| FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, 2026
LFA 241: PIRES vs. PEREIRA
Presented By MONSTER ENERGY
MAIN EVENT
LFA BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
FORMER LFA BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION
VINICIUS PIRES
vs.
RAFAEL “MINI MAN” PEREIRA
10-STRAIGHT WINS
GINÁSIO MINEIRINHO
BELO HORIZONTE, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL
LIVE on VICE TV at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Also airing across Latin America on ESPN Deportes and ESPN KnockOut
Tickets available now at Sypla.com.br
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will make history on Friday, September 11th, with LFA 241, marking the promotion’s debut in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais — the sixth Brazilian state to host an LFA event. LFA 241 will take place inside the Ginásio Mineirinho, and will be headlined by a bantamweight world title bout as Vinicius Pires faces Rafael Pereira for the vacant championship.
The LFA bantamweight title became vacant after reigning champion Artem Belakh relinquished his title to compete on the 2026 season of The Ultimate Fighter, opening the door for two of Brazil’s top 135-pound contenders to battle for the belt.
“Belo Horizonte has been on our radar for a long time, and there’s no better way to introduce LFA to Minas Gerais than with a vacant world title fight between the two best bantamweights in Brazil,” stated Soares. “Rafael Pereira hasn’t lost since 2018 and has earned this opportunity, and doing it in his home state makes it even more special. Vinicius Pires knows what it takes to be champion and is coming off a dominant win at LFA 229 as he looks to get the belt back. This is exactly the kind of main event our fans in Minas Gerais deserve for our debut in the state.”
Rafael Pereira (15-4) enters the bout unbeaten since 2018, riding a ten-fight winning streak into the biggest fight of his career — five of those wins coming inside the LFA cage, where he has gone a perfect 5-0, with five finishes among his last ten outings. Originally from Minas Gerais, Pereira returns home to fight for the title in front of his own fans, adding extra emotional weight to LFA’s historic debut in the state.
Standing across the cage will be Vinicius Pires (12-2 overall, 6-1 in the LFA), a former LFA bantamweight champion looking to reclaim the title he lost in November 2025. Pires enters the fight on the heels of a dominant win at LFA 229, and one of Brazil’s most established 135-pound competitors, is determined to remind the division why he once stood atop it.
The event also marks a milestone for the promotion, as LFA 241 becomes the first event held in Minas Gerais, expanding the promotion’s footprint to a sixth Brazilian state and pitting two of Brazil’s premier bantamweights against one another for the vacant title, continuing LFA’s commitment to growing the sport across Brazil.
LFA 241: Pires vs. Pereira, presented by Monster Energy, will stream live in the United States on VICE TV and will also air across Latin America on ESPN Deportes and ESPN KnockOut, and throughout Russia and the CIS countries on Fight Club.
Tickets to LFA 241: Pires vs. Pereira are available now at Sypla.com.br
Currently Announced Fight Card
Main Event | LFA Bantamweight Title Bout (135 lbs)
Vinicius Pires (12-2) vs. Rafael Pereira (15-4)
Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)
Neemias Santana (7-3-1) vs. Marcos Silva (10-6)
Featherweight Bout (145 lbs)
Carlos Soares (16-4) vs. Gustavo Pintos (10-1)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)
Derick Borges (11-4) vs. Sukhrobbek Atazhanov (10-2)
Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)
Gustavo Rocha (5-3) vs. Felipe Rosa (4-0)
Strawweight Bout (115 lbs)
Raiane Vinuto (5-1) vs. Marina Monteiro (6-1)
Featherweight Bout (145 lbs)
Eduardo Dutra (7-0) vs. Fabrizio Pincheira (5-1)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)
Giovanni Garcia (9-0) vs. Igor Taylon (10-5)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)
Thalyta Silva (4-0) vs. Mônica Fontes (4-1)
Lightweight Bout (155 lbs)
Victor Santos (7-1) vs. Marcos Silva (8-3)
Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)
Emerson Richard (8-5) vs. Salomão Albuquerque (7-1)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)
Breno Yuri (6-1) vs. Fabio Perpetua (8-2)
Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)
Lucas Silva (5-0) vs. Lucas Hodak (5-5)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)
Joao Vitor Pereira (4-1) vs. Adam Santos (5-1)
Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)
Nicolas Santos (3-0) vs. Jackson Soares (2-1)
Strawweight Bout (115 lbs)
Laryssa Leila (2-3) vs. Fernanda Atômica (1-0)
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