CFFC 134 preview: Redemption looms large in heavyweight showdown of returning UFC veterans
UFC and CFFC vets Chris Daukaus, Tafon Nchukwi headline Friday's event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Cage Fury Fighting Championships comes home to the historic Atlantic City Boardwalk on Friday night with an unexpected main event that seems certain to provide fireworks.
With undefeated light heavyweight champion Luke Fernandez forced to withdraw from a planned title defense against hard-charging veteran Will Dicke, the two men who were expected to serve in the night's co-main event will step up to headlining status, as UFC veterans Chris Daukaus and Tafon Nchukwi return to the promotion that helped launch their big-show careers in the featured bout of the newly renamed "CFFC 134: Daukaus vs. Nchukwi."
Limited tickets remain available at CFFC.tv.
The CFFC 134 main card streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS, while prelims stream on OnlyFans. Longtime MMA broadcaster and journalist John Morgan will call the action alongside veteran sports commentator Geena Lucille, who reprises the role she played in her promotional debut at CFFC 133.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS, 8:30 p.m. ET
Chris Daukaus vs. Tafon Nchukwi
David Mgoyan vs. Frank Wells
Jerry Lleshi vs. Jacob Romano
Angel Alvarez vs. Justin Montalvo
Nick Galanti vs. Brandon Holmes
PRELIMINARY CARD (ONLYFANS, 7 p.m. ET)
Jose Soto vs. Tyree Sutton
Sandra Chheng vs. Lateesha Mohl
Nick Genhard vs. Bryce Layme
MAIN EVENT: CHRIS DAUKAUS VS. TAFON NCHUKWI
The night's main event sees two hard-hitting heavyweights who launched their careers in CFFC return to the promotion in hopes of beginning that journey again, as Chris Daukaus (12-7 MMA, 4-2 CFFC) takes on Tafon Nchukwi (6-4 MMA, 2-0 CFFC).
Daukaus was a force in his first CFFC run, registering three wins by knockout and challenging for the promotion's heavyweight title, though he would come up short in that opportunity. Still, the run was good enough to earn him a UFC invitation, where he immediately reeled off wins over Parker Porter, Rodrigo Nascimento, Aleksei Oleinik and Shamil Abdurakhimov.
Unfortunately, losses to UFC stalwarts Derrick Lewis, Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Khalil Rountree Jr. saw his time in the octagon come to an end. However, Daukaus remains steadfast that he can earn his way back to the UFC and hopes to launch that campaign on Friday.
Meanwhile, Nchukwi fought two of his first three professional contests under the CFFC banner and earned knockout wins in them both. That early success saw him invited to Dana White's Contender Series at just 3-0, and another knockout saw him score a UFC contract.
Thrust into the fire at such an early point in his career, Tafon "The Don" struggled to gain consistent results, and he departed the promotion after losses to Azamat Murzakanov, Carlos Ulberg and A.J. Dobson.
An impressive 63 percent of Nchukwi's wins have come by knockout, with Daukaus' rate even higher at 83 percent, so expect heavy hands for as long as this one lasts.
CO-MAIN EVENT: DAVID MGOYAN VS. FRANK WELLS
Featherweights collide in the night's co-main event, with undefeated Russian David Mgoyan (4-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) making his promotional debut against an incredibly familiar face to CFFC fans in Frank Wells (5-3 MMA, 5-3 CFFC).
At just 20 years old, Mgoyan proudly represents his Yazidi and Armenian heritage. After racing out to a 3-0 start in his professional career, Mgoyan drew the attention of current No. 1-ranked UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan, who invited him to relocate to the U.S. and train at Florida's famed American Top Team.
In June, Mgoyan scored a first-round TKO under the LFA banner, moving his record to 4-0 with four finishes – three of which were earned in the opening round. He returns to action eight weeks later, looking to make a statement in his CFFC debut.
Meanwhile, Wells has fought his entire professional career under the CFFC banner, developing a reputation for action-packed contests every time he steps in the cage.
Known as "Chopper" for his tendency to cut down his opponents' legs, Wells was expected to fight for an interim featherweight belt against the undefeated Anthony Dilemme in April before an injury forced a change of plans. Now Wells returns to action in his native New Jersey seeking his third consecutive win and a potential rebooking for a future championship opportunity.
JERRY LLESHI VS. JACOB ROMANO
The CFFC's flyweight division features one of the most stacked rosters in the promotion, and that talent is on display with Jerry Lleshi (2-1 MMA, 2-1 CFFC) vs. Jacob Romano (5-2 MMA, 0-1 CFFC).
Lleshi is a former CFFC NextGen flyweight champion who went undefeated in his amateur career. His professional debut saw him come up short in a split-decision against top prospect Bilal Hasan, who was recently featured in the CFFC's debut edition of "The Short List," highlighting the organization's most UFC-ready athletes.
However, Dante Rivera Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's Lleshi has since bounced back with CFFC wins over Mardin Velasquez and Guilherme Crossi and is anxious to make it three straight wins.
Meanwhile, Romano found himself on the wrong end of a highlight-reel finish in his CFFC debut – interestingly, also courtesy of Hasan – but returned to action in May in his home state of South Carolina and was able to get back into the win column.
With four of his five professional victories coming by stoppage, including three by submission, Romano looks to right the wrong of his CFFC debut in this featured matchup at 125 pounds.
ANGEL ALVAREZ VS. JUSTIN MONTALVO
A pair of CFFC newcomers with pretty sweet nicknames clash in a lightweight matchup, as Cuba's Angel "Salsa King" Alvarez (7-2 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) faces New York's Justin "Kid Marvelous" Montalvo (6-2 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
Fighting out of Florida's Kill Cliff FC, Alvarez has competed as low as featherweight but in June moved all the way up to 170 pounds to capture the vacant Ring of Combat welterweight title. Now he moves back down to his more natural weight class of 155 pounds to make his CFFC debut.
Meanwhile, Montalvo boasts some big-show experience with four fights already under his belt for Bellator MMA. The Longo and Weidman MMA-trained fighter recently spent time in Las Vegas working with his teammates at the UFC Performance Institute and now hopes to show the fruits of that labor in his first trip to the CFFC cage.
NICK GALANTI VS. BRANDON HOLMES
The night's main card kicks off with a pair of undefeated middleweights, as former CFFC NextGen champion Nick Galanti (2-0 MMA, 2-0 CFFC) takes on promotional newcomer Brandon Holmes (3-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
New Jersey's Galanti has spent the entirety of his professional and amateur careers under the CFFC banner – even competing in a pair of matches under the FURY Professional Grappling banner, as well – but now makes his debut MMA appearance on UFC FIGHT PASS and looks to make a spectacular first impression.
Of course, South Carolina's Holmes has never tasted defeat, starting off his professional run perfect after also finishing his amateur run with an unblemished mark. Now he enters the CFFC cage in the biggest opportunity of his young career to date and looks to start the broadcast off with a bang.
JOSE SOTO VS. TYREE SUTTON
The night's final preliminary bout of the evening features a light heavyweight clash with plenty of intrigue, as Jose Soto (Pro debut) takes on Tyree Sutton (1-0).
Soto wrapped up an eight-fight amateur career in 2022 on a four-fight winning streak and was then expected to make a highly anticipated professional debut. However, he struggled to gain medical clearance for that opportunity over the past two years and had to stay busy with a few wins under the FURY Professional Grappling banner, instead. Now, with his licensing issues finally clear, the New Jersey native finally gets the opportunity he's long pursued.
Meanwhile, also hailing from "The Garden State," Sutton made his professional debut in June, scoring a first-round TKO win at CFFC 132. That marked the fifth consecutive victory for Sutton dating back to his amateur MMA and kickboxing careers, and he looks to keep that streak rolling in this quick return to action.
SANDRA CHHENG VS. LATEESHA MOHL
The lone women's bout of the evening features a pair of strawweights who face off in a rematch of a contest that took place in the amateur ranks in 2019 with Sandra Chheng (0-2) vs. Lateesha Mohl (Pro debut).
"Bang Bang" Chheng was victorious in that first meeting and ended her amateur run with an impressive 4-1 mark. However, she's opened her professional career with a couple of setbacks via decision and now hopes to notch that first professional victory.
Standing in her way is "Honey Badger" Mohl, who had a nine-fight amateur career that included that initial clash with Chheng. Mohl has since taken professional boxing and kickboxing matchups but is now ready to make her pro MMA debut.
NICK GEBHARD VS. BRYCE LAYME
CFFC 134 kicks off with a pair of flyweights seeking their first professional victories, as former CFFC NextGen champ Nick Gebhard (0-1) takes on CFFC newcomer Bryce Layme (Pro debut).
Gebhard knows a thing or two about overcoming early setbacks, starting his amateur career off at 1-3 before rattling off four straight wins and capturing the CFFC NextGen belt. He'll look to turn things around a little faster in the pro ranks after suffering a submission loss in his debut in February.
Meanwhile, New York's Layme also ended his amateur career on a win streak, wrapping that run up in May with a 66-second submission victory. He now looks to make an immediate impact in his professional and CFFC debut.
