LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) officially welcomed in Ed Soares as the new RFA president Tuesday morning. RFA CEO Wayne Harriman said that Soares was the one and only candidate he had in mind, when looking for someone to fill the position.
"RFA needed a front man, someone with the experience to take the RFA to the next level. I’ve known Ed for over 12 years now and we have been in this business from the beginning. He knows the business better than anybody. When we were hunting and looking around for someone, it was clear that no one was better. Ed brings a lot to the table. He has a lot of access to fighters and has established relationships with everyone in the business. This was the perfect match," Harriman said in an official statement.
Soares is one of the most successful men in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) business. He is the founder and former owner of the clothing company Sinister Brand, which is one of the original clothing companies in MMA. He is more widely known as the manager of several of the world’s most high-profile and marquee fighters. Some of these fighters include Anderson Silva (current UFC middleweight champion), Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (former UFC and PRIDE heavyweight champion), and Lyoto Machida (former UFC light-heavyweight champion).
Soares manages roughly 20 fighters, which also include Nogueira’s twin brother Antônio Rogerio Nogueira, Glover Teixeira, Roger Gracie, Andre Galvão, Rafael "Feijão" Cavalcante, Rafael dos Anjos, Justin Lawrence, and Diego Nunes. He is noted for establishing the careers of current UFC champions Junior dos Santos and Jose Aldo as well. Soares is also the co-founder of Black House MMA, where many of his fighters train.
Soares was just as excited as Harriman about his new role with the RFA. "I’ve known Wayne for a long time, probably over 12 years, and we’ve always had a good working relationship," Soares said upon accepting the position of RFA president. "Wayne told me he was looking for someone to take the lead and my only concern was doing justice for the organization. In just 8 months, the RFA has really emerged as one of the most promising and well-respected MMA promotions in the business."
Soares also addressed the vision that he shared with Harriman: "Our goal is to produce the next generation of MMA stars. There are plenty of talented fighters that need an opportunity to prove themself. We want to keep developing the top talent in the world, while also resurrecting guys that have been to the top and still have a lot of fight left in them."
About RFA:
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 our website at RFAfighting.com.