LFA 1's Leandro Higo plans to keep on truckin'

[Edge Guerrero]

By: Matt Erickson and Christian Stein | January 12

The way Leandro Higo is looking at his MMA career, he ought to be in the UFC right now.

But as it stands, instead he’s headlining Friday’s first event for LFA, which formed when Legacy FC merged with the RFA, where Higo was the final bantamweight champion. At LFA 1, Higo (16-2) fights Steven Peterson (14-4), who was Legacy FC’s final 135-pound titleholder. The winner will be the inaugural LFA bantamweight champ.

LFA 1 takes place at The Bomb Factory in Dallas, and the main card airs on AXS TV.

But even though Higo was asking the RFA brass to keep him active after his most recent win, a submission victory over Joey Miolla at RFA 37 in April 2016 (check out the highlights above), he’s been on the bench – not only waiting for a call from the UFC, but for one from the RFA.

“I’m very happy to be able to on the first LFA card,” Higo told MMAjunkie. “It’s an important event – the fusion of Legacy with RFA. As soon as I finished my fight against Joey Miolla, I asked RFA for a new one. I didn’t want to sit and wait until the UFC calls. I want to keep fighting, remaining active.”

Higo said he isn’t sure why he hasn’t yet scored a UFC deal. RFA champions have a good success rate of migrating over to the industry-leading promotion. Higo has seven straight wins, including three under the RFA banner (all stoppages), and UFC President Dana White was at his win over Miolla.

“I asked to fight again right after my last victory, not only to stay active, but because I depend on the fight purses,” he said. “I thought I should have received a UFC contract by now. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened yet. That’s also true of some other Brazilian fighters in RFA. I’ve been working hard with the UFC as my goal for several years now. I’ll keep putting in the work. I know that I’ll reach my goal sooner or later. For now I am very happy to participate in this belt unification. I’ll be very ready for whatever happens, both on the ground, which is my forte, as well as on the feet.”

The fight against Peterson isn’t expected to be an easy one. For starters, Higo has to fight in his opponent’s backyard; Peterson, a 26-year-old American, is from the Dallas area. And he’s riding a six-fight winning streak, which includes five straight for Legacy FC, before the merger to boot. All told, Peterson has 10 fights under the Legacy FC banner and also has a pair for Bellator, so he’s been around the block.

“Steven Peterson is a tough athlete,” Higo said. “He’s a complete fighter with high-level striking. He also has great jiu-jitsu with one victory via omoplata. I can’t sleep on him. I have my eye on him and anyone else in our weight class. It’s going to be a great fight. He doesn’t run from a fight. I’ll utilize both my intelligence and aggressiveness. It will be an enjoyable fight. Our fight will be worth the price of admission. I’m determined to take the belt home.”

A new title for the the Brazilian, who trains with Bellator’s standout Freire brothers in Natal, might just be enough to finally get that long-awaited UFC phone call, though.

“My next fight is always the most important fight of my life,” he said. “I think getting that belt will make a major difference in my life. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where you start. If you have faith and determination, you can always reach your goals. Now is my time.”

And that’s just how Higo is looking at things.

Source http://mmajunkie.com/2017/01/despite-feeling-overdue-for-ufc-shot-lfa-1s-leandro-higo-plans-to-keep-on-truckin

[Edge Guerrero]

- Higo won.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Leandro-Higo-Outpoints-Steven-Peterson-Captures-Inaugural-LFA-Bantamweight-Title-116071