LFA 18 headliner Justin Rader got a win, cheeseburger, fries, milkshake and title-shot offer

Featherweight Justin Rader was two days removed from his victorious LFA debut, treating himself to a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake when he got the call.

“They were like, ‘Hey, do you want to fight for the title here in 32 days?'” Rader told AXS TV’s Ron Kruck. “We talked about it. Slept on the decision. Opportunity knocked, and I was ready to go. I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ It was best for me, (for) my career.

“Opportunity knocks, and I’m going to answer.”

And answer he did. Tonight Rader (7-2) meets fellow Legacy FC vet and reigning LFA titleholder Kevin Aguilar (12-1) hoping to become LFA’s second featherweight champ. The two headline LFA 18, which airs on AXS TV from FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Okla.

Rader, a jiu-jitsu black belt with two world titles in no-gi competition, is not exactly a stranger to high-level competition. However, tonight is the 30-year-old’s first time fighting for a belt since his transition to MMA in 2014.

In order to get it, he’ll have to snap Aguilar’s four-fight winning streak, which includes three TKO finishes and both LFA and a Legacy FC title wins. And he gets to do it in front of his Oklahoma home fans.

Still, Rader doesn’t seem all that fazed by the high stakes.

“I don’t put any pressure on myself for fights,” Rader said. “This is the toughest opponent I’ve face yet, and my toughest opponents bring out the best in me. That’s really how I’m looking at this fight. I’m very excited for it.”

The stylistic setup for this one is pretty easy to spot. Rader obviously knows his way on the ground, the same way Aguilar has been known to inflict some damage on the feet. And Rader has prepared for that.

But, much like his opponent, he’s careful not to look past the many unexpected ways the title scrap can unfold.

“Hey, anything can happen while you’re in there,” Rader said. “And things start going bad, I’m not going to be afraid to stand and strike. When I start to get afraid, that’s when things can start to break down and I can abandon the gameplan. Hey, he’s a tough guy – no doubt about it, no way around it.

“I have a lot of respect for Kevin, and especially how hard he hits. Those things are going to happen. And things go bad, I need to stay calm, and I need to keep my composure. Exactly the same way that he does. We’ve prepared. We’re ready. It could be one heck of a fight.”

To hear from Rader, check out the video above.

And for more on LFA 18, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.