KEARNEY, Nebraska — Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) announced today that fan favorite Dakota Cochrane will be returning to the RFA next week to face Cliff Wright at RFA 2 – Yvel vs. Alexander.
Cochrane, who hails from Omaha, Nebraska, holds a very impressive 11-2 professional MMA record that is highlighted with a win over former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner last September. That win gave Cochrane seven wins in a row and a shot at former NCAA Division I and U.S. National wrestling star Ramico Blackmon at RFA 1 in December. Blackmon, who has notable wrestling wins over fellow wrestling turned MMA stars Josh Koscheck and Ben Askren relied heavily on his wrestling to earn a decision against Cochrane, but that did not slow down the momentum Cochrane’s career had already gained.
Cochrane’s strong performance combined with his large fan base and impressive record earned him a spot on the UFC’s fifteenth season of their longtime reality television show The Ultimate Fighter. This would actually mark the first season that the UFC televised their show in a live format on the popular FX television channel. The show made its debut two weeks ago (Friday, March 9th) and got 1.28 million viewers during its 2-hour premier episode. There were 32 lightweight fighters competing for 16 spots in the TUF house with UFC stars Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber watching along with UFC president Dana White.
Cochrane was paired up with undefeated Fort Worth, Texas native James Vick (4-0) in the ninth of 16 bouts to get in the house. Surprisingly, there was a new rule this season to get in the house. The fighters were only allowed one 5-minute round to impress the judges or finish the fight. In a bout which many including Urijah Faber thought Cochrane had won, Vick was awarded a Split Decision victory after only 5 minutes of fighting.
While Vick was awarded a spot in the house and followed up that win was another big upset over Daron Cruickshank, stopping the more experienced fighter last week via first round KO, Cochrane also decided to stay busy instead of worrying about what happened earlier this month on The Ultimate Fighter. Eager to get back in the cage, he has decided to return to the RFA, where he will be fighting in his home state once again.
Cochrane will be facing Cliff Wright on the main card of RFA 2 – Yvel vs. Alexander. Wright is a teammate of RFA veteran Jared Downing, who will also be fighting at RFA 2 next week. Wright is riding a 2-fight win streak, which includes a 56-second submission win at the end of January. RFA 2 -Yvel vs. Alexander will stream live and free on www.Sherdog.com next Friday (March 30th). The event will emanate from the 5,000-seat Viaero Event Center in Kearney, Nebraska.
Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) was founded in 2011 and includes a number of prominent businessmen, fight promoters, matchmakers, and others with successful careers in hosting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) shows across the United States. To learn more, check out their website at www.RFAfighting.com.