LFA 127 Main Event Preview: Diaz vs. Assis

Middleweight Strap At Stake in LFA 127 Main Event on Friday Night

All told, LFA 127 on UFC Fight Pass this Friday night will feature a 10-fight card (barring any postponements between now and then), with a battle for supremacy at 185 lbs. in the LFA 127 main event of the evening.

Bellator MMA alumnus Ozzy Diaz (6-1 MMA, 1-0 LFA) will return to the LFA cage to try for the middleweight championship against Bruno Assis (12-5 MMA, 1-0 LFA).

As is the case with all MMA championship fights, the LFA 127 main event on Friday night will be a maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

The winner will become the eighth different LFA Middleweight Champion all-time, counting interim reigns, succeeding now-former middleweight and light heavyweight titleholder Josh Silveira, who joined the PFL recently.

LFA Middleweight Champions Only Experience Temporary Reigns

If prior history is any indication, the winner of the LFA 127 main event will only hold onto the LFA Middleweight Championship for a short time, as the seven previous titleholders have all been called up to a major MMA promotion some time after winning the strap, with only one of these champions being booked to defend the title after winning it.

Brendan Allen, who won the LFA Middleweight Championship in September of 2018 during LFA 50, has been the only man to successfully defend it after scoring the title, having defeated Moses Murrietta during LFA 61 in February of 2019.

Subsequent to that championship defense, Allen was called up to the UFC’s active roster that July, where he’s gone 6-2 since joining the world’s top MMA promotion.

LFA 127 Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the LFA 127 main event on Friday night, Ozzy Diaz stands taller at 6-foot-4, whereas Bruno Assis counters with a 6-foot-3 frame, but here’s where the tale of the tape gets interesting:

Both Ozzy Diaz and Bruno Assis are level in reach at 77 inches apiece going into the LFA 127 main event on Friday night.

Ozzy Diaz Looks To Ride Momentum of Four-Fight Winning Streak Into LFA 127 Main Event

Ozzy Diaz enters the LFA 127 main event this Friday night having posted a 4-1 record in his last five MMA fights and is currently on a four-fight winning streak.

Last time out, he scored a second-round knockout of Murrietta in October of last year during LXF 6 for the LXF Middleweight Championship.

For Diaz and his camp, the storyline heading into the LFA 127 main event is simple.

Ozzy Diaz has already won the middleweight strap in one promotion, having defeated an LFA alumnus in the process.

Now can he win his second championship in as many promotions, in as many fights, and could he also be on the doorstep to major MMA once again, having already competed in Bellator?

If the past is any indication, Diaz won’t be the champion at 185 lbs. for very long if he wins in the LFA 127 main event on Friday night.

Bruno Assis Looks To Impress in Second LFA Appearance During LFA 127 Main Event

In the other corner, Bruno Assis has posted a 3-2 record in his last five fights, and the former TITAN FC Middleweight Champion enters the LFA 127 main event this Friday on a three-fight winning streak.

Most recently, he scored a unanimous decision victory in December during LFA 120’s co-main event against Jalin Fuller.

For the Assis camp, their key for Friday night’s headlining bout is simple, much like the key for Ozzy Diaz.

As is the case with Diaz, Bruno Assis has already won a championship in another promotion– and he’s already found success inside the LFA cage, having defeated Fuller during LFA 120 last December.

Now, Bruno Assis is back, looking to wow the audience in the arena and at home in the LFA 127 main event on Friday evening as he, too, seeks to win a championship in two separate promotions and get on the doorstep to major MMA.

It goes without saying that the LFA 127 main event on Friday night could be among the top fights to watch this coming weekend, so be certain to tune in and watch the action.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the LFA 127 main event seems to favor Bruno Assis, who holds black belts in judo, jiu-jitsu, and karate, compared to Ozzy Diaz’s background in pankration.

Ozzy Diaz Can Punch His Way To Victory

One aspect of Ozzy Diaz’s fight game that stands out on film is his ability to score the knockout, as was the case in October of 2020 against Logan Woods.

During the first round of a scheduled three, Diaz and Woods exchanged leg kicks, with Woods getting the better of the exchange by landing punches early.

Later, Diaz managed to block a Woods kick, sending momentum on his side of the ledger before he landed a punch to Woods’ head to send him down.

From there, he landed a flurry of vicious and relentless ground and pound shots to knock Woods out cold.

If Ozzy Diaz can land as little as one punch right on the money in the LFA 127 main event, this fight is done and dusted lickety-split, ladies and gentlemen.

Bruno Assis Is Brutal On The Ground

In the other corner, look for Bruno Assis to try and finish this one on the ground, as he did in December of 2020 versus Jeremie Holloway.

This one didn’t get out of the first round, as Assis scored with a combo of a high kick and left-handed punch to send Holloway down, leading to Assis immediately stepping into the mount and accumulating ride time from the top position, along with some ground and pound shots, before locking in the armbar submission, leaving Holloway no other option but to tap out with his left hand.

As long as Bruno Assis is able to knock Ozzy Diaz down, it could be the opening he needs to end the fight.

Final Thoughts

As previously stated, if prior history is any indication, the winner of the LFA 127 main event might not hang onto the LFA Middleweight Championship for very long.

You might be seeing MMA’s next big star on Friday night if you decide to tune in, so don’t miss this one.

Prediction: Bruno Assis by First-Round Submission.

---

Follow me on Twitter at @DrewZuhosky to see my latest work. Follow us on social media at @OTHeroicsMMA to stay tuned in with our content! Please visit our web page to keep up with everything MMA!

Featured image credit to Legacy Fighting Alliance