MMA: Resurrection Fighting Alliance to hold first Southern California card next month

RFA 9 - Munhoz vs. Curran

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When: 5 p.m. Aug. 16, StubHub Center, Carson. TV: AXS TV.
Tickets: axs.com

Main Card (starts at 7 p.m.)

Pedro Munhoz (8-0) vs. Jeff Curran (36-15-1) for the vacant 135-pound title

Kevin Casey (5-3) vs. Casey Ryan (5-0), 185 pounds

Jordan Rinaldi (6-1) vs. Brian Ortega (6-0), 145 pounds

Steve Mocco (2-0) vs. James Wilson (2-0), heavyweights

Chris Spang (5-2) vs. Alan Jouban (6-1), 170 pounds

Matt Manzanares (6-1) vs. Steve Swanson (10-1), 125 pounds

Using the word "resurrection" in a company name might imply some sort of rebuilding or rebirth.

But for most of the fighters appearing on the Resurrection Fighting Alliance card next month in Carson, their next bout could be the start of something big.

Much like the fact that the burgeoning MMA company will host its first show in Southern California when it stages "RFA 9: Munhoz vs. Curran" on Aug. 16 at the StubHub Center.

And while main-event fighter Jeff Curran -- a late replacement for injured Keoni Koch -- will be attempting to resurrect his lengthy career after a brief stint in the UFC, the rest of the card features a lot of up-and-comers.

"When you add this up, they're all prospects. We're not the kind of event just trying to put bodies in there," RFA president Ed Soares said. "I'd rather cancel a fight than put a (bad) fight on. I'd rather have one less fight on the card than have a (bad) fight."

For Soares, this event is a perfect marriage. He grew up and resides in the South Bay and is one of the most influential managers in MMA. Among his renowned stable are former UFC champions Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

But among those greats at Black House are several hungry fighters who hope to some day achieve similar greatness.

Pedro Munhoz is one of those young lions. He moved from Sao Paolo, Brazil, to Southern California to train full-time among some of the sport's best in the Gardena gym.

And now he gets to test himself and his 8-0 record against a veteran like Curran for the vacant RFA bantamweight title.

In the co-main event, Hawthorne's Kevin Casey (5-3), another Black House member who recently competed on the UFC reality show "The Ultimate Fighter 17," takes on Casey Ryan (5-0) in a 185-pound contest.

"We have a bunch of Black House guys. It's a nationally televised event but we're still running it like a regional show," said Soares, referring to the organization's broadcast deal with AXS TV. "We're really developing prospects. You might not who they are, but you will know who these guys are."

Source: http://www.sbsun.com/sports/ci_23727954/mma-resurrection-fighting-alliance-hold-first-card-next?source=rss

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