Scotts Valley mixed martial artist Jacob Horton (6-0-0 amateur record) will make his pro debut Friday at Legacy Fighting Alliance 178 at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz. (contribution)
SANTA CRUZ — Mixed martial artist Jacob Horton did his best. His pay is a luxury for the few fighters who enjoy his pro debut. It’s a game that’s a stone’s throw from home.
Horton, 22, a graduate of Scotts Valley High School, will compete in a Legacy Fighting Alliance 178 welterweight bout at Kaiser Permanente Arena against Brazilian Wesley Alves Oliveira, 36, who is training in San Francisco. ) will draw the crowd to their corner. on friday.
“It’s exciting to have it here in Santa Cruz,” Horton said. “This is a great opportunity and a chance to do something proud of our community.”
More than 2,300 fight fans packed the venue to watch LFA 165 in August, marking the promotion’s return to the venue for its second professional MMA event in Surf City.
In the co-main, Kyrgyzstan’s Ulan Satybardiyev (6-1-0), who won LFA 165, will face Brazil’s Bruno Assis (13-6-0) for the title of interim LFA light heavyweight champion. minute) and Brazil’s Miguel Jacob will appear. He will fight Poway’s Jeff Clayton (9-2-1) in a welterweight bout (8-2-0).
A total of 11 matches, 5 qualifying matches and 6 main card matches. Watsonville’s Alice Arguero (0-1-0), the only local fighter to qualify, will face San Francisco’s Edmund Kwan (1-0-0) in a lightweight bout.
Horton credits Ron Kessler, one of his coaches at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, for giving him the fight. When Kessler learned that LFA was coming back to Santa Cruz, he contacted the promotion and offered to add Horton to the fight card.
Horton, who wrestled as a senior at Scotts Valley, trained in karate as a child at his grandfather Rod Sanford’s studio, Sanford Martial Arts is Soquel. Horton switched to Jiu-Jitsu about seven years ago at Kaijin MMA in Scotts Valley and has spent the past two years working on grappling and striking at AKA under Kessler and mixed martial arts great Cain Velasquez.
Horton has an amateur record of 6-0-0.
“He steadily gained not only size and strength, but skill as well, becoming a formidable fighter,” said his jiu-jitsu coach Clement Shields. “In previous fights, he was aggressive in forcing grappling exchanges to control his opponent and kept the pressure on.”
Horton has finished all of his previous opponents by submission in all but one round.
Both of Oliveira’s amateur bouts took place in Brazil, so Horton has watched very few of his opponent’s matches.
“There’s zero tape to work with,” Horton said. “I’ve only seen training videos on his Instagram.”
Oliveira also trains at AKA and holds a second degree black belt under Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
At 6-foot-1, Horton has a 5-inch height advantage and a significant reach advantage over Oliveira, who has a bulldog-like build. And despite his young age, Horton has fought three times as many amateur bouts.
“I think I’m hungrier and want to win more,” Horton said of the Fighters’ age difference.
Horton said he has never practiced so hard for a game. He is ready both physically and mentally.
He hopes to extend his streak of dominant first-round wins, but has no problem with long strategic battles as well.
“I’m happy with anything. If I win, even if it’s a boring match, I’m perfectly happy,” he said.
In other welterweight action,
none.
San Jose’s Chuck Campbell (6-3-0) will take on Los Angeles’ Ozzie Diaz (7-2-0) in a light heavyweight bout.
In bantamweight bouts, Afghanistan’s Hussein Baksh Safari (7-2-0) faces Israel’s Stav Koren (3-0-0) and Stockton’s Christian Giovany (4-3-0). will face San Francisco’s David Solorzano (5-1). -0), Iowa’s Ryan Houston (1-0-0) and Laguna Hills’ Chase Whitmer (1-1-0).
The Horton fight is scheduled to be the main card opener.
if you go
LFA178
when: Friday, prelims 5 p.m., main card 7 p.m.
where: Kaiser Permanente Arena, Santa Cruz
ticket: ticket master
tv set: UFC Fight Pass
LFA 178 Fight Card
joint main event
Light Heavyweight (205 lbs): Ulan Sativardiev, Kyrgyzstan (6-1-0) vs. Bruno Assis, Brazil (13-6-0), LFA Interim Light Heavyweight Championship
Welterweight (170): Miguel Jacob, Brazil (8-2-0) vs. Jeff Creighton, Poway (9-2-1)
main card
Welterweight (170): Adam Wamsley, Napa (4-3-0) vs. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani, Hermosa Beach (5-2-0)
Light Heavyweight (205): Chuck Campbell, San Jose (6-3-0) vs. Ozzie Diaz, Los Angeles (7-2-0)
Bantamweight (135): Hussein Baksh Safari, Afghanistan (7-2-0) vs. Stav Koren, Israel (3-0-0)
Welterweight (170): Diego Bianchini, Brazil (8-1-0) vs. Bafrom Jon Mashlapov, Uzbekistan (7-3-0)
Bantamweight (135): Cristian Giovani, Stockton (4-3-0) vs. David Solorzano, San Francisco (5-1-0)
Lightweight (155): Alice Arguello, Watsonville (0-1-0) vs. Edmund Kwan, San Francisco (1-0-0)
Bantamweight (135): Ryan Houston, Iowa State (1-0-0) vs. Chase Whitmer, Laguna Hills (1-1-0)
Welterweight (170): Jacob Horton, Scotts Valley (0-0-0) vs. Wesley Alves Oliveira, Brazil (0-0-0)
