LFA BRINGS FEATHERWEIGHT WAR TO VENTURA

LFA 239: MECATE vs. EXPOSITO

Presented By MONSTER ENERGY

MAIN EVENT:

LFA FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT 

CALIFORNIA FEATHERWEIGHT STANDOUT

CHRIS MECATE (11-3)

VS.

DWCS VETERAN

MANUEL EXPOSITO (14-4)

VENTURA COUNTY EVENT CENTER

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA

LIVE on VICE TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT 

Also airing across Latin America on ESPN Deportes and ESPN KnockOut

Tickets available now at LFATIX.com

LAS VEGAS, Nevada —  LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today updates to the fight card for the return to Ventura, California on Friday, August 21st, as part of the 2026 Throw Down Cornhole Festival.

“Our pipeline to the UFC remains as strong as ever,” stated Soares. “Both Luis Francischinelli and Gianni Vazquez have received the call up and we’ve released them from their agreements to pursue those opportunities. The pivotal Featherweight matchup between Chris Mecate and Manuel Exposito will now headline. We’re looking forward to another great weekend and another outstanding night of LFA action.”

LFA 239: Mecate vs Exposito, presented by Monster Energy, takes place Friday, August 21st, 2026 at the Ventura County Event Center in Ventura, California. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT, followed by the main card at 6:00 p.m. PT. The event will air LIVE in the United States on VICE TV, while fans across Latin America can watch on ESPN Deportes and ESPN KnockOut.

The Throw Down Cornhole Festival has become one of the country’s premier annual sporting festivals, attracting competitors and fans from across the United States for a weekend of competition and entertainment. In addition to elite cornhole tournaments, the festival features live music, DJs, food vendors, truck and motorcycle displays, axe throwing, and the LFA Fight Night, making it one of the most unique sports weekends of the summer.

Headlining the evening’s MMA action will be a featherweight showdown between Chris Mecate (11-3) and Manuel Exposito (14-4).

Mecate enters the main event as one of the division’s more experienced and battle-tested competitors, carrying a 11-3 record into the biggest spotlight of his career. He now looks to close out fight week in Ventura with a signature win to boost his standing in one of the promotion’s most competitive weight classes.

Standing across the cage will be Exposito (14-4), who steps into the headline slot looking to make the most of his opportunity in front of the Ventura crowd and continue building momentum in the featherweight division.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with the Throw Down Cornhole Festival,” stated Soares. “Events like this create a unique experience for fans because they bring together multiple sports and entertainment under one roof. It’s always a fun challenge for us to be part of something bigger than just fight night, and Ventura has become a terrific home for this partnership. We’re looking forward to another great weekend and another outstanding night of LFA action.”

LFA 239: Mecate vs Exposito, presented by Monster Energy, takes place Friday, August 21st at the Ventura County Event Center in Ventura, California. The main card will air LIVE in the United States on VICE TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT and across Latin America on ESPN Deportes and ESPN KnockOut.

Tickets to the event are available now at LFATIX.com

OFFICIAL FIGHT CARD

Doors 4:00pm / Prelims 4:30pm / Main Card 6:00pm (Pacific Time)

Main Card

Main Event | Featherweight Bout (145 lbs)

Chris Mecate (11-3) vs. Manuel Exposito (14-4)

Co-Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Daniel Frunza (9-4) vs. Jonathan Hanes (6-3)

Feature Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)

Marcos Breno (15-4) vs. Bektur Zhenishbek Uulu (5-0)

Lightweight Bout (155 lbs)

Benny Orozco (6-2) vs. Dzhamal Mavliudov (6-1)

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Irakli Kuchukhidze (4-3) vs. Austin Clayton (5-1)

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Joaquin Garcia (3-0) vs. Orlando Sanders (5-3)

Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout (155 lbs)

Trever Devestern (3-1) vs. Edmund Kwan (5-1)

Flyweight Bout (125 lbs)

Sevak Khachatryan (3-0) vs. Aiden Ingram (4-1)

Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Terrell Bosen (2-1) vs. Chris Collins (1-1)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Ryan Firinaiu (1-0) vs. Yoan Robert-Ramirez (0-0)

Updated Bouts

Original headliner, Luis Francischinelli, received an invite to the 2026 season of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS)

Recent headliner, Gianni Vazquez (14-5-1) will now compete at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, NV

All inquiries please click here

About LFA:

LFA is a professional Mixed Martial Arts promotion that was formed by the powerhouse merger between RFA and Legacy FC in 2017. It has launched the careers of over 350 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC. LFA presents live Mixed Martial Arts events on a monthly basis around the world including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Based in Las Vegas, NV, LFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. The promotion owns and operates LFA FIGHT NETWORK™ , a premium YouTube channel that features live combat sports events alongside live LFA Prelims and historical fights.

Please visit LFA.com for updates and information. Visit the official LFA YouTube channel (LFA FIGHT NETWORK™) at @LFAfights. Follow LFA on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X)

About VICE TV:

VICE TV delivers a powerful mix of culture-defining originals, bold entertainment and live alternative sports across television and digital. The Emmy®-winning international television network from VICE Media Group, in partnership with A+E, is available in 40 million U.S. cable, telco, and satellite homes and to multiple licensees worldwide. To cater to the growing global demand for sports content, in 2025 the network launched a slate of live event programming (Arena Football One, BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing, LFA, Major League Volleyball, Professional Fighters League) and sports-focused docuseries and specials. Current and previous programming includes Out of Bounds, an investigative documentary franchise from VICE Studios; Chasing Speed from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA); Don’t Call it a Comeback

with host Noah Eagle, from Front Office Sports Studios, Skydance Sports, and NFL Films; NFL Classics: After Further Review, with host Kyle Brandt, from Omaha Productions in association with NFL Films; Brady vs Belichick: The Verdict, with host Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo; Pitino: Red Storm Rising and Calipari: Razor’s Edge; VICE Studios’ Dark Side of the Cage, Dark Side of the Ring Hell’s Angels and United Gangs of America; The Grudge; and Sports Gone Wrong.

For more information, visit VICETV.com; follow VICE TV on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X); find viewing and streaming

About ESPN KNOCKOUT:

ESPN KNOCKOUT, the best combat sports series in Latin America, shares the passion for boxing and MMA with fans. Throughout Latin America, ESPN KNOCKOUT airs the best live boxing and the most outstanding MMA events in the universe, along with features, interviews, analysis, exclusives, previews and much more from its renowned commentator team. Follow @ESPNKnockOut for features exclusive content and the latest news on combat athletes.

About ESPN DEPORTES:

ESPN Deportes launched as ESPN’s 24/7 Spanish-language linear platform serving U.S. Hispanic sports fans January 7, 2004. Before the network’s launch, ESPN Deportes began as a Sunday night programming block in July 2000 when ESPN and Major League Baseball offered Spanish-language telecasts of the Home Run Derby and select Sunday Night Baseball games. In 2001, ESPN Deportes started offering full Sunday Night Baseball and Sunday Night Football schedules, as well as boxing. ESPN Deportes is programming devoted to serving the Latino sports fans by offering high-quality, culturally relevant and the most diverse sports programming available on Spanish-language television.Find out more at espndeportes.espn.com.

About The Throw Down Cornhole Festival:

The Throw Down Cornhole Festival is the world’s largest cornhole tournament and festival, held annually at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, California. The three-day event attracts players and spectators from around the globe for elite competition, live entertainment, celebrity appearances, food and beverage vendors, and a wide variety of interactive attractions. Open to players of all skill levels, The Throw Down has become a premier destination for cornhole enthusiasts and one of Southern California’s most unique sports and entertainment festivals. For more information, visit The Throw Down Cornhole Festival official website.

Copyright (c) 2026 Imperial Family Companies

All Rights Reserved