Tag Archives: Joe Murphy

mixed martial arts, RFA

RFA BRINGS FIRST NATIONALLY TELEVISED MMA EVENT TO IDAHO

Leave a comment

 

 

RFA 27 IN BOISE,IDAHO
FRIDAY JULY 3RD LIVE ON AXS TV
MAIN EVENT:
JOE MURPHY vs JESSE BROCK
CO-MAIN EVENT:
CZAR SKLAVOS vs NICK BURGOS
Tickets on Sale now at

CenturyLinkArenaBoise.com

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will be bringing the first nationally televised MMA event to the state of Idaho. RFA 27 – Murphy vs. Brock will feature a main event pitting a rising prospect against asurging vet. RFA fan favorite Joe Murphy returns to face the powerhouse Jesse Brock, who is one of the most accomplished MMA fighters to call Idaho home. The event takes place Friday, July 3rd at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
“I’m excited to bring the first nationally televised MMA event to Idaho,” stated Soares. “Joe Murphy vs. Jesse Brock is a classic match-up of jiu-jitsu vs. wrestling, but more importantly it’s a clash between a promising prospect and a surging vet. That really makes you appreciate the gravity of this main event in what will be the crown jewel MMA event to take place in the Gem State.”
Eric Trapp, the president of CenturyLink Arena, also expressed his excitement about hosting Idaho’s first nationally televised MMA event.
“We’re excited to help bring such a great event to the state of Idaho and showcase not only our arena, but also our fighters to a nationwide audience on July 3rd,” stated Trapp. “The RFA brand is one of the best out there and CenturyLink Arena is proud to host this event.”
Tickets for RFA 27 – Murphy vs. Brock are available for purchase NOW through CenturyLinkArenaBoise.com.
Murphy (8-2) returns to the RFA octagon after two memorable performances in the RFA octagon within a 9 week span. Murphy made his long-awaited RFA debut this past December in the co-main event of RFA 21 to much fanfare. He more than lived up to expectations with a scintillating first round TKO victory over the highly-touted Bruno Frazatto. 9 weeks later, Murphy headlined RFA 23 against Terrion Ware in what many have pegged as a “Fight of the Year” contender. Murphy is now looking forward to a new challenge as he travels to his next opponent’s hometown.
“Jiu-Jitsu vs. Wrestling is an endless debate. I’m excited to see how I match up against someone with Jesse Brock’s credentials,” said Murphy. “Hopefully, he sells out the arena on July 3rd, so I get boo’d on my way to the cage. I’m pretty damn good at turning those boos into cheers by the time it’s over.”
Brock (20-8) enters this fight as one of the most experienced bantamweight fighters in RFA history. Brock will be making his RFA debut 9 years after he made his professional MMA debut. The former Boise State wrestling standout has since competed on three continents against some of the biggest names in the sport, which includes bouts against current UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, #3 ranked UFC lightweight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, and former UFC lightweight title challenger Caol Uno. Brock is currently riding the momentum of a four-fight win streak and is looking forward to parlaying that momentum into the main event of RFA 27.
“This fight is definitely a big deal for me and the entire MMA community in Idaho,” stated Brock. “I feel honored that the RFA picked me to spearhead Idaho’s first nationally televised MMA event. I can’t wait to perform in front of my friends and family at RFA 27.”
The co-main event of RFA 27 will feature two of the sport’s most promising flyweight prospects, when Idaho’s own Czar Sklavos (11-4) battles Jeremy Horn protégé Nick Burgos (9-3). Sklavos, who hails from Twin Falls, Idaho, has secured 9 of his 11 wins via submission and has never been finished in a career dating back to March 2010. In his pro debut, he happened to go the distance with current UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw. More recently, Sklavos advanced to the finals of the Vale Tudo Japan flyweight tournament last fall and is eager to test his experience against the talented and red-hot Burgos. Six consecutive opponents over the past two and a half years have been defeated by the Utah based flyweight, but Burgos’ marquee victory came in his most recent bout. That win came over former RFA flyweight champion Matt Manzanares via Unanimous Decision in March.
The feature fight of RFA 27 will be a battle of two explosive heavyweights, who are hungry to make a statement. Jan Jorgensen (7-1) and Dale Sopi (6-1) are a combined 13-0 outside the RFA and are eager to make some noise in the talented RFA heavyweight division. Jorgensen, who was a football star at BYU before transitioning to MMA, trains at The Pit Elevated in Orem, Utah alongside UFC star and TUF 11 champion Court McGee. His opponent Sopi is a native of Nanakuli, Hawaii and trains at Power MMA in Gilbert, Arizona alongside UFC star and TUF 8 champion Ryan Bader. Additional bouts at RFA 27 will be announced soon. RFA 27 will be the promotion’s first event to take place in the “Gem State” of Idaho, which will be the 13th state the RFA has held an event. The entire main card of RFA 27 – Murphy vs. Brock will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, July 3rd.
Please visit RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram at @RFAfighting, and Twitter at @RFAfighting.
mixed martial arts, RFA

RAONI BARCELOS vs. JAMAL PARKS BJJ BLACK BELT MEETS ALL AMERICAN WRESTLER IN FEATURE BOUT AT RFA 23 

Leave a comment

 

  

RFA 23 – MURPHY vs. WARE
MAIN EVENT:
JOE MURPHY vs. TERRION WARE
LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
CO-MAIN EVENT:
GABRIEL CHECCO vs. JOE HENLE
MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
FEATURE FIGHT:
RAONI BARCELOS vs. JAMAL PARKS
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6th LIVE ON AXSTV
Live at The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California
Tickets on Sale through  CageTix.com/RFA

In MMA, like most sports, there is an old adage that was made popular by actor Will Smith that states, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” That is one of the principles that Oklahoma native and blue chip MMA prospect Jamal Parks lives by. Parks put those words of wisdom into full effect this past week. Just five days removed from his fifth career MMA victory in five contests, Parks eagerly accepted the next challenge presented to him in his already spectacular athletic career.

That challenge came when undefeated RFA star Sam Toomer was forced off of next week’s RFA 23 card in Costa Mesa, California with an injury sustained late in his training camp. Toomer was set to face Raoni Barcelos, who is one of the most highly-touted featherweight prospects in MMA. Barcelos is the son of 7th degree jiu-jitsu black-and-red belt Laerte Barcelos and has been groomed for greatness in combat sports since the age of two. That left many wondering who would be able to step up and challenge the Brazilian wunderkind adequately on such short notice.

The answer to that question comes in the form of Parks, who is used to competing against elite athletes in wrestling and looks to continue the long legacy of Oklahoma State wrestlers who have blossomed into MMA stars. That list includes Randy Couture, Johny Hendricks, Daniel Cormier, Mark Muñoz, Jake Rosholt, Jared Rosholt, Shane Roller, Mo Lawal, as well as RFA vets Steve Mocco and Tyler Shinn.

“This is a great opportunity and I’m ready to light it up,” stated an excited Parks, who is now set to travel to southern California this week to participate on the biggest stage of his promising MMA career.

Parks was a three-time high school state wrestling champion in Oklahoma, while attending Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He then wrestled alongside Jared Rosholt and Shinn at Oklahoma State and became an NCAA Division I All-American his senior season. The proud Oklahoma State Cowboy then turned his attention to MMA after graduating and has seen his hand raised five times in five contests. However, this Friday will see him compete on national television (AXS TV) and international television (The Fight Network) for the first time. He will also be facing the toughest test of his career in Barcelos.

You see, Barcelos is not your typical jiu-jitsu black belt. He is also an accomplished wrestler having once been a member of the Brazilian National Wrestling Team. Barcelos, who received his jiu-jitsu black belt at age 20, also won a Brazilian national title in freestyle wrestling the same year. Barcelos is also the main training partner to UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo. That pedigree is enough to scare away many potential opponents even with a full training camp to prepare. However, Parks fresh off his fifth win and newly signed multi-fight deal with RFA, feels he is more than ready for the challenge and is eager to participate in the most high-stakes MMA bout of his career.Parks and Barcelos meet in a featherweight bout on the main card of RFA 23 – Murphy vs. Ware onFriday, February 6th. The event takes place at The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. The main card will be televised nationwide on AXS TV and internationally on The Fight Network at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

 

Please visit RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram at @RFAfighting, and Twitter at @RFAfighting.
Tickets for RFA 23 Murphy vs. Ware are available at CageTix.com/RFA, prices range from $55.00 to $105.00.
Special 14-person All-You-Can Drink VIP SUITES can be reserved by calling 310-951-0867.

About RFA:
RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents up to 10 fights annually around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 40 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About AXS TV Fights:
AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.