Written by Danny Jones, @Tidy_MMA on X
In the wake of his exhilarating victory over Enrique Pacheco Parra at LFA’s bicentennial event, Canadian flyweight Devon Lozej quipped one of the most memorable call-outs in promotion history – “The Brazilian guy with the f***ing little hammer. You know, you might be the champion, you might have a little hammer, but I’m the f***ing best flyweight in the LFA, and if you want a shot at me boy, come and f***ing get it boy! Let’s go!”.
Imparting hype and entertainment in equal measure, the Ontarian masterfully set into motion arguably the most anticipated LFA championship bout of 2025 – a matchup with current LFA flyweight champion Eduardo Henrique. Now, almost seven months on from throwing down the gauntlet, Devon’s eagerly awaited contest with “Chapolin” finally comes to fruition August 22nd 2025, in the co-main event of LFA 215 at San Miguel Hall in Ventura, California.
Make no mistake, the anticipation surrounding the matchup between “The Dream” and “Chapolin” extends beyond the intrigue cast by the brilliance of Devon’s expletive-laden challenge. After all, Devon remains undefeated since moving down to 125lbs in June 2023. Amassing a 6-0 professional record against competition with a combined professional record of 29-16, the 32-year-old has defeated several LFA alumni at flyweight, including Oscar Jurado Sánchez, Sean Stebbins, Jayson Scott, Nate Smith, and, of course, Enrique Pacheco Parra. As such, a contest with the reigning LFA flyweight champion Eduardo Henrique was, to all intents and purposes, inevitable.
“I feel like I deserve it obviously, right?” Devon says. “I mean I’m here for a reason. [I’m] here to win this title. After my last fight, I said in my post-fight I feel like I’m the best guy in the flyweight division. You know, that’s why I’m calling for this fight. I wouldn’t take a fight with the champion unless I thought I’m the best… I think this is the most stacked [flyweight] division outside the UFC. I think there’s tons of talented dudes – Chapolin included – but I feel like I’m the best of all of them, and I’m ready to prove it on August 22nd. That’s why I’m going in there to show that it’s me up here, and then it’s the rest of them”.
Behind the rhetoric, Devon harbors a respect for his Brazilian opponent.
The 13-2 Paulista most recently participated on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Cormier vs. Team Sonnen, where he was the first flyweight to be picked at the team selection. He was also chosen for the first bout of TUF 33, a matchup with Devon’s training partner, Joseph Morales – Morales, however, swiftly won the contest, submitting “Chapolin” via rear-naked choke 2-minutes-and-25-seconds into the bout.
Of course, that outcome does not detract from Eduardo’s formidability as an opponent. After all, Joseph Morales – a former UFC athlete – is himself a formidable talent, and has since won TUF 33.
However, the confidence Devon held in dethroning reigning LFA flyweight champion “Chapolin” was already firmly entrenched. Now, the Canadian smells blood in the water.
“I mean obviously I have a lot of respect for Chapolin” Devon says. “I think he’s a great champion. But, in my opinion, on The Ultimate Fighter he got that taste of the next level and he didn’t like it at all, so he’s gonna hate me. When he feels me in there, he’s gonna hate me. I feel like I’m ready for that next level. He had his opportunity. He went in there and in two minutes he quit. He’s got to go 25 [minutes] with me. Unless it’s a short night for him, he’s in for a long brutal night”.
“I think he’s got great striking, [but] I think he’s got a lot of holes in his grappling” Devon continues. “Hopefully he’s fixed those, because I truly, truly want a tough fight out of him. I don’t want to go in there and make it an easy fight, even though I think I can. I want to draw this thing out; I want to see who wants this more. I want to see who is willing to bleed for this championship. This is what champions are made of. It’s not about quick fights and easy fights – I want to see when things get tough and we’re both bloody in there, who’s willing to push, and who’s willing to show that they are the true champion of this division. I’m expecting, and hoping, the best out of Chapolin. We’re gonna see what we’re gonna get, because I’m bringing the best version of myself. I’m just excited”.
At first glance, Devon’s critique of Eduardo’s performance on TUF 33 – specifically, Eduardo’s yielding to the submission – could simply be interpreted as traditional pre-fight trash-talk. Beneath the surface, however, there is far more substance. Review their most recent performance respectively, and a powerful juxtaposition is found between Eduardo’s and Devon’s respective response to a chokehold.
During his TUF 33 bout, Eduardo appeared to tolerate the squeeze of Morales’ rear-naked choke for only a couple of seconds before submitting. Conversely, at LFA 200 Devon endured the squeeze of Enrique Pacheco Parra’s guillotine choke for approximately 46 seconds before breaking free.
The manner by which each athlete responded to their respective adversity ultimately cast contrasting narratives. Devon summarized his own narrative best in his post-bout interview with Alan Jouban at LFA 200 – “…you got to put me to f***ing sleep. I didn’t think once about tapping. I almost went to sleep, but there’s a big difference. I don’t’ tap. I ain’t a bitch”.
“I’ve known it since I started my career that I’m never gonna quit in there” Devon says. “You only know inside your own mind how you were feeling. I remember being in that guillotine and it was super tight, and I was gurgling and all I could think about was ‘motherf**er, you better put me to sleep because if I get out of this you are absolutely f***ed’. That’s all I was thinking in my mind. I didn’t think twice”.
“It was tight though” Devon continues. “I couldn’t get out because my head was trapped in there and I was doing everything I could. You’ve seen the result – I popped out, I put it on him, and then it was knocking him out. I’m proud of that because I knew that. I know that I’m not going out like that. You’ve gotta put me to sleep – which if [I’d] have woke up unconscious, what could I do? I think Chapolin showed in his last fight, I mean the choke had barely got on and he was already tapping”.
Hailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Devon is the third Canadian male to participate in an LFA Championship bout, following Jared Revel and John Moore at LFA 119 and LFA 214 respectively. Victory over Eduardo Henrique at LFA 215 would see the 32-year-old become LFA’s first male Canadian champion.
Of course, three Canadian’s have held an LFA Championship. Mexican-Canadian Maria Lupita Godinez was the first, dethroning Vanessa Demopoulos at LFA 94 to become the LFA strawweight champion. Jamey-Lyn Horth followed at LFA 120, defeating Brazil’s Mayra Cantuária to secure the vacant LFA women’s flyweight championship. Current LFA women’s flyweight champion Shannon Clark – who captured the 125lbs championship at LFA 177 – is the only Canadian to defend an LFA Championship, following her split decision victory over Cheyanne Bowers at LFA 200.
If Devon becomes LFA flyweight champion at LFA 215, however, LFA will have two concurrent Canadian champions for the first time in the history of the promotion.
“LFA is one of the best organisations in the world” Devon says. “They’re right there with the UFC. I think they’re constantly growing – they’re expanding. I want to put my name in the history books, I want to be the first Canadian to win that [flyweight] championship, and ten/twenty years down the line when people are winning that title and they go in there, they’re gonna look to me as being the first [Canadian]. That’s an important part of history”.
“The title itself in this fight [has] not really been my main focus” Devon admits. “Chapolin is my main focus. Being locked in that cage with this man for 25 minutes, and what I plan to do to him, is all I’m focussed on. If I can go in there and make this man feel pain, beat his ass from bell-to-bell, win every single exchange on the feet, win every single grappling scramble, win every single moment in that fight, the title’s coming no matter what. So, I could care less in a sense about the title right now – it’s more about that 25 minutes between me and Chapolin. That’s what I am here for. You know, if [LFA] said ‘Hey, the title’s not on the line anymore’, I’d say ‘F*** it’. I’m here to beat this man’s ass. That’s my focus, and I know the title comes with all that”.
Securing the LFA Flyweight Championship will certainly bode well for Devon’s aspirations of signing with the UFC. After all, six LFA flyweight champions have subsequently signed with the UFC outright (Roberto Sanchez, Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, Charles Johnson, Carlos Mota, Felipe Bunes), and two LFA flyweight champions subsequently signed to Dana White’s Contender Series (Jimmy Flick and Victor Altamirano). Moreover, interim LFA flyweight champion Casey Kenney subsequently signed with the UFC outright, whilst current LFA flyweight champion Eduardo Henrique had his opportunity on The Ultimate Fighter.
Of course, one should never look beyond their next opponent – something Devon demonstrates fervently through example.
One could certainly argue, however, that the Ontarian’s combination of proven athletic talent and entertaining wit on the mic present the hallmarks of a star in the making.
“I know the UFC needs people like me” Devon says. “They need more Canadians, they need people that have personalities, and I think I bring that. Everything I say is just from confidence. I don’t say shit that I don’t believe. I’m truly confident in my ability, but I also know how to talk shit. I know how to hype fights – I know how to make people care about this right? People are gonna tune in on UFC Fight Pass – they want to see why we are fighting. Truth be told, you watch all these other LFA fights with these flyweights, none of these guys were calling out Chapolin, and I never understood that. I’ve been calling this guy out before they would give me a title fight. The reason why I am in this position is because I said ‘Hey, I’m gonna beat this motherf***er’s ass’. Whether it’s in a parking lot, in that cage – it doesn’t matter. I want what he’s got and I’m coming for it. The rest of these guys, a lot of them fumbled the ball. I don’t think we’ll hear anyone complaining because I think deep down they know this might be a tough fight, and after they see what I do to this man, I don’t think anyone is gonna be asking for the title fight. I’m excited man. I’m hyped up for this fight. I cannot wait!”.
The author extends his utmost gratitude to Devon Lozej and Jamie McClintock for making this article possible.
