Dan Hooker would like to see the whole ‘BMF' championship put to rest for now.
MMA
Nyle Bartling vs Charlie Cleveland the modern main event of LFA’s return to Oklahoma Heavyweight prospects Nyle Bartling and Charlie Cleveland headline LFA’s return to Oklahoma
Published
7 months agoon
A modern main event begins as Legacy Fighting Alliance prepares to return to Oklahoma for a night full of mixed martial arts action.
LFA CEO Ed Soares announced that rising heavyweight prospects Nyle Bartling and Charlie Cleveland will now headline the promotion’s upcoming event to be held at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort Friday, April 3, 2026.
This event is commemorated by LFA first trip to Oklahoma in three yearsbringing another high-level combat card to the Sooner State.
Heavyweight prospects collide in a modern main event
The original headliner with Micaias Ureña and Xavier Franklin has been scratched, clearing the way for a heavyweight showdown between two rising fighters.
Nebraska standout Bartling (9-2) meets Indiana’s Cleveland (5-1) in a head-to-head matchup a three-game winning streak.
“It’s a great heavyweight matchup for our return to Oklahoma,” Soares said. “Nyle is a former standout collegiate wrestler who is hard-wearing and athletic. Cleveland is an aggressive fighter with very massive hands. Both are on a 3-fight win streak that neither wants to see end. Fans can expect an action-packed main event from two very powerful, determined fighters.”
Bartling ready for his debut in LFA
Bartling brings a robust wrestling pedigree to the cage. The heavyweight competed together for the Ohio State Buckeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers before moving on to MMA.
His rapid rise in the regional scene earned him a spot on Season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter.
He currently holds the professional record 9 wins and 2 lossesBartling will do his thing Debut in LFA wants to prove that he belongs to the top organizations in the heavyweight division.
Cleveland looking for another quick finish
On the other side of the cage will be Cleveland, an explosive forward fighting from East Chicago, Indiana.
Before moving on to MMA, Cleveland was a collegiate football player who competed as a fighter defensive end. Since taking up the sport, he has quickly gained attention for his knockout power.
“The Reaper” made his promotional debut at LFA 226 in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he won a devastating TKO victory in just over a minute.
He now hopes to build on that momentum for another great performance in the heavyweight division.
Broadcast details
The event will be broadcast live in the United States on VICE TV at 21:00 ET / 18:00 PT. Fans can also watch via LFA Battle Network internationally.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Grand Casino box office.
Main Card
(Live on VICE TV at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT)
Heavyweight (265 lbs)
- Nyle Bartling (9-2) vs. Charlie Cleveland (5-1)
Middleweight (185 lbs)
- David Wright (5-2) vs. John Moore (6-1)
Middleweight (185 lbs)
- Jake Woodley (6-1) vs. Shane Sobnosky Jr (8-6)
Featherweight (145 lbs)
- Nick Fields (5-3) vs. Elias Rodriguez (3-0)
Airy Heavyweight (205 lbs)
- Finn Martin (1-0) vs. Chris Conners (1-0)
Introductory card
(Featured qualifiers are still available Spectator sports at 17:30 ET / 14:30 PT)
Welterweight (170 lbs)
- Ethan Moore (2-0) vs. Austin Miller (2-0)
Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Nick O’Brien (5-3) vs. Jose Intriago (2-2)
Featherweight (145 lbs)
- Malik Thompson (0-0) vs. Alpha Yero (0-0)
Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Gage Nolan (6-1) vs. Jason Eubanks (3-0)
Lightweight (155 lbs)
- Carson Robnett (2-1) vs. Garrett Gean (2-0)
Flyweight (125 lbs)
- Joseph Hobbs (2-0) vs. Kanean Catron (2-1)
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MMA
Arman Tsarukyan sets one condition for fighting Alexander Volkanovski
Published
9 hours agoon
November 3, 2026
Tsarukyan is open to fighting Alexander
Volkanovski, provided
Ultimate Fighting Championship gold is at stake.
Volkanovski (29-4) defended the featherweight title with a
technical knockout victory over Movsar
Evloev at
UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi before expressing interest in returning to
lightweight. With champion Justin
Gaethje uncertain about his future, Volkanovski offered to face
Tsarukyan (24-3) for the vacant title if Gaethje retires.
Arman Tsarukyan reminds Alexander Volkanovski how Islam
Makhachev rematch ended
Tsarukyan said the championship matters more to him than the
opponent.
“I'm ready for everyone,†Tsarukyan told Yavuz Saynomo. “For me, it
doesn't matter who I'm gonna fight; I just want to fight for the
title.â€
Volkanovski has expressed confidence that he can counter
Tsarukyan's wrestling and avoid being held down. Tsarukyan
responded by recalling the Australian's knockout loss to Islam
Makhachev.
“He said Islam Makhachev cannot knock him out, too,†Tsarukyan
added.
Volkanovski has twice challenged Makhachev for the lightweight
championship. He lost their first meeting by unanimous decision
before Makhachev finished their rematch with a head kick and
follow-up punches.
Tsarukyan remains confident that his next bout will be for the
title. If Gaethje retires, “The Batman†expects to compete for the
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“I have a title fight next,†Tsarukyan reiterated. “Either Justin
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MMA
Dan Hooker blames Charles Oliveira, UFC for tarnishing ‘BMF’ title: ‘He killed it’
Published
10 hours agoon
November 3, 2026
The symbolic title is up for grabs again on Dec. 12 at UFC 335, when champion Charles Oliveira faces Diego Lopes in the main event. Oliveira won the belt with a dominant decision win over Max Holloway at UFC 326, but received criticism for his grappling-heavy performance, which was considered to be against the spirit of the BMF belt.
Hooker agrees that Oliveira, and his newly won title, lost some luster that night.
“It was cool for a bit and then he kind of made it not cool,†Hooker told Submission Radio. “I think he killed it.â€
The BMF championship was innovated by former UFC star Nate Diaz, who cut a fiery promo after a win at UFC 241 that led to he and Jorge Masvidal fighting to become the inaugural titleholder at UFC 244, where Masvidal defeated Diaz. Justin Gaethje later defeated Dustin Poirier for a vacant title, with Holloway subsequently claiming the belt with an all-time great performance at UFC 300.
Hooker believes the promotion has strayed far from the original purpose of the title.
“You know where they f*cked it up?†Hooker said. “They should have kept it like Nate Diaz, Masvidal kind of shit. They completely f*cked it when they were like – They had badass motherf*ckers fighting for it like that, but then it should be the guys that want to throw down and just talk shit as well. That was kind of like me, Bobby Green, could lose 20 times and he's still a BMF contender. Then they had Max do it, and he's like the nicest guy in the f*cking world.
“Talk shit. Say you're going to knock the other guy's head off, that was like our belt. That was the guys whose careers are a f*cking mess. ‘Gamebred' was hot and cold for a minute, Nate Diaz, all our records are a f*cking mess. It's going to be a lot harder for us to get our hands on the nice, shiny, clean one. That's what I'm saying, they let too many nice guys have a crack.â€
That said, Hooker looks forward to the Oliveira vs. Lopes matchup, even if the BMF belt's involvement feels perfunctory. Hooker fights Brian Ortega at UFC Qatar on Nov. 21, and if both he and Lopes are victorious, he sees a scenario where he challenges Lopes for the title next.
“For some reason, they're adamant on this BMF belt sticking around and just having another belt to put up for grabs, but yeah, I like that fight,†Hooker said. “I feel like Diego Lopes is a strong contender for that. As he says, he doesn't feel like he's going to get another crack at Volk. He doesn't feel like it's just around the corner, so I like the fight, definitely.â€
“That's why I wanted this fight [vs. Ortega],†Hooker continued. “I feel like I can beat Brian Ortega, but now, Diego Lopes beating Charles Oliveira, I feel like that's a much bigger ask. But yeah, I like that fight, for sure.â€
MMA
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