Photos/article by Ben Armendariz for FloCombat

LFA 35 brought a rowdy night of action live from Houston, Texas, Friday, March 9, headlined by the return of Nick Newell. The former WSOF title challenger faced Sonny Luque after two years out of action, providing plenty of intrigue for fans across the globe. 

Before Newell took center stage, however, the first fight of the night featured a rematch between Leomana Martinez and Casey Jones. Martinez, who won the first fight back in their amateur days while fighting on the undercard of Bellator, showed up strong once again. 

 “From then till now he has gotten a whole lot better, so it was a good little push for me, and a good little test," Martinez told FloCombat after the fight.  

The two came out firing, Leomana Martinez seemed to land the heavier strikes early, leading to a vicious uppercut knockout at 2:25 of Round 1. Now at 3-1 with three knockouts, Martinez rapidly established himself a contender in the LFA bantamweight division. 

In other action, Cheyanne Vlismas made her professional debut, defeating Karla Hernandez (0-1) via TKO at 4:22 of Round 3.

Adrian Yanez, who was originally scheduled to face a top-five opponent, defeated Nathan Trepagnier via knockout with just seconds to spare before the bell. The official time came at 4:56 of Round 1. Jason Langellier also showed signs of a bright future with a big win over veteran Thomas Webb, securing a D’arce choke at 1:10 of the first frame. 

The co-main event was a heavyweight slugfest between Vernon Lewis and former title challenger Jared Vanderaa. After 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, Lewis earned himself the unanimous decision, improving his record to 5-3 in the process. 

Then it came down to the fight everyone was waiting for: the return of "Notorious" Nick Newell.

With cage rust always a question, there was much to consider heading into the bout for Newell. 

However, Newell showed no ill signs of inactivity, opening with good movement and quality attacks which lead to a takedown. 

Once on top, Newell seemed to be on autopilot. As he looked to gain control, he issued a vicious face crank to Luque, forcing a tap at 2:10 of the bout's opening round. 

“Obviously, I want to get into the UFC. That’s been my goal since day one," Newell told FloCombat after the fight. "I think I’m good enough. I think I’ve proven myself. 

"I’ve earned my shot, so I believe I deserve a chance just like everyone else. I’m not asking for special treatment. I’m not 0-0 saying, 'Hey I have one hand, watch me fight.' I’m 14-1, and I have 11 finishes. I believe I’ve earned my shot. I believe I belong in the upper echelon.” 

Full LFA 35 Results

• Nick Newell def. Sonny Luque via submission (face crank) – 2:10 of Round 1

• Vernon Lewis def. Jared Vanderaa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Jason Langellier def. Thomas Webb via submission (D’arce choke) – 1:10 of Round 1

• Charles Cheeks III def. Rivaldo Junior via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

• Adrian Yanez def. Nathan Trepagnier via KO (Punch) – 4:56 of Round 1

• Cheyanne Vlismas def. Karla Hernandez via TKO (elbow strikes) – 4:22 of Round 3

• Leomana Martinez def. Casey Jones via KO (Punches) – 2:25 of Round 1