Resurrection Fighting Alliance made its first trip to New Mexico, putting on RFA 18: Manzanares vs. Pantoja at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Flyweight champion Matt Manzanares headlined the card by putting his belt on the line against Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja, both men trying to become the next RFA fighter to make the jump to the UFC.

Manzanares immediately took control of the fight, using a lot of feints and fakes to set up his boxing. Manzanares landed several hard shots early, nearly sending Pantoja to the mat with an uppercut that buckled the Brazilian’s legs. He followed with several hard body shots.

Pantoja came on strong midway through the round, looking like he had turned the tide by rushing Manzanares and landing several knees to his legs. Manzanares struggled only briefly, however, before he regained control and went back to the uppercut and body hooks that he was so successful with earlier in the round.

Pantoja shifted gears in the second round, trying harder than ever to turn the fight into a brawl. Manzanares attempted to counter and bring it back to a striking game at his dictated distance, but Pantoja eventually tripped him to the mat and immediately secured the back mount.

With Manzanares flattened out, Pantoja landed a couple punches and hammerfists to open him up. He then sank in a deep rear naked choke that the champion couldn’t defend and the lights went out.

Pantoja took the RFA flyweight championship and declared, “I’m ready for every fight, UFC too.”

In the night’s co-main event, former King of the Cage champion Abel Cullum showed no signs of rust, as he stepped into the cage with UFC veteran Ulysses Gomez, this being his first fight in three years. Gomez hadn’t set foot in the cage for a year-and-a-half himself.