(PRESS RELEASE) -- LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) has a new #1 bantamweight contender bout as the promotion heads back to the Mile High City with RFA 16 - Copeland vs. Jorgensen. The main event features top undefeated heavyweight prospects Josh Copeland and Jan Jorgensen battling for the inaugural RFA heavyweight world title. The co-main event, will now see Colorado's own Jarred Mercado face Iowa native Jake Klemme in a #1 bantamweight contender bout. The event takes place Friday, July 25th at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
The co-main event of RFA 16 will still feature the RFA debut of local fan favorite Jarred Mercado (11-1). After compiling an impressive 106-18 record in high school wrestling, Mercado attended Northwestern University and wrestled in the Big Ten Conference. During his four years with the Wildcats, Mercado faced some of the top NCAA Division I competition in the country. After graduating, Mercado continued displaying his athletic prowess inside the cage and is widely-regarded one of the top bantamweight MMA prospects in the country. Mercado will now face Klemme, after his original opponent Joe Murphy was forced off the card with an injury.
"I know Jake Klemme has a really good camp and a big right hand with KO power. That's something I'll be watching out for," Mercado explained. "My focus remains the same and I know a great performance against Jake will get me up to that next level. It will get me a shot at the RFA bantamweight world title."
Klemme (10-2) is currently riding the momentum of a 5-fight win streak and hasn't lost a bout in over two years. He trains out of the famed Miletich Fighting Sytems in Iowa that was founded in 1997 by the newest member of the UFC Hall of Fame: Pat Miletich. Training under the tutelage of UFC vet Junior Hernandez and Miletich, Klemme is eager to show the world his skills in the biggest fight of his career.
"I'm honored to get the chance to fight in a #1 contender bout in my RFA debut," stated Klemme. "Jarred Mercado is a very good wrestler that likes to hold guys down and smother them. Most of his wins are by decision and all of my wins are finishes. I plan on hitting him a lot and finishing the fight. I don't leave any doubt with my wins. Jarred and I will have the same record at the end of this fight."
RFA 16 will be headlined by the aforementioned heavyweight title tilt between Copeland (8-0) and Jorgensen (7-0). Both men have picked up prestigious regional heavyweight titles in their home states of Colorado (Copeland) and Utah (Jorgensen). On July 25th, they will be looking to rekindle the long-lasting "Rumble in the Rockies" sports rivalry between the two Rocky Mountain border states. The rivalry began in 1903 between the University of Colorado and the University of Utah. The winner of Copeland vs. Jorgensen will also walk away the first-ever RFA heavyweight champion, while keeping their unblemished MMA record intact.
The main card of RFA 16 will also feature a top-tier welterweight contest between Denver fan favorite Josh Cavan (9-3) and St. Louis native Chris Heatherly (7-1). In the bantamweight division, Zac Chavez (2-1) and Boston Salmon (1-0) will lock horns in a bout featuring two of the RFA's most exciting prospects. In women's bantamweight action, local favorite and GLORY kickboxing vet Maureen Riordon (0-0) will make her pro MMA debut against the highly-regarded California based prospect Marion Reneau (3-1). The main televised card of RFA 16 will kick off with a pair of undefeated flyweight prospects, as local favorite Sid Bice (3-0) takes on the equally impressive Eric Shelton (3-0).
The entire main card of RFA 16 - Copeland vs. Jorgensen will be televised live on AXS TV starting at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT on Friday, July 25th. RFA 16 will be the promotion's third event in "The Centennial State" of Colorado and the second in the Mountain States region in 2014. More fights on the RFA 16 preliminary card will be announced soon.
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 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. Michael "The Voice" 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.