Nick Maximov and Wildemar Santos, LFA 243 weigh-in Credit: Legacy Fighting Alliance
A former UFC fighter and teammate of the Diaz Brothers, Nick Maximov was back in action on Friday, headlining LFA 243 in light heavyweight action against Brazil’s Wildemar Santos.
It was a fitting headliner for a California-based card, with the event taking place in Santa Cruz, CA. Maximov had gone 2-2 through four fights with the UFC after earning his spot in the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020. After wins against Cody Brundage and Punahele Soriano, both of whom have outlasted him in the company, he was submitted by Andre Petroski, and dropped a decision to Jacob Malkoun. That spelled his exit from the promotion.
Maximov has not lost since, winning middleweight gold under Urijah Faber’s A-1 Combat and defending the belt a couple of times. At 28, a return to the UFC is not out of the question for Maximov, who last competed for LFA in September of 2020 immediately prior to his DWCS fight.
Santos, who started his career 7-0, had held titles on the regional scene in Brazil, and had shared the cage with current UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho.
Where to Watch LFA 243
LFA 243 takes place on Friday, October 9, 2026 at the Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, California. The broadcast kicks off at 9PM ET, 6PM PT, airing live on Vice TV. Full results from the event can be found below.
LFA 243: Maximov vs. Santos Results
Light Heavyweight: Nick Maximov vs. Wildemar Santos
Flyweight: Kevin Fernandez vs. Enrique Pacheco
Flyweight: Mason Hartshorn vs. Kelvin Martinez
Middleweight: Joe Thurrott vs. Ricky Miller
Women’s Strawweight: Aysia Cortez vs. Sophie Lang
Light Heavyweight: Kyle Clark vs. Ali Gazamatov
Heavyweight: Lorenzo Figueroa vs. Helton José Jr
Catchweight (140lbs): Fernando Diaz-Marquez vs. Ramon Cornejo
Catchweight (175lbs): Jacob Horton vs. Mark Lozano
Lightweight: Willy LaMacchia vs. Chris Chapa