{"id":154226,"date":"2025-09-19T11:21:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T11:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/154226\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T11:21:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T11:21:09","slug":"can-walter-cogliandro-score-thrilling-win-at-lfa-218","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/154226\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Walter Cogliandro Score Thrilling Win At LFA 218?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) 218<\/a> arrives in Tenerife, Spain on September 27, all eyes will be on the featherweight clash between Walter Cogliandro<\/a> (19-7-1) and Spain\u2019s Kevin Cordero<\/a>. For the 33-year-old Italian, this fight represents more than just another appearance on the international circuit \u2014 it\u2019s a chance to reaffirm his place among the sport\u2019s most respected veterans.<\/p>\n

Walter Cogliandro has fought across Europe, stepped into the spotlight with ONE Championship, and trained with world-class athletes at SBG Ireland. Now, after a training camp split between Ireland and Aurora Team Italy, he believes he\u2019s at his best heading into the LFA cage.<\/p>\n

MMA Sucka caught up with Walter Cogliandro ahead of fight week to talk about preparation, resilience, and what fans can expect when the cage door closes in Tenerife.<\/p>\n

\"Walter<\/a>Image Courtesy of ONE Championship.
\nQ&A with Walter Cogliandro<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve fought all over Europe and even on the big stage with ONE Championship.<\/a> How does preparing for LFA 218 in Tenerife compare to those experiences?
\u201cMy preparation was perfect in a camp shared between SBG Ireland and Aurora Team Italy. I worked hard on every phase of the fight and on the mental aspect of entering the cage in such an important promotion.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Walter Cogliandro Became Known as \u201cThe Snatch\u201d<\/p>\n

Your nickname \u201cThe Snatch\u201d always grabs attention. Can you share the story behind how you got it, and what it means to you today?
\u201cMy nickname comes from the movie about a gypsy who fought clandestinely for money. Nothing has changed since then, except that I do it legally now. It\u2019s no longer just a nickname, it\u2019s my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

You hold a judo black belt and a BJJ brown belt \u2014 how do those grappling foundations shape your overall fight style at featherweight?
\u201cMy ground game is very aggressive in all phases. It\u2019s always been one of my qualities in judo too: aggressive, mean, and tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter Cogliandro Building Off of Anaconda Choke Submission<\/p>\n

In June you picked up a submission win with an anaconda choke. Do you feel submissions are becoming a bigger part of your arsenal again, or do you still see yourself more as a striker?
\u201cI\u2019m a finisher so whether it\u2019s a submission or a knockout it doesn\u2019t matter, I want and I have to win before the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve trained at SBG Ireland, a gym with some of the sport\u2019s biggest names. What\u2019s one lesson from that environment that\u2019s had the biggest impact on your career?
\u201cThey taught me to make a living from this sport, they taught me that without dedication, nothing is achieved. There\u2019s no such thing as luck, only obsession and hard work. Dreaming is essential, but dreams don\u2019t come true without blood and sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter Cogliandro on ONE 171 Defeat to Salem<\/p>\n

Looking back, how did the loss to Hussein Salem<\/a> at ONE 171 influence your mindset going forward?
\u201cThe defeat was pure luck on my opponent\u2019s part. Unfortunately, I was coming off a difficult year with injuries and the loss of my grandfather. I felt lost and unmotivated, and disaster struck in the cage. I came home and realized that this is my life. I want my name to be among the elite of world MMA, and I\u2019m back to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve competed against a wide range of opponents \u2014 from regional talent to international veterans. How do you tailor your strategy when facing someone like Kevin Cordero, who has over 20 fights of experience?
\u201cI\u2019ve never had easy fights, never a weak opponent. I\u2019ve always been UFC and Bellator veterans, and every time I enter the cage confident in my potential. It will be the same this time. I respect Cordero and thank him for this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Italy isn\u2019t always thought of as a traditional MMA hotbed. What does it mean to you to represent Italian MMA on international cards?
\u201cMy nation has never done much for us athletes, I fight for myself and for my representative gyms because they, every day, give 100% for me and I will do the same for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 33 years old, with nearly two dozen pro fights, how do you balance pushing for new opportunities with keeping your body healthy and extending your career?
\u201cQuality training, healthy eating, and excellent physiotherapy are the keys to your body and success. Nothing is left to chance, everything is perfectly planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter Cogliandro Forecasts LFA 218 Fight Sept. 27<\/p>\n

Finally, what can fans expect from you on Sept. 27 at LFA 218 \u2014 and what kind of statement are you hoping to make with this fight?
\u201cLFA is giving me a major opportunity, and I\u2019ll give them a real fight, just like I always do. I\u2019m thinking about this fight, one step at a time toward the top. I\u2019ll just say I love the belts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing Thoughts on Walter Cogliandro<\/p>\n

From his beginnings in Italy to the international spotlight of ONE Championship, Walter Cogliandro has built a career on toughness, resilience, and an aggressive ground game. Now, as he prepares for LFA 218 in Tenerife, he\u2019s determined to prove that the best chapter of his career is still ahead.<\/p>\n

Whether by knockout or submission, \u201cThe Snatch\u201d promises fans one thing on September 27: a fight to remember.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) 218 arrives in Tenerife, Spain on September 27, all eyes will be on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":154227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":["post-154226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}