Mixed martial arts

Hồ Tuấn An will take on his sixth professional MMA match against Miguel Sanson at the LFA 176 event on February 10 in Arizona, the US. — Photo courtesy of Hồ Tuấn An

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Hồ Tuấn An will fight host athlete Miguel Sanson in the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) 176 event on February 10 in Arizona, the US.

This will be the 14th LFA event to take place in the state. There will be 11 thrilling matches organised at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix City.

The main event will feature a featherweight title fight when top contender Elijah “Baby” Johns faces fellow LFA standout Alfred “Freight Train” Walker.

The co-main card, the flyweight bout between An and Sanson, will be the second to last match of the night.

This will be the second time that An “The Highlight” competes in the LFA and his sixth pro match. The first time, he knocked out American Kendrick Latchman "The Uprising" at the LFA 168, also in Arizona, last September.

A poster for the match between Hồ Tuấn An and Miguel Sanson at the LFA 176 event on February 10 in Arizona, the US.

The win strengthened An's record of five wins out of five in his career. The 23-year-old is currently the 43rd ranked of 453 active United States Pro Flyweights.

Born in 2000 in Tây Ninh Province, An is no stranger in the Vietnamese mixed martial art community.

In his five wins, he pocketed three knockouts and one submission. An aims to take another win against Sanson to lengthen his winning streak, get closer to a LFA belt match and receive an offer to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sanson is considered An's toughest rival. The 24-year-old ranks No 61 in the United States Pro Flyweights. He has recorded four wins and one loss in his career.

In his last match, Sanson lost to fellow countryman Mark Climaco at the LFA 150 in last January.

The LFA 176 will be broadcast live on UFC Fight Pass.

Hồ Tuấn An (right) in a training session. He will fight American Miguel Sanson at the LFA 176 event on February 10 in Arizona, the US. — Photo courtesy of Hồ Tuấn An

LFA is a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion that was formed by the powerhouse merger between Real Fight Arena (RFA) and the Legacy Fighting Championship (Legacy FC) in 2017. It gives rising stars and top contenders opportunities to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry.

LFA has launched the careers of over 300 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC. Among them are Holly Holm, Henry Cejudo, Valentina Shevchenko, Derrick Lewis and Brandon Moreno.

LFA presents live MMA events on a monthly basis around the world at locations including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Based in Las Vegas, LFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organisations in the fastest growing sport in the world.

In addition to An, two other Vietnamese athletes famous on the scene are Quang Lê and Steven Nguyễn. — VNS