2017 looks to be a big year for both the Legacy Fighting Championships and the Resurrection Fighting Alliance, or the Legacy Fighting Alliance, which is what the promotion will be called when the LFC and RFA merge in January 2017.
Ed Soares, the current president of the RFA appeared on The MMA Hour to discuss the merger between the two biggest regional MMA promotions in the United States.
"Well, I'm here to tell you that the RFA and Legacy Fighting Championship has merged…We merged into one organization, and we just signed a five-year deal with AXS TV. Starting in 2017, we're going to be doing 30 shows a year on AXS TV, and it'll be called the Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is the name of the new company” said Soares.
Soares went onto say "This is an exciting day for everyone involved…What our two companies have accomplished individually is remarkable, but the sky is truly the limit when you consider what will come next. Our athletes will have an unrivaled platform to compete in front of a nationally televised audience - not to mention in more than 40 countries around the world - and prove they are worthy of a spot at the sport's highest level. Our existing companies have placed more than 100 fighters in just the UFC and Bellator, alone. Quite simply, for the fighters on our roster, the future is now."
While Ed Soares will now by the CEO of the LFA, while Ring Of Fire promotion founder Sven Bean will be serving as the LFA COO.
“With this merger, we have created – without a doubt – the premier developmental league in the sport of MMA,” Bean said. “The team we have assembled brings together so much knowledge and experience at every level. The formation of Legacy Fighting Alliance is a game changer for the industry. I am excited for the future and what it will hold for the organization and its athletes.”
The rumored plan for the first LFA show in 2017 will see all the champions from the RFA battle all the champions from the LFC in title unification fights.
The merger of the promotion will also add to the fire surrounding the rumors that Legacy FC founder Mick Maynard will be taking over as matchmaker in the UFC when current matchmaker Joe Silva leaves the promotion at the end of 2016.
