LFA 131: Argueta Battles Silva for Bantamweight Title

Daniel Argueta to Take On Diego Silva at LFA 131

Undefeated Daniel Argueta (7-0 MMA, 4-0 LFA) returns to the LFA cage for his fifth promotional appearance when he battles 20-fight veteran Diego Silva (14-6 MMA, LFA promotional debut) in the LFA 131 main event for the promotion’s Vacant Bantamweight Championship, a five-round fight at five minutes per round to close the show in Wisconsin on Friday night.

The winner of the LFA 131 main event on Friday evening will become the seventh different man, counting interim championship reigns, to hold the LFA Bantamweight Championship and succeed former titleholder Richard Palencia, who vacated the championship earlier this year upon joining Bellator MMA’s active roster.

History on the Champion’s Side After LFA 131 Main Event?

Regardless of which of these two men emerge victorious as the new LFA Bantamweight Champion, history could very well be on his side following the LFA 131 main event on Friday evening.

Five out of the six previous champions at 135 lbs. in the LFA vacated the strap with nary a single title defense, with the lone exception to this statistic being Ricky Simon, who scored the title during LFA 29’s main event versus Chico Camus in December of 2017 by unanimous decision.

Subsequent to that, he successfully defended the championship in LFA 36’s main event against Vinicius Zani (first-round knockout) before being signed to the UFC’s active roster.

LFA 131 Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the LFA 131 main event on Friday night, Daniel Argueta stands as the taller man at 5-foot-7, compared to Diego Silva’s 5-foot-6 frame.

In addition, Argueta owns a one-inch reach advantage (70 inches to 69 inches) over Silva going into this championship fight.

Argueta Rides Unbeaten Record Into LFA 131

Daniel Argueta has yet to lose so far in his professional career, having won 10 fights in a row dating back to his amateur MMA career (not counting a fight against Ricky Turcios during the 2021 season of The Ultimate Fighter) most recently scoring a third-round knockout of Mairon Santos during LFA 123 back in February.

Argueta enters the LFA 131 main event on a mission, hungry for the title, as he told Cageside Press back in March.

“I’m ready to chase down that title,” Argueta began. “I want the title. I want to have some hardware before I get to the big show. I’m cool with it, I like it. I’ve never been the champ. I’ve never been the champ before. This is new for me, and I’m excited. I’m finally at the point of my life where I’m putting everything on the line. I’m doing everything correctly.”

A confident statement from the contender heading into the LFA 131 main event on Friday, but can he bring home the gold? Tune in and find out.

Diego Silva Looks to Trade In CES Bantamweight Title for LFA Gold in LFA 131 Main Event

In the other corner, Diego Silva has posted a 3-2 record in his last five MMA fights and is currently on a two-fight winning streak.

Most recently, he took the CES MMA Bantamweight Championship via unanimous decision against Andre Soukhamthath during CES 66 on March 4 in the latter’s retirement bout.

A key storyline for the LFA 131 main event on Friday night is the difference in age between Silva and Argueta. Check this out: Diego Silva and Daniel Argueta are only separated in age by a mere 48 days, with Argueta being the elder of the two fighters, having been born on Aug. 13, 1993, followed up on Sept. 30 of the same year by Silva’s birth.

Thus, both of the fighters in the LFA 131 main event have yet to reach 30 years of age and also have yet to peak athletically. If this pairing makes for an entertaining fight on Friday evening, imagine what a fight like this could be like if a rematch occurs when they both peak.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction for LFA 131

Stylistically, the LFA 131 main event on Friday night looks to favor Diego Silva, a black belt in both jiu-jitsu and Luta Livre wrestling, compared to Daniel Argueta’s background as a former collegiate wrestler at The University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Thus, it stands to reason that Friday’s title fight could turn out to be a ground war.

Look For Daniel Argueta to Hunt For the Submission in LFA 131 Main Event

Of Daniel Argueta’s seven victories in professional MMA, four have come by way of submission, including both of his appearances in Combate Global, so if Daniel Argueta takes Diego Silva down to the mat on Friday evening, it could be the opening he needs to record his fifth career submission win.

In the first round of a scheduled three against Roger Severson, Argueta put Severson in the clinch before dragging him back to the cage fence and eventually landing a takedown. After, Argueta wrestled with him to take the back mount and tried to sink in a rear-naked choke before jettisoning that attempt in favor of ground and pound shots.

At this point, he established control of the fight and he’d never relinquish it, although Severson did manage to briefly return to the clinch, only to be taken down again as Argueta again put him in the back mount and landed more ground and pound shots.

Severson had no chance to get going in this fight, with Argueta eventually locking in a rear-naked choke with 14 seconds remaining in the round. All it will take for Daniel Argueta to become the new champion is as little as one takedown in the LFA 131 main event. If he scores a takedown, it could be a wrap.

Diego Silva Can Score Takedowns Himself

In the other corner, Diego Silva has the propensity to land the takedown himself, as he did in every round of the CES Bantamweight Championship against Soukamthath.

20 seconds into the fight, Diego Silva effectively ripped up Soukamthath’s gameplan by landing a takedown and wrapping his left leg around his opponent to stifle his efforts to try and get up, eventually wrapping his right leg around him to try and go to mount and land ground and pound shots, all in the means of establishing control of the contest.

This continued throughout the balance of the fight. If Silva can beat Argueta to the takedowns in the LFA 131 main event, he’ll be able to disrupt his game plan and seize control of the contest.

Final Thoughts

At the core, the LFA 131 main event on Friday night looks to be a battle fought on the mat, with only one question still remaining: Who scores a takedown first?

Prediction: Daniel Argueta by Unanimous Decision.

Featured Image Credits to Embed from Getty Images