event of LFA 11 will feature an explosive welterweight battle between two of the hottest prospects in the division. The headliner will now see dynamic Australian annihilator Matthew “Thunder From Down Under” Frincu clash with surging Brazilian dynamo Maycon Mendonça. The change came when original headliner Daniel Madrid withdrew due to injury and Mendonça was elevated from the main card to main event status. LFA 11 – Frincu vs. Mendonça takes place this Friday, May 5th at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

“I am excited about the new headliner we are bringing to Arizona on May 5th,” stated Soares. “Matthew Frincu will now fight Maycon Mendonça  at 170-pounds after Daniel Madrid withdrew due to injury. Frincu looked amazing in his LFA debut and Mendonça has won six straight fights. LFA 11 will continue the long and storied tradition of great combat sporting events that have taken place on Cinco de Mayo weekend.”

Tickets for LFA 11 – Frincu vs. Mendonça are available for purchase NOW at ComericaTheatre.com.

Frincu (10-2) looked incredible in his LFA debut at LFA 5 in February. The native of Gold Coast, Australia bludgeoned his opponent Kris Hocum over three rounds in a wildly impressive tour de force of striking brilliance. That night in Colorado in late February, Frincu taught a masterclass on how to effectively utilize range and Muay Thai technique to dismantle a high-level grappler in an MMA fight. Now the talented Australian is looking to duplicate that success as he stays at welterweight to face Mendonça in the LFA 11 headliner. The move in weight class comes on short notice after Frincu’s originally scheduled middleweight bout against Madrid was canceled due to an injury to Madrid.

Mendonça (6-1) has been on an absolute tear over the last three years. In that time, Mendonça has established himself as one of the most exciting strikers and promising prospects in the country. The Brazilian dynamo earned this distinction by dispatching his last six opponents, which includes the destruction of fellow prospect Nivanilson Gonzaga in October. Mendonça has been steadily preparing for his long-awaited international MMA debut against Kyle Stewart at LFA 11. Now the anticipation for Mendonça’s international debut have reached a fever-pitch after he jumped at the opportunity to be elevated to main event status against Stewart’s teammate Frincu.

The co-main event of LFA 11 will feature the LFA debut of one of the most successful welterweights in RFA history. That would be none other than The MMA LAB standout James Nakashima (6-0). The former NCAA Division I wrestler was the main training partner of eventual Olympic gold medalist and all-time great Jordan Burroughs at the University of Nebraska before making the jump to MMA. All Nakashima has seen since switching from the mat to the cage is gold and he will look to continue that success in the co-main event of LFA 11.

The man looking to put the first blemish on Nakashima’s record is a man known for being a wrestler’s kryptonite. That would be Power MMA product LaRue “The Cannibal” Burley (7-2). Burley is the man responsible for handing former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler Bubba Jenkins his first loss in MMA at Bellator 100. He then repeated the feat by handing NCAA Division II national champion wrestler T.J. Hepburn his first loss in MMA at RFA 25. Burley finished Jenkins and Hepburn with a ferocious style that he will undoubtedly look to unleash at LFA 11.

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

Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)

– Matthew Frincu (10-3) vs. Maycon Mendonça (6-1)

Co-Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)

– James Nakashima (6-0) vs. LaRue Burley (7-2)

Welterweight Bout (170 lb)

– Kyle Stewart (7-0) vs. Ty Freeman (9-5)

Flyweight Bout (125 lb)

– Bruno Silva (8-3) vs. Casey Kenney (6-0)

Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)

– David Nuzzo (5-1) vs. Sean O’Malley (6-0)

Featherweight Bout (145 lb)

– Luiz “Toninho Marajó” Gavinho (6-3) vs. “Magic” Mike Hamel (5-0)

Lightweight Bout (155 lb)

– Tyler Sidders (1-0) vs. Keoni Diggs (3-0)

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

LFA 11 will serve as the first LFA event to take place in the state of Arizona. Furthermore, it will be the first time the LFA has traveled to “The Grand Canyon State” before or after the merger. The entire main card of LFA 11 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.