By Danny Jones, @Tidy_MMA on X
As Legacy Fighting Alliance returns to the Arizona Financial Theatre on October 25th 2025 for its fourteenth Phoenician event, the premier developmental organization in mixed martial arts notably welcomes the promotional debut of a remarkable flyweight talent – Ernesto Ibarra.
Hailing from Ensenada, Baja California, the 29-year-old has amassed an impressive 10-1 professional record since launching his professional mixed martial arts career in 2018, and remains undefeated at 125lbs as a professional. “The Stallion” enters LFA 220 – the promotion’s seventeenth event in The Grand Canyon State – riding a five-bout win-streak contested entirely at flyweight against competition with a combined experience of 68-professional bouts.
A product of Team Blackxicans, the Mexican honed his craft under the tutelage of Head Coach Arafaht Torres, BJJ Coach Gabriel Ortega, Boxing Coach Hugo Diaz, and Striking Coach Guillermo Smith in Ensenada. For much of the past two years, however, the Mexican has been based over 14,000 kilometers away from “The Cinderella of the Pacific” in Phuket, Thailand, training at the internationally renowned Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA.
“The first time I went to Thailand – to Phuket – I went in 2023” Ernesto says to LFA.com. “I just went for a couple of weeks just to see, because I was a big fan of the Tiger Muay Thai Tryouts. That was one of the things that got me hard on MMA; it was like a dream for me sometimes, visiting Thailand. [So] I went there and I spent a couple of weeks at Tiger [Muay Thai], but they told me about another team, a team that was better… Bangtao MMA. I went there, I spent there like 3 weeks, just 3 weeks. I got to meet George [Hickman] – one of the owners – the first time that I was there, just in the cafeteria that they have there, and he was just a great person to talk to, and he invited me to come after. He told me like just maybe for a chit chat or for talking, but I took his advice of coming back. That’s when I decided in 2024 to go back [to Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA], and then again in 2025”.
“It helped me grow as an athlete because I come from a good gym, but a small gym” Ernesto explains. “It’s in Ensenada – it’s a small city. Going to Bangtao MMA to train with a lot of the best coaches in the world (like Brad Riddell, George Hickman, Frank Hickman) and training with UFC level guys and guys from all over the world (guys from UK, guys from Australia, guys from Thailand) changed everything. [It] gave me like real, real big confidence to see my level… I can fight everybody right now; I know what my calibre is”.
Training under MMA Coaches George Hickman and Frank Hickman, BJJ coach Owen Livesey, Striking Coach Brad Riddell, and Boxing Coach James Heelan at Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA, Ernesto returned from a seventeen-month hiatus of professional competition with ruthless efficiency on May 3rd 2025. Competing on home soil, the Bajacaliforniano submitted 22-bout veteran Francisco Benitez in just 1-minute-and-55-seconds – Ernesto’s first bout to end inside the distance for almost four years.
The outcome certainly suggested the “Pearl of the Andaman” had reinvigorated and further evolved an already formidable flyweight prospect. Indeed, so profound was his experience of training at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA, Ernesto had planned to relocate to Thailand.
Attesting to his admirable loyalty and character, however, the 29-year-old put such plans on hold in order to support a long-time friend from Ensenada. That is, Ernesto returned from Southeast Asia to assist his Team Blackxicans teammate Imanol Rodriguez with preparations for an upcoming opportunity on Dana White’s Contender Series.
“I got back from Thailand just for him, because of him” Ernesto reveals. “I was gonna spend my whole year in Thailand – I was gonna move to Phuket. That was my decision you know – be here, train here, fight around here. But he [asked] me ‘Man, can you come back here [to] The Academy with DC Cormier and help me to spar – help me to close the camp?’. I took his invitation. I was like ‘Okay, lets be part of the history that [Imanol] is going to make. He’s [been] my friend [for a] long time”.
Of course, Imanol Rodriguez would make history. The Ultimate Fighter 33 alumnus defeated Brazil’s Roque Conceição in week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2025 to deservedly earn a UFC contract, and become the first Team Blackxicans athlete to sign with the UFC.
“I’m so happy man” Ernesto admits. “I’m so pumped for my fight right now because of [Imanol’s] win. [I’m] super motivated you know!”.
Ernesto’s decision to leave Phuket and assist Imanol Rodriguez was not without its own opportunities. After all, the Mexican joined up with his teammate at The Academy Fight Club in Gilroy, California.
Despite only launching in 2025, The Academy Fight Club has rapidly gained traction as a hotbed of mixed martial arts talent. Indeed, in addition to Imanol Rodriguez, The Academy’s North Carolinian Lightweight Tommy Gantt also secured a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Furthermore, both LFA flyweight champion Eduardo “Chapolin” Henrique and LFA alumnus Ethan Burmingham are members of the Bay Area-based team.
Founded by former UFC Light Heavyweight & Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier, The Academy Fight Club collaborates with a plethora of gyms across the Bay Area, including American Kickboxing Academy (San Jose), AntDawg’s MMA Training Center (Gilroy), Beowulf Kickboxing School (Morgan Hill), Daniel Cormier Wrestling Academy (Gilroy), Prisma Jiu-Jitsu (Morgan Hill), and Sanchez Boxing MMA (Santa Rosa). With Ernesto yet to compete in a professional contest since training with The Academy Fight Club, both anticipation and intrigue climb in equal measure for the Mexican’s bout on October 25th 2025.
“Being under the training of guys like DC is unreal” Ernesto admits. “I couldn’t believe it; I saw him on TV – I saw him with Jon Jones! I’m a big, big fan of MMA. I don’t just train and fight, I watch MMA too. Watching DC for me was shocking you know, and now he’s teaching me! Now he’s in my sparring, telling me what to do, why I need to work, motivating me. It’s unreal. It was a great experience training there. They’re just establishing everything right now, because [it’s] a new team you know. We go to AKA to train sometimes, but we mainly do everything in The Academy – that is, DC’s gym and AntDawg’s [MMA]. That’s where we train at. There’re good things coming you know. We’re just getting more guys”.
“We live there” Ernesto continues. “It’s a hard thing because you’re living with 20 other guys. It’s so hard bro, so hard. Sharing the kitchen, sharing the bedroom. It’s hard bro; [it] makes you really uncomfortable. With DC, I think you’re not learning new stuff, you’re just grinding. You’re ready to fight. Your fight shape – your mentality – is sharp. There’s a lot of sparring and that’s it man. I think it’s for closing camp or finishing like a good camp – last 4/5 weeks. Perfect because you’re sharp – you’re ready”.
“That how it is you know” Ernesto adds. “If I have to sacrifice my bed, my hometown, not being with my family, I pay the price because I want to make it to the UFC”.
Competing on the main card of LFA 220, Ernesto makes his promotional debut against returning LFA alumnus Kyle Estrada. A formidable 22-professional bout veteran, “The Hoosier” represents Scottsdale’s Fight Ready MMA, situated in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and enters LFA 220 following a third round TKO stoppage of former interim LFA flyweight championship challenger João Camilo.
Notably, both Ernesto and Kyle Estrada share a former opponent, albeit with contrasting outcomes – Gerardo Graniel. Ernesto began his current five-bout win-streak with a unanimous decision victory over then 9-2 Gerardo Graniel, following an impressive, well-rounded performance. Conversely, Kyle Estrada suffered his most recent defeat to Gerardo Graniel – a second-round head-kick knockout.
“It’s funny because I already know who he is, because he fought in [my former promotion] twice” Ernesto explains. “Of course, if someone is in my division I’m watching him, because maybe he’s next. I never imagined to be fighting against him [at] LFA, but it makes sense because he’s from Arizona. He faced one of my old teammates – “Scorpio” Barraza. He’s from Chile, and he used to come here to make camps, in Ensenada. Scorpio is my friend. But he knocked out Scorpio, like TKO’d him. So now, it’s just a little bit more revenge as well you know, to avenge my teammate. And he fought against an old opponent of mine… Geraldo Graniel. He fought against Geraldo, and he got knocked out, and I won that fight with Geraldo. I know MMA is not like math, its different because style makes fights. But man, I know Geraldo. Geraldo is good. Geraldo is tough. Geraldo hit me with the same head kick, but he didn’t finish me bro, because you have to kill me to finish me. I don’t break bro. I bend, but I don’t break”.
In the wake of the LFA Flyweight Championship main event between Cody Davis and Igor Siqueira at LFA 161, LFA CEO Ed Soares proudly stated “Outside the UFC, we have the best flyweight division in the world”. Over two years later, the 125lbs division is arguably more stacked than ever.
Reflecting the incredible depth of LFA’s flyweight roster, three of the six scheduled main card matchups at LFA 220 are contested at 125lbs – Chance Ikei vs Jordan Burkholder, Kyle Estrada vs Ernesto Ibarra, and Christian Natividad vs Jostin Quilca. Consider Lívio Ribeiro and Richard Mahan’s matchup on the preliminary card, and eight LFA flyweight prospects compete at the Arizona Financial Theatre on October 25th 2025 in total alone.
With LFA’s proud reputation as the premier developmental organization in mixed martial arts partnered to August 2025’s incredible milestone of surpassing 350 LFA alumni signing with the UFC, Ernesto knows Legacy Fighting Alliance is the place he needs – and deserves – to be.
“Brother I know they just give me one fight you know, but I’m the new kid on the block – I need to make waves, big waves” Ernesto says. “I’m going there for the finish bro. I want to finish this guy. I need a three-fight contract at least with LFA. That’s what I’m looking for, and to do that, I need to finish this guy or pound him to death you know – smash him, no doubts. So that’s what I want bro. I want a big contract with them, I want to stay here, and I want to make it to the UFC. I know if you make it in the LFA, you can make it in the UFC, so that just proves it bro”.
The author extends his utmost gratitude to Ernesto Ibarra and Jamie McClintock for making this article possible.
Images kindly provided by Ernesto Ibarra (@thestallion125 on Instagram).
