What began on the mats of local gyms in the small municipality of Nerópolis in Goiás, Brazil has culminated in a high-stakes championship headline act.

Leon Soares

Hailing from Nerópolis, Brazilian light heavyweight mixed martial artist Leon Soares is officially set to challenge Lucas Fernando for the vacant Light Heavyweight World Championship of Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) in the main event of “LFA 234″. The event takes place on May 29, 2026 in Cajamar, São Paulo, Brazil.

Widely regarded as the premier developmental ground for elite talent, LFA continues to serve as the sport’s most direct pipeline to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, raising the stakes for both main event combatants.

Roots in Nerópolis

Before building an international footprint across combat sports, Soares developed his foundational skills under the guidance of coach Cleberson Nunes at Nunes Team in Nerópolis—a regional martial arts project recognized for mentoring local youth through sports.

A former standout in striking, Soares captured the Goiás State Muay Thai Championship in 2019 before making a full transition to professional mixed martial arts. His career trajectory eventually took him from regional Brazilian circuits to major international stages in Las Vegas and Russia.

For his former coach, Soares’ rise to an LFA world title bout serves as a landmark moment for the entire community.

“When we started training in Nerópolis, everything was very simple,” Nunes reflected. “Nobody imagined that one day one of our athletes would fight for a world title in an organization respected around the world like LFA.”

Championship moment on home soil

While Nunes now resides in the United States while continuing to mentor emerging Brazilian fighters, the connection to his roots remains central to the project’s identity—with Soares standing out as a primary example of the region’s athletic potential.

As Soares prepares to step into the cage in Cajamar on May 29, 2026, the championship opportunity represents not only a career-defining moment against Fernando, but a proud milestone for the city that shaped his early career.

Cajamar

Situated approximately 40 kilometers northwest of central São Paulo, Cajamar is a rapidly growing municipality that occupies a crucial position within Brazil’s economic heartland. Located within the Greater São Paulo metropolitan area, the municipality bridges sprawling residential neighborhoods with high-powered commercial enterprise.

Historically rooted in agriculture and limestone mining, Cajamar has undergone a remarkable transformation over recent decades. Today, owing to its strategic position along the Anhanguera Highway (SP-330), the municipality stands as one of the premier logistics and distribution hubs in the state, hosting state-of-the-art facilities for multinational corporations, logistics operators, and major e-commerce giants.

Beyond its economic focus, Cajamar maintains a strong local community identity. Its geography features rolling green hills and remaining patches of Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica), offering natural scenery alongside its expanding industrial zones. The municipality regularly hosts regional sports, local community gatherings, and occasional regional athletic meets. Balancing industrial efficiency with an expanding suburban footprint, Cajamar remains a vital and evolving component of São Paulo’s peripheral belt.