Giagos to Face Short-Notice Foe Estrazulas in RFA 42 Headliner

Las Vegas-based MMA promotion Resurrection Fighting Alliance announced that there will be a new main event for its RFA 42 card next week. RFA 42 will take over the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia and was supposed to feature a lightweight showdown between Christos Giagos and Zach Juusola in the main slot.

However, Jussola had to withdraw from the bout, leaving RFA official scrambling to find a replacement opponent for Giagos. Stepping in on relatively short notice is Arthur Estrazulas Vianna, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt on a three-fight winning streak.

Giagos, a UFC veteran, is the first man to ever capture the RFA lightweight title. He did so by conquering Dakota Cochrane in the second with a crushing flying knee and follow-up punches at RFA 17. This immediately followed a triumph over Sevak Magakian where he snatched the vacant Tachi Palace Fights lightweight strap. But after going just 1-2 inside the Octagon and vacating his RFA crown, “The Spartan” returned to the promotion last month and knocked out Karen Darabedyan in the first.

Estrazulas is coming off an impressive string of stoppages in lower-tier MMA promotions, though one of his wins was a second-round submission of UFC vet Chris Tickle. The Brazilian submission savant showed great power in his bout where he flattened Daniel Vasquez with a series of knees in the opening round back in June.

The co-main event of RFA 42 will see flyweights Ray Elizalde and Alex Perez in a pivotal matchup between young contenders on the cusp of the big time.

Also slated for the televised main card will be a lightweight bout between Anthony Avila and Chris Padilla; Davi Ramos against Ray Cervera, also at 155; a flyweight duel pitting Shai Lindsey against Steve Gruber; and a featherweight scrap between Tommy Aaron and Adin Duenas.

RFA 42 will be televised live on AXS TV starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Aug. 19. A full undercard will be announced soon.