Harvey Park Bests Demarques Jackson in Battle for Vacant Legacy Fighting Alliance Title

Official Results: Park def. Jackson via TKO at 4:58 into Round 1. pic.twitter.com/bqxXxoJKV4

— AXS TV Fights (@AXSTVFights) April 27, 2019

Harvey Park may not look like a stone-cold killer, but he fights like one.

Park put away Demarques Jackson with a volley of elbows and punches, as he laid claim to the vacant Legacy Fighting Alliance lightweight championship in the LFA 64 headliner on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Jackson (10-3, 2-1 LFA) succumbed to blows 4:58 into Round 1, his three-fight winning streak having run its course.

Another in a long line of Henri Hooft disciples, Jackson snapped back his counterpart’s head with a blistering two-punch combination early in the first round. Park (12-2, 3-1 LFA) was undeterred, continued marching forward and waited for an opening to present itself. The 33-year-old Clovis, New Mexico, native rang Jackson’s bell with a short counter right, forced him to stagger backwards and then dragged him to the canvas. Park proceeded to unleash a series of elbows and punches on his dazed opponent, prompting referee Bobby Wombacher to call for the stoppage with two seconds left in the opening stanza.

With that, Park became the third lightweight champion in Legacy Fighting Alliance history, joining Robert Watley and Austin Hubbard.

In the co-main event, Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series alum Jason Jackson submitted St. Charles MMA rep Scott Futrell with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their showdown at a 180-pound catchweight. Futrell (8-7, 0-1 LFA) bowed out 4:07 into Round 2.

Repeated takedowns paved Jackson’s path to victory. The 28-year-old Hard Knocks 365 export wore down Futrell with his efforts, as he grounded him at will. Jackson (9-3, 1-0 LFA) turned up the heat in the middle stanza, where he delivered multiple takedowns, framed the arm-triangle and cinched the fight-ending choke.

Jackson has posted back-to-back wins, both of them finishes.

Meanwhile, Bobby Lee submitted Jordon Larson with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their catchweight feature at 165 pounds. Larson (9-6, 2-2 LFA) conceded defeat 4:35 into Round 2, as he suffered his second consecutive defeat.

Lee (10-3, 5-3 LFA) dictated a majority of their exchanges. The 23-year-old Minnesotan attacked Larson’s body with kicks and sprang a reversal after being taken down in the first round. Larson’s situation deteriorated further in Round 2. Lee started stringing together powerful punching combinations, connected with a spinning back kick to the liver and executed a takedown, advancing almost immediately to the back. Once there, he softened Larson with ground-and-pound, set his hooks and cinched the choke for the tapout.

A protégé of World Extreme Cagefighting and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Brock Larson, the 23-year-old Lee has rattled off four wins across his past six appearances.

In other action, Bryce Logan (10-3, 2-0 LFA) was awarded a split verdict against Kenneth Glenn (8-5, 1-1 LFA) in a three-round lightweight affair; Ryan Debelak (6-4, 2-1 LFA) took a unanimous decision from Brian Peterson (3-1, 0-1 LFA) in a three-round heavyweight clash; Tyler Ray (4-1, 3-1 LFA) submitted Sam Garrett (3-2, 0-1 LFA) with an arm-triangle choke 4:31 into the second round of their welterweight pairing; Delfino Benitez (2-1, 2-0 LFA) eked out a split decision over Robiel Tesfaldet (1-3, 1-1 LFA) in a three-round flyweight encounter; and Tyler Mathison (1-0, 1-0 LFA) recorded a unanimous decision over Keith Phathaem (1-1, 0-1 LFA) in a three-round lightweight scrap.