LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) announced last spring that they had signed a featherweight bout pitting undefeated Team Alpha Male fighter Lance "The Party" Palmer and up-and-coming Factory X Muay Thai standout "Lightning" Nick Macias against one another.
The two promising featherweight prospects were scheduled to meet on the main card of RFA 3 – Stevenson vs. Cochrane on Saturday, June 30th. However, Palmer sustained an injury a few weeks before the fight and Macias went on to defeat his replacement Sean Wilson instead.
In the meantime, Palmer recovered from his stomach injury just in time to defeat Jon Washington earlier this month in a bout he was allowed to take in his former college town of Columbus, Ohio. Palmer is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Ohio high school history and was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at Ohio State.
Palmer vs. Macias will be an interesting clash between styles and presents the toughest challenge to date that either fighter has faced thus far in their respective MMA careers. This is the primary reason why the RFA was quick to reschedule and move this bout to RFA 4.
On top of Palmer’s well-documented wrestling accolades that he earned at Ohio State, he has been training with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California alongside the likes of Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, Joseph Benavidez, Danny Castillo, T.J. Dillashaw, and other wrestlers who now fight in the UFC. Palmer was also on Faber’s coaching staff for The Ultimate Fighter 15 last spring, which was televised live every Friday night on FX.
Palmer’s wrestling base will clash with Macias’ Muay Thai background, which he has been honing under the tutelage of Marc Montoya at Factory X Muay Thai, which is located just south of Denver, Colorado. Macias trains alongside UFC middleweight Chris Camozzi, who is getting set to return to the UFC on October 13th against Luiz Cane. That bout will take place just 3 weeks before Macias’ bout with Palmer, which will definitely intensify Macias’ training camp.
RFA 4 is set to be headlined by a light-heavyweight showdown pitting former UFC and PRIDE star Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel against former UFC and ADCC star Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz. The co-main event will feature two former UFC lightweight stars, as Tyson Griffin meets Efrain Escudero. These fights and more will take place at the Dallas Event Center inside Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.