9/2/24: A Look At The Week Ahead
Also: A quick recap of all the latest news around the world of MMA
Welcome to a Monday edition of the Knockdown Daily! We’re back with a quick recap of all the small news stories that have occurred in MMA over the past few days, plus a recap of what should be a busy week coming up! Lots to discuss in today’s jam-packed issue of the newsletter!
Before we dive into all the previewing and recapping, just a reminder that the newsletter does not publish on Tuesdays. We’ll be back Wednesday with the latest news, including the latest “Contender Series” recap!
Okay, let’s begin!
A Look At The Week Ahead
Tuesday
Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 8, Episode 4
10 more prospects will step into the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Tuesday night, with many of them likely leaving wielding a contract to compete in the top MMA promotion.
Season 8 of “Dana White’s Contender Series” will continue on Tuesday, with a five-fight lineup set for this week. The show has seen 12 signings through three episodes thus far, meaning all but three winning fighters have walked away without a UFC deal.
The main event of the night will see undefeated Brazilian Igor Cavalcanti meet Korea’s Ko Seok-hyun. Cavalcanti has finished all nine of his past opponents since 2021, with his longest fight lasting less than a full round. He’ll try to extend his highlight reel against Ko, a fellow action-heavy fighter who has claimed regional belts in Korea and scored 10 victories since his 2018 pro debut.
Other names that stick out on this week’s card: 22-year-old Austin Bashi will try for a UFC contract after earning an impressive 12 victories in the U.S. regionals. He’ll meet Dorian Ramos, a champion in regional Mexican promotion UWC. Will Currie, a former Cage Warriors title challenger who has earned eight victories in the top European regional promotion, will take on Brazil’s Djorden Santos. And current LFA Flyweight Champion Shannon Clark will face fellow undefeated prospect Yuneisy Duben, who has impressed in Peru’s scene.
Here’s the bout order:
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 5:00PM PDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 5: Igor Cavalcanti (9-0) vs. Ko Seok-hyun (10-2) (Welterweight)
Bout 4: Will Currie (12-3) vs. Djorden Santos (9-1) (Middleweight)
Bout 3: Austin Bashi (12-0) vs. Dorian Ramos (8-2) (Featherweight)
Bout 2: Yuneisy Duben (4-0) vs. Shannon Clark (5-0) (Flyweight)
Bout 1: Quillan Salkilld (6-1) vs. Gauge Young (8-1) (Lightweight)
Friday
ONE 168: Haggerty vs. Superlek
For just the second time in the promotion’s decade-long history, ONE Championship will head to the United States. Touching down at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, the Singapore-based promotion will present a mix of MMA and Muay Thai matchups on Friday night.
The main event of the evening will see ONE’s current 145-pound champ Jonathan Haggerty defend his Muay Thai title against highly acclaimed Thai striker Superlek Kiatmoo9.
Haggerty earned his Muay Thai belt last year, scoring a quick first-round finish against ONE vet Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. He has since defended his title with another stoppage win, beating Felipe Lobo in February.
He will now meet ONE’s currently 135-pound kickboxing champ, an experienced fighter who hasn’t lost in the promotion since 2021. Superlek has been on a strong run through the past few years, beating highly notable strikers like Takeru, Rodtang, and Panpayak. He will now try to capture a Muay Thai belt in ONE for the first time.
The fight will be a chance for Haggerty to not just defend his belt, but also avenge a loss. He suffered a doctor stoppage defeat against Superlek back in 2018, predating both of their ONE runs and marking just the second blemish on the U.K. fighter’s record by that point.
The top MMA fight of the night will see former ONE champ Aung La N Sang return against light heavyweight prospect Shamil Erdogan. While La N Sang has been building up wins for a while following the end of his title reign, Erdogan enters the cage with a scary, flawless record of nine wins. He just won his promotional debut last year, stopping Fan Rong in the second round with strikes.
A notable MMA-to-Muay Thai crossover will also take place on the card, as UFC alum and past ONE titleholder John Lineker will meet GLORY Kickboxing vet Asa Ten Pow in a Muay Thai fight.
Here’s the full lineup for ONE 168:
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 5:00PM PDT) (Amazon Prime Video)
Bout 11: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek Kiatmoo9 (ONE Muay Thai Bantamweight Championship) (145 lbs)
Bout 10: Liam Harrison vs. Saeksan Or Kwanmuang (Catchweight 140 lbs Muay Thai)
Bout 9: Aung La N Sang (30-13) vs. Shamil Erdogan (9-0) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 8: John Lineker vs. Asa Ten Pow (Featherweight Muay Thai)
Bout 7: Maurice Abevi (8-1) vs. Samat Mamedov (10-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 6: Hiroyuki Tetsuka (14-4) vs. Isi Fitikefu (8-1) (Middleweight)
Bout 5: Alyse Anderson (6-3) vs. Victoria Souza (8-2) (Strawweight)
Bout 4: Hiroba Minowa (14-5) vs. Sanzhat Zakirov (10-0) (Flyweight)
Bout 3: Adrian Lee (1-0) vs. Nico Cornejo (2-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 1: Sean Climaco vs. Johna Estupinan (Bantamweight Muay Thai)
Saturday
Cage Warriors 178: Hardwick vs. Iorga
George Hardwick will make a trip to the Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday night in hopes of keeping his reign as Cage Warriors Lightweight Champion alive.
Hardwick, a U.K. fighter who has held the promotion’s lightweight title since 2022, will take on Cristian Iorga in the main event of Cage Warriors 176 on Saturday evening.
The 27-year-old champ first captured his belt by taking out one of Scotland’s own, Chris Bungard. He defended the title once in early 2023, scoring another finish win when he took on Yann Liasse.
Hardwick chased a UFC opportunity after his second title fight victory, appearing on the 2023 season of “Dana White’s Contender Series” against Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady. The fight ended up not going his way, losing via decision and sending him back to the European regionals. Following just the second-ever loss in his career, Hardwick has the chance to put on a statement performance and prove that he is still among the best prospects at lightweight.
Romania’s Iorga is entering Cage Warriors possessing a record of seven wins and one loss, with most fights coming from his home country’s scene. The title fight will be a significant step up in competition for him, going from facing many talents with little experience to meeting one of the top 155-pound fighters in Europe.
Along with the lightweight title fight, Cage Warriors will present a one-night “Prizefighter” tournament in the welterweight division. The “Prizefighter” series, which they debuted just earlier this year in England, sees four fighters compete for a grand prize of $50,000. Among the four in action this weekend is Bellator alum Bourama Camara, former Cage Warriors title challenger Omiel Brown, and Austrian prospect Marko Kisic.
The bout order for Cage Warriors hasn’t been confirmed yet, so the lineup listed below is not how the show will officially play out. It’s worth noting that a portion of the lineup listed below will air on a prelim broadcast, which will begin at 1 p.m. ET (6 p.m. BST).
Main Card (4:00PM EDT / 9:00PM BST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 15: George Hardwick (12-2) vs. Cristian Iorga (7-1) (Cage Warriors Lightweight Championship)
Bout 14: Prizefighter Welterweight Grand Prix Finals
Bout 13: Chris Bungard (19-9) vs. Artur Leisans (9-8) (Lightweight)
Bout 12: Keir Harvie (7-3-2) vs. Rory Evans (7-6) (Bantamweight)
Bout 11: Reece McEwan (7-3) vs Miguel Haro (11-10) (Bantamweight)
Bout 10: Charles Joyner (3-1) vs. Branden Guest (0-0) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 9: Redgie Hingston (1-0) vs. Ryan Hewitt (1-2) (Flyweight)
Bout 8: Ryan Campbell (1-0) vs. Shahram Hotak (0-0) (Lightweight)
Bout 7: Damon Donald (2-0) vs. Kallum Parker (3-4) (Featherweight)
Bout 6: Aaron Towns (0-0) vs. Richard Kallos (2-2) (Bantamweight)
Bout 5: Michael Blair (3-2) vs. Kye Stevens (4-3) (Lightweight)
Bout 4: Igor Wojtas (11-9) vs. Emerson Olvieira (8-5-1) (Flyweight)
Bout 3: Omiel Brown (7-3) vs. Henri Lintula (8-1) (Prizefighter Welterweight Grand Prix Semi-Final)
Bout 2: Bourama Camara (7-3) vs. Marko Kisic (10-4) (Prizefighter Welterweight Grand Prix Semi-Final)
Bout 1: Sean Clancy Jr. (4-0) vs. Rafael Aronov (6-5) (Prizefighter Welterweight Alternate)
UFC on Vegas 97: Burns vs. Brady
After taking a week off, UFC will return this weekend with a high-level welterweight clash headlining a “Fight Night” card from the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
While Sean Brady has long been considered a rising name at welterweight, he has yet to score a win that really pushed him into the upper echelon of the division. He undoubtedly had a chance to score a victory of that level in late 2022, when he took on now-champion Belal Muhammad. However, he lost that fight via stoppage and had his undefeated record brought to an end.
The best opportunity for Brady since that defeat comes this weekend, when he meets sixth-ranked Gilbert Burns in a main event tilt.
Brady, who sits eighth in the division, has built up his reputation in the promotion over the years with solid wins. He overcame Jake Matthews and Michael Chiesa in 2021, and just last year scored a submission win over Kelvin Gastelum. But he has never won against anyone as high in the division as Burns and has yet to overcome someone in a five-round UFC fight.
Saturday is a chance for Brady to get into the best position of his career thus far. For Burns, it’s a win that could help further move him back into the high spot he was at before.
Brazilian talent Burns has struggled since attaining a winning streak which earned him a title shot in 2021. He has gotten past some of the division’s more veteran experienced and weathered names but lost against tougher contenders like Khamzat Chimaev, Muhammad, and Jack Della Maddalena. This has put him at a record of just three wins through six appearances in recent years, not making him a name in consideration for the top matchups at welterweight. A win on Saturday would see Burns snap his current two-fight skid and finally start looking up the division’s standings once again.
Saturday is one of the better “Fight Night” cards by UFC APEX standards, with a decent number of notable fighters competing. A pair of top-10 flyweights will meet in the co-main event, as Jessica Andrade will fight rising talent Natalia Silva. Silva has yet to lose through five UFC fights, but Saturday will be the first time she faces a former champ. Ranked 125-pound talent Matt Schnell will also compete lower on the main card against Alessandro Costa.
Some niche storylines to follow this week: Returning after his huge underdog UFC debut win in April, Chris Padilla will meet Rongzhu on the main card. And in a second chance booking for “The Ultimate Fighter” competitors, Zygimantas Ramaska and Nathan Fletcher will collide on the prelims.
Here’s the full card:
Main Card (7:00PM EDT / 4:00PM PDT) (ESPN / ESPN+)
Bout 13: Gilbert Burns (22-7) vs. Sean Brady (16-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 12: Jessica Andrade (26-12) vs. Natalia Silva (17-5-1) (Flyweight)
Bout 11: Kyle Nelson (16-5-1) vs. Steve Garcia (16-5) (Featherweight)
Bout 10: Matt Schnell (16-8) vs. Alessandro Costa (14-4) (Flyweight)
Bout 9: Trevor Peek (9-2) vs. Yanal Ashmouz (7-1) (Lightweight)
Bout 8: Rongzhu (25-5) vs. Chris Padilla (14-6) (Lightweight)
Preliminary Card (4:00PM EDT / 1:00PM PDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 7: Ovince St. Preux (27-17) vs. Ryan Spann (21-10) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 6: Isaac Dulgarian (6-1) vs. Brendon Marotte (8-2) (Featherweight)
Bout 5: Andre Lima (9-0) vs. Felipe dos Santos (8-1) (Flyweight)
Bout 4: Gabriel Santos (10-2) vs. Yizha (25-4) (Featherweight)
Bout 3: Jaqueline Amorim (8-1) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (11-5) (Strawweight)
Bout 2: Andre Petroski (11-3) vs. Dyan Budka (7-3) (Middleweight)
Bout 1: Zyigmantas Ramaska (9-2) vs. Nathan Fletcher (8-1) (Featherweight)
Bellator Champions Series: San Diego
On Saturday night, Bellator will touch down in the United States for the first time since beginning its new era.
Appearing from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, USA, Bellator will be hosting their first stateside card since PFL acquired them and made the promotion a secondary brand to their main season format. The trip to California—a location that Bellator has a long history in—comes after a three-event stretch in Europe earlier this year.
Saturday’s Bellator card is at an unfortunate time for viewers. The caard will begin head-to-head with UFC’s lineup, running the risk of the show being overshadowed. While the cards will take place concurrently for a few hours, it seems likely that Bellator’s main event will have no competition once it goes live. This rough timing continues a trend for the promotion, hosting events this year that either air during inconvenient hours for U.S. viewers or against a much bigger MMA brand.
Saturday’s main event is a matchup nearly a year in the making, as Bellator Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov will take on Alexander Shabliy.
The two Russian talents were on pace to meet up in the finals of a Bellator lightweight tournament last year, but a series of events derailed that fight from happening. While Nurmagomedov initially advanced into the tournament finals with a victory over Brent Primus, he was suddenly removed from the bracket after he failed a drug test with the California State Athletic Commission.
Shabliy, who advanced to the finals on the other side of the bracket following a win over veteran Patricky Pitbull, didn’t have an opponent for the finals after Nurmagomedov’s drug test debacle. Instead, the tournament quietly faded into obscurity as the larger headlines of Bellator being acquired by the PFL started to emerge.
Despite the duo meeting as part of a Bellator tournament being officially out of the picture, the promotion remained focused on pairing the two up. They were booked for a title meeting in May earlier this year, headlining a card from France. However, in the weeks leading up, an injury took Nurmagomedov out of action. It was another false start for their bantamweight fight.
After a couple of twists and turns in the story of Nurmagomedov and Shabliy, they are finally expected to meet this weekend. It’s one of the best matchups that can be made between Bellator talents, with a pair of highly decorated fighters on lengthy winning streaks colliding.
Nurmagomedov doesn’t know what losing feels like. He has earned 17 pro wins since his 2017 debut, with six Bellator victories among those outings. He captured the promotion’s lightweight title in 2022 with a victory over Patricky Pitbull and has since defended it once with a quick submission win against veteran Benson Henderson.
Shabliy hasn’t lost since 2016, with nine wins emerging since then. He has built up a record of five victories in Bellator over the past few years, beating a strong cast of tough opponents. While he heads into this weekend as a moderate underdog, he’s no slouch either.
Saturday’s Bellator lineup is quite strong, with a long list of solid prospects in action. Rising names on the card that stick out include: NCAA Division I Wrestler-turned-undefeated MMA pro Bryce Meredith, Armenian stand-out prospect Jora Ayvazyan, Hawaii’s top flyweight prospect Sumiko Inaba, and former CFFC champ Aaron Jeffery.
A few MMA vets will also be in action, with Lorenz Larkin, Douglas Lima and Yancy Medeiros sitting high up in the bout order. The card might be running a night where UFC will steal attention, but it’s undoubtedly a solid offering from Bellator.
Here’s the full lineup:
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 5:00PM PDT) (HBO Max)
Bout 10: Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0) vs. Alexander Shabliy (24-3) (Bellator Lightweight Championship)
Bout 9: Lorenz Larkin (26-8) vs. Levan Chokheli (13-2) (Welterweight)
Bout 8: Douglas Lima (33-11) vs. Aaron Jeffery (14-5) (Middleweight)
Bout 7: Yancy Medeiros (12-8) vs. Jora Ayvazyan (14-1) (Lightweight)
Bout 6: Sumiko Inaba (7-1) vs. Mackenzie Stiller (3-0) (Flyweight)
Bout 5: Jordan Newman (6-0) vs. Imamshafi Aliev (9-0) (Middleweight)
Bout 4: Masayuki Kikuiri (9-2-1) vs. Herman Terrado (15-6-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 3: Bryce Meredith (6-0) vs. John MaCalolooy (4-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 2: Josh Hokit (1-0) vs. Sean Rose (2-2) (Heavyweight)
Bout 1: Aysia Cortez (0-0) vs. Ashley Thiner (0-0) (Strawweight)
Notes On: UFC, Cage Warriors, LFA, CFFC & More
UFC
Torrez Finney (9-0), a middleweight prospect who was dramatically denied a UFC contract after winning on “Dana White’s Contender Series” for the second time just a couple of weeks back, is now set for his third appearance on the show. Finney will meet Abdellah Er-Ramy (7-1) on the show’s October 1st episode, giving him another chance to get onto the UFC roster. Finney being denied a contract during this season was one of the show’s most discussed moments so far this year, with UFC CEO Dana White brutally saying that he wouldn’t be able to beat anyone in the promotion with the style he brought into the cage.
Two more fights have joined UFC’s September 28th show in Paris, France:
Ludovit Klein (22-4-1) will try to keep his strong lightweight streak alive when he meets Nikolas Motta (14-5). Klein has gone undefeated for numerous years, earning five wins and one draw since 2022. His last fight saw him overcome veteran Thiago Moises in June. Brazil’s Motta has a chance to put together a two-fight UFC winning streak for the first time, coming back after a 63-second victory over Tom Nolan from January.
Belgium’s Bolaji Oki (9-1) will meet Chris Duncan (11-2) in a lightweight fight. “Dana White’s Contender Series” alum Oki snuck by short-notice opponent Timmy Cuamba via split decision to win his UFC debut in February. Duncan had a four-fight winning streak brought to an end in February when Manuel Torres submitted him in the opening round of a fight.
Undefeated Brazilian prospect Raffael Cerquiera (11-0) will make his UFC debut at the promotion’s October 26th pay-per-view card in Abu Dhabi against Ibo Aslan (13-1), as recently confirmed by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting. Cerquiera was originally scheduled to be on this year’s season of “Dana White’s Contender Series,” but had a few fights fall through before ultimately being fast-tracked to the UFC. He has 11 wins since his 2019 pro debut, most of which have come via finish in Brazil. Turkey’s Aslan won his UFC debut in March with a third-round finish of Anton Turkalj.
Veteran Pedro Munhoz (20-9) will take on Aiemann Zahabi (11-2) at UFC’s Edmonton card on November 2nd. Canada’s Zahabi has been on a roll for a few years, with an upset victory over Javid Basharat in March extending his winning streak to four in a row. Munhoz will be trying to snap a two-fight skid, which he has developed following losses to Marlon Vera and Kyler Phillips.
Appearing for the first time since her undefeated run came to an end, Eduarda Moura (11-1) is booked to face Veronica Hardy (9-4-1) at UFC’s November 16th show, per AgFight. Moura suffered a split decision loss to Denise Gomes in June, ending a 10-fight run which included a prior UFC and “Contender Series” win. Hardy has shown the most consistency of her UFC career as of late, with her May win over JJ Aldrich marking her third consecutive victory.
Misc.
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal won’t come out of combat sports retirement later this month in a bare-knuckle boxing match. While the 43-year-old was expected to meet David Mundell at BKFC 66 on September 13th, MMA Fighting was recently informed of his withdrawal from the card. Lawal was scheduled to search for his first combat sports win since 2017, as he retired from MMA in 2019 following four consecutive finish losses.
Past UFC bantamweight Vince Morales (16-7) continued his impressive regional run over the weekend, scoring a rare Peruvian Necktie submission against Hunter Azure to capture the United Fight League Bantamweight Championship. Morales has strung together five wins since leaving the UFC in late 2022, including an appearance in RIZIN last year.
Cage Warriors
Liam Gittins (13-4) will put his Cage Warriors Bantamweight Championship on the line against Shirzad Qadrian (7-1) at the promotion’s November 15h card in London, England. Gittins has been on an impressive six-fight winning streak in recent years, capturing the promotion’s 135-pound title along the way. He defended the belt for the first time in March, stopping California-based breakout prospect Roberto Hernandez in the fifth round of a bout via rear naked choke. Qadrian is returning after winning the first-ever Cage Warriors “Prizefighter” one-night, four-man tournament in July.
Three more fights have been added to Cage Warriors 177, which will go down on September 20th:
Undefeated English prospect Ollie Sarwa (4-0) will face Percy Herrera (9-8). Sarwa has put together an impressive four wins over the past two years, with none of his fights going longer than two-and-a-half minutes. Herrera has a shakier record than Sarwa, but has pro fights dating back to 2015 and more than a dozen bouts.
Fresh off a successful pro debut, Joe Middleton (1-0) will get a Cage Warriors opportunity against Jack Dedames (1-2). Middleton won his debut in 2023, submitting Arthur Jacob with a d’arce choke. Cage Warriors has been trying to book him since March of this year, with a previous bout falling through and delaying his first appearance under their banner. Dedames has gone winless since 2022, including a defeat against “The Ultimate Fighter” alum Omran Chaaban.
Long-time Cage Warriors talent Michael Tchamou (4-4) is booked to meet Angus Hewett (1-3). Tchamou broke a three-fight skid and evened his pro record in May with a first-round submission against Joe Ambler. He now faces Hewett, who will be returning after back-to-back losses in Cage Warriors.
LFA
High-level bantamweight prospects Justin Wetzell (9-2) and Bekhzod Usmonov (11-4) will headline LFA 195 on October 25th from the Dobson Arena in Vail, Colorado, USA. Usmonov is returning to the regionals after competing on the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter” as a featherweight. He was eliminated in the quarter-final of the reality show tournament, losing to Zygimantas Ramaska in a back-and-forth war. He’s getting back into pro MMA bouts for the first time since late 2022, looking to extend a two-fight winning streak he built in iKON FC previously. Wetzell is coming back to LFA after earning back-to-back finish wins in the United Fight League last year. Here’s a quick rundown of the five other fights announced for the card thus far:
Flyweight prospects Josiah Reyes (4-1) and Kevin Fernandez (7-1) have been matched up for the co-main event. LFA vet Fernandez has strung together four straight finish wins, including a pair of arm triangle submissions in 2023. Reyes bounced back from his sole pro loss last year, beating Jordan Burkholder via decision at LFA 164.
Former LFA title challenger Melissa Croden (5-2) is booked to meet Ashley Deen (8-6) at bantamweight. Croden lost a 135-pound division title bout last year to Jacqueline Cavalcanti, not being favored on scorecards after five rounds. She has since returned with a finish win late last year over Katharina Lehner. Deen, a pro of nearly a full decade, will be trying to extend a three-fight run of finish wins.
LFA vet Haris Talundzic (6-2) is booked to meet Ovidio Bojorquez (5-3). Talundzic lost in the main event of a card last year, getting finished in the closing moments of the three-round fight against Daniel Frunza. Bojorquez is coming back to the LFA following a five-fight run in Combate Global, earning him three wins and two losses.
Keynan Davis (1-1) has the chance to return from his first pro defeat when he meets Isiah Torres (5-2-1). Davis won his pro debut last year, scoring a 43-second stoppage with strikes. However, due to a rib injury, he lost a bout to Chance Ikei just a few months back. He’ll now return against Torres, a more experienced pro who will be making his LFA debut.
Alix Fisher (1-0) and Jared Ferrera (0-0) are booked for a lightweight bout. Fisher is coming back after winning his pro debut in less than two minutes earlier this year with strikes.
CFFC
CFFC has announced a pair of title fights for their return to the 4 Bears Casino & Lodge in New Town, North Dakota, USA on September 27th.
Raheam Forest (7-2) will look to regain the CFFC welterweight title in a fight against Gage Saunders (13-5) in the main event. Forest captured the 170-pound division CFFC belt in 2022 with a win over Collin Lubberts, but lost the championship in early 2023 against now-UFC talent Charles Radtke. He’s returning to the promotion after an unsuccessful fight on the 2023 season of “Dana White’s Contender Series,” losing to Danny Barlow. Saunders, a champion in Montana-based regional promotion Fusion Fight League, will head into this booking on a five-fight winning streak.
Undefeated flyweight prospect Bilal Hasan (4-0) will meet Harris Bonfiglio (7-1) for the promotion’s vacant flyweight title. Hasan has attained an impressive four wins in CFFC since his late 2022 debut, including a first-round finish in June against Shamel Findley. CES vet Bonfiglio hasn’t lost over the past few years and will be aiming for his sixth consecutive regional victory later this month.
Long-time CFFC talent Chris Vasil (6-4) is booked to meet John Nguyen (7-4) at featherweight. Vasil, who has fought in CFFC since 2019, is returning after a 2023 title fight loss to Jose Perez. Canada’s Nguyen is riding the momentum of a finish win from March.
Rising finisher Tyler Forsythe (4-1) is booked to take on Daniel Gonzales (3-3). Forsythe has earned all four of his wins in less than three minutes and has yet to escape the first round as a pro. Gonzales is heading into CFFC after a win in Texas-based Fury FC two months back.
Both returning after a successful pro debut, Dylan Brigman (1-0) and Anthony Jagel (1-0) have been matched up. Jagel’s debut emerged last year, submitting Henry Beltran in less than two minutes. Brigman scored an even quicker 77-second triangle choke win when he debuted two months ago.
Lorren Dullum (1-0) and Micaela Rampage (1-3) are set to collide at flyweight. Dullum is returning after winning her pro debut via decision late last year. Rampage will be trying for her first win since 2018, having suffered a trio of losses in recent years.