LFA 244: Jake Woodley and Zayne Havener fight for the interim middleweight title on October 23 at Foxwoods
LFA 244 has its main event. Jake Woodley (8-1) faces Zayne Havener (6-2) for the interim middleweight title on Friday, October 23 at the Premier Theater at Foxwoods in Connecticut. The belt opens up because the reigning champion, Joe Kropschot, earned a UFC contract on the Contender Series this season. Woodley arrives with the fastest knockout in the promotion’s history, in 4 seconds.
Key takeaways
- Jake Woodley (8-1) faces Zayne Havener (6-2) for the LFA interim middleweight title on October 23 at Foxwoods in Connecticut.
- Champion Joe Kropschot earned a UFC contract on the 2026 Contender Series, which opens the race for the belt.
- Woodley holds the fastest knockout in LFA history, in 4 seconds. The card airs on VICE TV in the United States.
LFA 244, an interim title in the main event
Date and venue
LFA 244 takes place on Friday, October 23, 2026 at the Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. It is the promotion’s 4th event in this venue.
The status of the title
The press release speaks of the middleweight championship, but the official card specifies that it is the interim title. Joe Kropschot remains the reigning champion.
Why now
Kropschot won on the Contender Series this season and signed with the UFC. The LFA, a springboard to the UFC, is therefore putting its top 2 contenders in line for the belt.
Woodley and Havener, the 2 contenders
Jake Woodley
Jake Woodley has 8 wins and one loss. He is coming off the fastest knockout in LFA history, scored in 4 seconds. The promotion calls him its fastest-rising middleweight.
Zayne Havener
Zayne Havener has 6 wins and 2 losses. The LFA describes a fighter who has climbed the divisional ladder step by step and wants to establish himself among the best.
The boss’s view
LFA chief Ed Soares says Woodley has built an impressive record, and that Havener’s toughness and skill make him a dangerous test for anyone in the division.
This is a tremendous opportunity for two rising contenders to fight for a world title.
The rest of the card and the broadcast
The other fights
At lightweight, Joe Giannetti (17-8-1) meets Ednilson Santos (14-7-1). At welterweight, 2 unbeaten 5-0 fighters collide, Devan Worth and Thomas Blackorby. At flyweight, Maikel Reinoso (6-0) faces Oscar Jurado Sanchez (6-2).
Where to watch
The card airs on VICE TV in the United States, on ESPN Deportes and ESPN KnockOut in Latin America, and on Fight Club in Russia and the CIS.
Follow the circuit
LFA 243 takes place 2 weeks earlier, on October 9 in Santa Cruz. The fighters’ profiles and records are in the FightHub app.
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