Above: Mark Dickman and Jordan Rinaldi will compete in a 150-pound catchweight bout at RFA 3.
KEARNEY, Nebraska — Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) has had a busy month, which started with the announcement that former UFC lightweight #1 contender Joe "Daddy" Stevenson would be returning to the cage to face two-time RFA veteran and hometown favorite Dakota Cochrane in the main event of RFA 3 on Saturday, June 30th.
Now the TUF 2 champion Stevenson and TUF 15 alum Cochrane will be joined by two undefeated prospects, who have both been stringing together wins and making a name for themself on the national MMA scene lately. The RFA has announced that Mark Dickman (5-0) will return to the RFA to meet another alum from TUF 15 in Jordan Rinaldi (5-0) on the main card of RFA 3 – Stevenson vs. Cochrane.
Dickman has finished 4 of his 5 opponents via TKO or Submission, which includes a second round TKO victory over Ted Worthington at RFA 1 in December. Dickman was then scheduled to fight Jared Downing at RFA 2 in March, but ended up sustaining a hand injury during his training camp and had to pull out of the bout. Dickman still attended the event in March and has been back in the gym preparing for his return to the RFA, now that his hand injury has healed.
Dickman will meet Rinaldi, who is a man with an identical record. Rinaldi, also like Dickman, has finished 4 of his 5 opponents. In November 2010, Rinaldi submitted TUF 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez with a first round Rear Naked Choke. He would return a year later to submit Tenyeh Dixon last November. The win over Dixon came via armbar in the second round of a welterweight bout. After the win, Rinaldi went back to lightweight as a cast member on TUF 15, which began airing live on FX on March 9th. Despite losing an exhibition match to Joe Lauzon’s teammate Joe Proctor, Rinaldi’s undefeated pro record is still intact as he gets ready for his clash with fellow unbeaten prospect Dickman.
Above: RFA 3 takes place on Saturday, June 30th at the Viareo Event Center in Kearney, Nebraska.
Dickman trains under Nick Blomgren, better known as One Kick Nick, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prior to becoming a professional MMA fighter in Septmeber 2010, Dickman was a decorated collgiate wrestler at Lindenwood University, which is located just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. While wrestling at LU, Dickman was roommates and teammates with TUF 15 cast member Mike Rio. Dickman and Rio both won NAIA national titles in 2007 at 149-pounds and 157-pounds respectively. TUF 12 champion and current UFC featherweight star Jonathan Brookins was also his teammate at LU, which pays credence to the fact that Dickman comes from a proven champion-minded pedigree.
Rinaldi trains at Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu with Team ROC in in Harrisburg, North Carolina. Rinaldi turned pro one year after graduating from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. His background is in wrestling, which he has done for the past 10 years. After his high school wrestling career ended, which included being a three-time state qualifier, he began helping a local wrestling team that his co-worker helped coach. While he was there, his friend showed him a few jiu-jitsu moves and eventually brought him down to Team ROC. That is where he eventually earned a purple belt in jiu-jitsu under UFC Hall of Famer, three-time UFC tournament winner, and MMA pioneer Royce Gracie.
Dickman and Rinaldi will meet at a catchweight of 150-pounds at RFA 3. The lightweight headliner between Stevenson and Cochrane will be anchored by an explosive light-heavyweight tilt, as former UFC heavyweight champion Maurice Smith returns to the RFA . He will face Oklahoma native Preston Snook, who holds a notable submission win over Strikeforce star Lumumba Sayers. Smith vs. Snook will serve as the co-main event of RFA 3.
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.