Tag Archives: Landon Vannata

RFA RETURNS TO THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES WITH BLUMER vs HIGO

 

                                         MAIN EVENT:
MELVIN “CAREER KILLER” BLUMER 
vs 
LEANDRO “PITBULL” HIGO
BANTAMWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH LIVE ON AXS TV
LIVE from  Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
 
Tickets on Sale Now at Ticketmaster.com 
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Minnesota with RFA 32 – Blumer vs. Higo in November. The main event will feature a bantamweight showdown between two of the promotion’s most exciting prospects as Minnesota’s own Melvin “Career Killer” Blumer battles Brazilian dynamo Leandro “Pitbull” Higo. RFA 32 – Blumer vs. Higo will take place Friday, November 6th inside the Mystic Showroom in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
“Melvin Blumer and Leandro Higo are both coming off huge wins over former RFA title challengers”, stated Soares. “I can’t wait to see what happens when these two step inside the RFA octagon together at RFA 32 in Prior Lake, Minnesota.”
Tickets for RFA 32 – Blumer vs. Higo are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com or the Mystic Box Office at952-445-9000  You can also support your favorite fighter by purchasing your tickets through CageTix.com/RFA.
Blumer (12-2) returns to the the building where he recorded a front-runner for “KO of the Year” this past March at RFA 24. He won his RFA debut with a scintillating back-hand KO over the iron-chinned MMA pioneer Jeff Curran. The KO came with just two seconds left in the first round in a manner that was just as shocking as it was telling. The significance of Blumer’s win was that it showed the world what the Upper Midwest has known for years… Melvin Blumer is a special talent that can finish a fight anywhere at any moment. Blumer is now ready to take the next step in his career by facing one of Brazil’s elite.
“I am more than happy to be in the main event for RFA where I can put the finishing touches on a stacked RFA 32 card,” stated Blumer. “I was at Leandro Higo’s last fight where he finished a guy that just went five rounds with the champ. I definitely don’t see this fight going the distance, but I do look forward to getting my hand raised against another tough and worthy opponent.”
Higo (14-2) made a statement in his RFA debut last month at RFA 29, that was similar to the significance of Blumer’s RFA debut. Just like Blumer, he finished an opponent who had just gone 5-rounds with an undefeated RFA champion in their most recent outing. Higo was able to submit Terrion Ware via Rear Naked Choke with just two seconds remaining in their fight. The win, also like Blumer, proved what Higo’s local fans in Brazil have been saying for years… Leandro Higo is one of the top up-and-coming fighters in MMA. Higo is now eager to face Blumer in a battle of two of MMA’s most exciting and promising bantamweight prospects.
“To headline RFA 32, an international show, is a great feeling,” Higo exclaimed. “I’m very happy to be a part of RFA and my main goal is to become the champion and no one will stop me from achieving that. After my last fight I met Melvin and his brother. I thought they were from another weight class because they’re too big, too strong. I even joked with Pedro Falcao like “Look at that Pedrinho, the size of the guys we’ll have to take down (laughs)”.
“We had a good interaction, although we don’t speak the same language, we had a good time. He seems to be a pretty cool guy, I like to think I’m one too myself, so it wasn’t difficult. I’m sure we’ll have a great duel, he’s coming from a big win, I’m coming from a big win, and I believe the winner of this fight will fight for the belt. Then we’ll have a new RFA champion and his name will be Leandro Higo.”
Also scheduled to fight at RFA 32 in the RFA’s return to Minnesota are three of the state’s biggest MMA stars. Former RFA welterweight champion Benjamin Smith (14-3), the identical twin brother of Melvin Blumer and the other half of the famed “Bash Brothers” Marvin Blumer (11-5), and the state’s top ranked lightweight Chad Curry (7-0) who has finished all seven of his fights. Smith, Blumer, and Curry are all slated to compete on the main card of RFA 32.
While Smith’s opponent will be announced soon, Blumer and Curry know who they will face at RFA 32. Blumer’s third fight in the RFA will come against fellow RFA vet Bill Kamery (13-4). Kamery has submitted his last three opponents and looks to continue that streak in his return to the RFA. Meanwhile, Curry will make his RFA debut against Landon Vannata (6-0) in a battle of undefeated lightweight prospects. Vannata was originally set to make his promotional debut at RFA 28 last month, but his opponent pulled out of the fight on the day of weigh-in. Vannata is now primed, ready, and eager to finally step foot in the RFA octagon.
The full RFA 32 fight card and further information regarding this event will be announced soon. RFA 32 will be the promotion’s third event to take place in the state of Minnesota. The entire main card of RFA 32 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, November 6th.
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.
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 live events on a monthly basis around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 43 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.
About MYSTIC LAKE CASINO HOTEL:
Mystic Lake CasinoHotel, the premier gaming facility in the Midwest, continually creates new, fun and exciting entertainment experiences for its guests. Mystic Lake® offers gaming, three lively bars, exceptional dining at seven restaurants, headline performers, unique special events and luxurious accommodations. Located 25 minutes southwest of Minneapolis / St. Paul in Prior Lake.

Fight Network Presents RFA 28: Sanchez vs. Poppie, LIVE this Friday, Aug. 7 at 10 p.m. ET

TORONTO (Aug. 6, 2015)– Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of RFA 28: Sanchez vs. Poppie thisFriday, August 7 at 10 p.m. ET, highlighted by the crowning of a new RFA middleweight champion when the promotion makes its first trip to St. Louis.

 

Fight Network’s live broadcast of RFA 28: Sanchez vs. Poppie will air nationwide in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The domestic U.S. broadcast airs on AXS TV.

In the main event, two hungry middleweight prospects vie for championship gold as RFA fan favorite Andrew Sanchez looks to defend his home turf against Wisconsin native John Poppie.

 

“I’m excited to be bringing the RFA to the great city of St. Louis,” said RFA president Ed Soares. “Andrew Sanchez and John Poppie will be fighting for the vacant RFA middleweight title in a headliner that will cap a great night of fights at The Chase Park Plaza.”

 

Sanchez (6-2) is a lifelong native of the Greater St. Louis Metro Area. His reputation in the area grew in college, when he became a star wrestler at McKendree University. While wrestling for the Bearcats, Sanchez became one of the most decorated grapplers in school history. He is a two-time NAIA national champion, four-time NAIA All-American, and the 2011 NAIA Wrestler of the Year.

 

Poppie (6-1) is looking to crash Sanchez’s long-awaited homecoming party in his first nationally televised title fight. The former light-heavyweight was a cast member on the nineteenth season of the UFC’s hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter, but learned from that experience that he is better suited competing at 185-pounds. The lone loss on Poppie’s record also came against one of his current training partners Eric Schafer, who had already competed nine-times in the UFC before they fought. Poppie was also a collegiate wrestler at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and feels his skill set and experience has him ready for this fight.

 

The co-main event of RFA 28 will feature two of MMA’s top flyweight prospects, when Wyoming’s Matt Manzanares (7-5) returns to the RFA octagon to battle St. Louis native Ken “The Sensation” Porter (8-2).

 

RFA 28 also features the debut of undefeated Landon Vannata (6-0), who faces one of Missouri’s top featherweight propsects in Nick LoBosco (8-1), plus Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (4-0) makes his highly anticipated RFA debut against dangerous vet Justin “The Grizzly Bear” Frazier (7-2)

 

Rounding out the exciting card, undefeated Brazilian lightweight Thiago Henrique Moises (5-0) tangles with Missouri’s own Javon Wright (6-3), while undefeated lightweight Jake “The North County Nightmare” Roberts (4-0) faces once-beaten Kansas native Chuka “The Lion King” Willis(4-1).

 

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.