With 10 years in the game, Sean Fallon ready to make big move in CFFC title bid: 'I don't want to waste any more time'
The 25-fight veteran is ready to shine at Friday's CFFC 129 and believes it's his chance to reach the sport's highest stage.
Sean Fallon has had glimpses of the big show during his 25-fight professional run, but a firm spot at MMA's highest level has just slightly eluded him before now. At Friday's CFFC 129, the 38-year old veteran is ready to change all that.
"I'm excited," Fallon said. "I'm excited for the opportunity. I'm excited for the multi-fight deal that I signed with CFFC and yeah, I look forward to becoming a champion and staying busy this year, you know? They guaranteed me a few fights this year, so I'm excited for them.
"I'm ready. Been training for a long time and been fighting for a long time, so I'm just ready to go, man. Like, I don't want to waste any more time. I want to stay busy and compete with the best. You know, I think I can put on some exciting fights and fight a lot of different styles pretty well, so yeah, I'm just excited."
An Indiana native, Fallon made his pro debut in 2014. It wasn't smooth sailing to start, opening his career at just 3-5. But since 2016, Fallon is an impressive 14-3, including an equally spectacular nine stoppage wins.
Most recently, he scored a spectacular first-round submission victory over former CFFC middleweight champion Collin Huckbody. That performance earned Fallon (17-8) a call from CFFC officials, and he's now set to meet reigning champion Kyle Daukaus (13-4) in the co-main event of Friday's CFFC 129, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Philadelphia's 2300 Arena.
Fallon admits he weighed the decision carefully when given the offer but ultimately believes he made the right call.
"I had to think about it for a minute because they wanted exclusivity, and I was just hoping to stay busy this year," Fallon explained. "But yeah, we were excited at the opportunity – another UFC vet and championship fight."
Daukaus and Fallon are both well-established submission threats. The challenger has earned a respectable 65 percent of his victories via tapout, while Daukaus' rate is even higher at 77 percent.
Fallon admits he hasn't done a full breakdown on Daukaus' game heading into the contest but likes the moments he has seen.
"I know he's a UFC vet," Fallon said. "I'm sure he's a super-tough dude. Good record. I heard he has good jiu-jitsu and some solid striking, as well. They call him 'The D'Arce Knight,' I hear. I've had a few D'Arce wins myself, so it's an interesting matchup for sure.
"It's no disrespect to him. I just haven't really watched too much film. I saw his fight with Kevin Holland. That was pretty sweet. I thought that should have been a win for him, not a no contest, because it didn't look like he actually head-butted him."
Should the fight hit the floor, it could provide for an entertaining grappling battle, but Fallon isn't certain things will play out in that fashion. In his mind, throwing some leather might be just fine.
"There's no gameplan to give away," Fallon said. "I'm just going to go fight him. I feel pretty confident everywhere, and we'll see where it goes – you know, make those mid-fight adjustments if need be.
"I'm not really sure how it's going to play out, tell the truth, but I plan on stuffing some takedowns and throwing some heavy strikes on."
At 38, Fallon knows his time to make it to the sport's highest stage is nearing an end. He's currently rated as the No. 5 unsigned professional middleweight in the U.S. according to Tapology.com, but to date he's had just a brief moment at the top with a 2022 appearance for Bellator.
But with a multi-fight deal in hand and a CFFC title shot lined up, Fallon thinks it's now or never.
"I want the bigger platform," Fallon said. "I want bigger fights to test myself – and also, of course, for the money. You know, I've been fighting tough fights for pennies on the dollar a long time, and you know, that's part of it for sure, but I don't know – I just believe I'm right there. Not saying I'll win out the rest of my fights, but I feel like I'm operating on a high level, and I can fight a lot of different styles. I want to try my hand against the names.
"I don't want to get aged out. I feel like I'm still young for my age and how many fights I've had. I feel great, and I don't feel like I'm slowing down, and I feel like I'm actually getting better and adding new tools. ... You know, I just want the opportunity, so it starts with Daukaus, of course. I have to back up what I'm saying, you know? But, yeah, of course that's the dream."
