The Fourth of July weekend inside the United States is going to be a light one for the sport of MMA, but the LFA 110 co-main event featuring the battle for the LFA Interim Flyweight Championship is sure to shake those UFC withdrawals as the holiday weekend gets underway this Friday night.
In the co-headliner from Shawnee, OK’s Grand Hotel Casino and Resort, the LFA Interim Flyweight Championship is at stake between Charles Johnson (8-2 MMA, 2-1 LFA) and Yuma Horiuchi (8-3 MMA, 1-1 LFA).
The winner of the LFA 110 co-main event will become the eighth man all-time, counting interim reigns, to hold the 125-lb. title in LFA promotional history. As with all MMA championship bouts, the co-main event on Friday night will be a maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round.
LFA 110 Co-Main Event Fighter Comparison
Entering the LFA 110 co-main event on Friday night, Charles Johnson stands taller at 5-foot-9, with Yuma Horiuchi standing 5-foot-6.
Additionally, Johnson owns a 2 1/2-inch reach (70 1/2 inches to 68 inches even) advantage in this contest.
Charles Johnson Inspired By The Ultimate Fighter Denial Ahead of LFA 110 Co-Main Event
Johnson, who has posted a 3-2 record in his last five MMA fights going into the LFA 110 co-main event on Friday and most recently defeated Karlee Pangilinan (second-round submission due to anaconda choke) last February in the landmark LFA 100, revealed in a recent interview that he was spurned for the current season of The Ultimate Fighter television series on ESPN+, saying:
“I actually put in an application for The Ultimate Fighter,” Johnson explained, “I got a message back from the producer, but that’s all I got back and so that fell through.”
In that same interview, Johnson mentioned that he’s now under new management for his upcoming fight, continuing with:
“I got new management with Suckerpunch,” he said, “They’re taking care of me. They called up LFA and got me a fight in February and it’s just been go, go, go since I got home. Now I’m fighting on July 2nd for the title.”
Horiuchi Looks To Build off April Armbar Victory Friday
In the other corner, Yuma Horiuchi, who has posted a 3-2 record of his own in his last five MMA appearances, comes into Friday night’s LFA 110 co-main event in Oklahoma on the strength of a second-round armbar submission during LFA 104 back on April 16 against Donavon Frelow in the co-main event of the evening at the selfsame arena.
The victorious Horiuchi was initially slated to fight Carlos Candelario in the LFA 104 co-main event on April 16th in Oklahoma but just two days prior to the card taking place, the latter withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons.
No post-fight interview was conducted with Horiuchi after his victory in that night’s co-main event.
Film Study, Analysis, and Prediction
Stylistically, this fight looks to be a stand-up in the LFA 110 co-main event on Friday night, with Charles Johnson being a Muay-Thai fighter and Yuma Horiuchi a kickboxer.
On paper, one would not expect this to go to the cage mat at any point, but just remember that MMA fights are not fought on paper, and the LFA 110 co-main event for the interim championship at flyweight is going to be no exception to the rule.
Don’t Underestimate Horiuchi’s Grappling
Looking at the video of Horiuchi’s most recent MMA appearance, he was able to expertly counter Frelow’s boxing and guillotine choke attempt with a submission hold from the guard after reversing another choke attempt from Frelow and nearly locked it in before Frelow was able to get out of danger.
During round two of the fight, Horiuchi was docked a point due to grabbing the cage fence and was immediately dropped by Frelow upon the bout’s resumption.
From there, Horiuchi was able to smartly reverse the position and very abruptly locked in the armbar to get Frelow to tap and nap that April night.
Charles Johnson Can Grapple In His Own Right
In studying the tape of Charles Johnson’s LFA 100 bout in the run-up to the LFA 110 co-main event on Friday night, he was able to take the first round of the fight on two of the scorecards by a close margin and looked to establish some separation in round two against Pangilinan, but his opponent stunned him with a few power punches.
From there, Johnson was able to secure a double-leg takedown and finish him with a vicious anaconda choke submission.
Although these men are stand-up fighters from a stylistic standpoint, remember this one truth going into the LFA 110 co-main event on Friday night:
Final Thoughts
Expect a firecracker fight at the start of this firecracker weekend at the LFA 110 co-main event on Friday.
This fight could very well be determined by who dumps the other fighter first onto the mat first.
Control of this fight will be established very early on in the LFA 110 co-main event — and if you happen to be holding a cookout for the Independence Day weekend on Friday, get your hot dog, get your potato salad, get your chips, go inside and watch the fight.
A title fight, such as the LFA 110 co-main event on Friday night, is not the time to get something to eat, which is something we’ve mentioned here before.
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