RFA 16 gets new co-main with Mercado-Klemme No. 1 contender bout at 135

RFA 16 has a new co-main event later this month, and the winner will fight for the bantamweight title.

Joe Murphy (7-1) has been forced out of his fight against Jarred Mercado (11-1), and Jake Klemme (10-2) now will step into the No. 1 contenders fight at 135 pounds. RFA officials recently announced the change to the fight card.

RFA 16 is set for July 25 at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo., near Denver. In the headlining bout, Josh Copeland meets Jan Jorgensen (6-0) for the promotion’s inaugural heavyweight belt. The main card will air live on AXS TV.

In a pair of other changes to fights previously announced for the main card,

Lauren Barefoot (1-0) is out of her women’s bantamweight bout against Maureen Riordon (0-0), who now will meet Marion Reneau (3-1); and Sid Bice (3-0) now will meet Eric Shelton (3-0) instead of Carlos Huerta (1-0) at flyweight.

Klemme will make his his RFA debut on a five-fight winning streak. All 10 of his career victories have come by stoppage, split evenly with five knockouts and five submissions. His most recent three wins have been courtesy of his hands. The Iowan trains at the camp of new UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich.

“I’m honored to get the chance to fight in a No. 1 contender bout in my RFA debut,” Klemme stated. “Jarred Mercado is a very good wrestler that likes to hold guys down and smother them. Most of his wins are by decision and all of my wins are finishes. I plan on hitting him a lot and finishing the fight. I don’t leave any doubt with my wins. Jarred and I will have the same record at the end of this fight.”

Mercado rebounded in February after the first loss of career this past October. He, too, will make his RFA debut, but his resume looks a bit different than Klemme’s, as seven of his 11 wins have gone the distance. The Denver-based fighter will have the advantage, however, of fighting in front of his home fans.

“I know Jake Klemme has a really good camp and a big right hand with KO power. That’s something I’ll be watching out for,” Mercado stated. “My focus remains the same and I know a great performance against Jake will get me up to that next level. It will get me a shot at the RFA bantamweight world title.”

With the changes, the current RFA 16 main card includes:

• Josh Copeland vs. Jan Jorgensen – for vacant heavyweight title
• Jake Klemme vs. Jarred Mercado
• Josh Cavan vs. Chris Heatherly
• Zac Chavez vs. Boston Salmon
• Marion Reneau vs. Maureen Riordon
• Sid Bice vs. Eric Shelton

For more on RFA 16, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.