CHANDLER, Ariz.- As flyweight Christian Natividad stepped foot into the octagon, the Arizona crowd showered the arena with cheers in anticipation of their main event of the evening. 

After Natividad pushed the entire pace of the fight by applying constant pressure, leading to multiple takedowns and submission attempts, the MMA Lab fighter earned a dominant decision victory, reading 30-27 across all three judges' scorecards. 

Natividad praised the home crowd's presence throughout his fight. 

“I love fighting in my backyard, having my support system all around me,” Natividad said. “Definitely feed off their energy, but whether it’s in my backyard or in enemy territory, I’m still going to dominate these guys.” 

LFA 228 featured many hometown fighters, out-of-state fighters, and international fighters competing on VICE at Gila River Resorts and Casinos - Wild Horse Pass on Friday, March 14. The card provided fans with multiple outcomes, including highlight-reel knockouts, breathtaking submissions, and decision wins. 

Additionally, multiple fighters on the cusp of earning a shot at an appearance for Dana White’s Contender Series called for their shot after their performance. Fighters like Natividad, light-heavyweight Alik Lorenz, and middleweight Andrew Stewart. 

Lorenz, coming off a 30-second loss on the Contender Series, looked to bounce back hugely in his return to the LFA platform. Lorenz scored a devastating 24-second first-round TKO after wobbling his opponent and ending the fight with elbows from side control. 

“I don't even really know if it’s set in yet; it was so fast, and I’m still trying to process everything,” Lorenz said, “I definitely can't complain about getting it out there quick. 

“I want to be in the UFC, and I know I deserve to be there, and I’ll do whatever it takes to show that I should be there.” 

In contrast, the co-main event featured a bantamweight showdown between Arizona’s Amari “The Insurance Salesman” Sengsavanh against international prospect Carlos Tardio. Tarido entered the matchup as a huge underdog against Sengsavanh.

Tarido did not perform like an underdog, bringing the fight to Sengsavanah, making it a scrappy war. After 15 minutes of action, all three judges' scorecards read a 29-28 decision for Tarido for the biggest upset of the night. 

Likewise, lightweight Benny Orozco out of California clocked in as an underdog against fan favorite JaCobi “Big Toe” Jones. Orozco shocked the crowd with the performance he showcased in only one round. 

Orozco survived a dangerous knee bar from Jones, transitioning to a rear body triangle. Orozco then secured his hooks and flattened his opponent out to secure the first-round submission by rear-naked choke. 

Orozco dealt with a grueling training camp leading to his upset victory at LFA 228. 

“It’s been the hardest camp of my life, physically, spiritually, emotionally. It’s been a lot to deal with,” Orozco said. “I couldn’t train for like six months before this fight, hurting my neck. 

“When opportunities come, you have to take it because this game is short. You got to go out there to bet on yourself.”

Despite Jones being finished in front of his home crowd, other Arizona fighters showcased their talents at LFA, with the promotion being a stomping ground for countless amounts of UFC talent. Fighters like middleweight Marcus Nash, welterweight Mitchell Wheeler, and flyweight Livio Ribeiro improved their records tonight. 

LFA continues to find the next pool of UFC talent, as the promotion heads to Sao Paulo, Brazil on Friday, March 27 at Centro Esortivo Pelezao.

“LFA has always been here for me; they started my career 0-0 pro and gave me a platform,” Jones said. “Always good being able to give a good show for their fans.”