Matt Manzanares (Phil Lambert/Combat Press)

Matt Manzanares Defends RFA Flyweight Title Against Alexandre Pantoja on Sept. 12

Resurrection Fighting Alliance’s 18th event on Friday, Sept. 12 has a new main event.

Flyweight champion Matt Manzanares will defend his flyweight title against Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja when the promotion visits the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M.

Originally, Manzanares was expected to face Joby Sanchez in the first defense of his 125-pound strap, but Sanchez received a contract from the UFC. The soon-to-be 28-year-old Manzanares captured gold at RFA 14 in April with a decision win over Junior Maranhão.


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The 24-year-old Pantoja will make both his promotional and US debut at the event. The dynamic Brazilian fighter is the Shooto Brazil champion and currently rides a seven-fight winning streak that includes five finishes.

In the night’s co-main event, former UFC fighter and multiple-division Tachi Palace title holder Ulysses Gomez will step into the RFA cage for the first time against DREAM and King of the Cage veteran Abel Cullum. Eighteen of the pair’s 27 wins have come via submission.

Also on the card, Chidi Njokuani faces submission specialist Steve Hanna, France’s Mehdi Baghdad faces Evan DeLong in lightweight action, and Bellator veteran Adrian Cruz squares off with Joey Miolla in a bantamweight affair.

The RFA 18 main card will air live on AXS TV on Friday, Sept. 12, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. More fights for the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Current RFA 18 Fight Card
Matt Manzanares vs. Alexandre Pantoja – for flyweight title
Ulysses Gomez vs. Abel Cullum
Chidi Njokuani vs. Steve Hanna
Mehdi Baghdad vs. Evan DeLong
Adrian Cruz vs. Joey Miolla


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