Cage Fury Fighting Championships returns to Philadelphia for championship grudge match at CFFC 148
Anthony Guarascio vs. Darion Abbey heavyweight title fight headlines at 2300 Arena on Friday, November 7
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) officials are excited to confirm the details of the promotion's return to Philadelphia's legendary 2300 Arena on Friday, November 7, for "CFFC 148: Guarascio vs. Abbey."
In the night's main event, reigning CFFC heavyweight champion Anthony "The Daywalker" Guarascio (3-1 MMA, 2-0 CFFC) will put his title on the line when he steps in to face fellow fight finisher Darion Abbey (7-5 MMA, 0-0 CFFC). The two exchanged words in the cage following Guarascio's April victory over Abbey's Kill Cliff FC teammate, Bailey Schoenfelder, and will now settle their differences with CFFC gold on the line.
Additional matchups already confirmed for the CFFC 148 card include a high-level welterweight showdown with Egor Kostyuchenko (5-1) vs. "All Day, Sweet Baby" Ray Waters (5-1), a quick turnaround at middleweight for Maksim Sergeev (16-11-1) vs. Shane Sobnosky (8-5), a clash of top featherweight prospects with Yorrick "YoRock" Anderson (1-0) vs. Shaun Stant (2-0), a lightweight contest with Eman "The One Who Knocks" Hardy (1-0) vs. Oleg Mikhov (Pro debut), and a bantamweight matchup featuring Nodir Alidodov (5-6) vs. Diara "Spice" Culpepper (3-1).
The undefeated Itso Babulaidze (5-0) is also expected to make his CFFC return at the event against an opponent yet to be revealed, while the NextGen division will also be featured on the card, including a middleweight contest of Giorgi Barliani (3-0) vs. David Harrison (3-3). Additional bout announcements will be made shortly.
"The atmosphere is always incredible when we visit 2300 Arena, but when you've got two hard-hitting heavyweights that can't wait to punch each other in the face, it makes for even more excitement in the air," CFFC CEO Rob Haydak said. "Both Anthony Guarascio and Darion Abbey are in need of big wins after coming up short on this season of Dana White's Contender Series, so it's already an important matchup for their careers, but when you add in the personal history, it gets even more intriguing.
"We'll have the night's complete lineup revealed soon, but it's guaranteed to be another fantastic evening of fast-paced, action-packed matchups and the top-level production that is our signature, so get your tickets now because this card will sell out."
Tickets for CFFC 148 are on sale now at CFFC.tv.
The CFFC 148 main card streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS, with preliminary bouts streaming exclusively at OnlyFans.com/cffcmma.
Guarascio has spent just 123 seconds in the CFFC cage but walked away with two victories by knockout. In 2024, the unheralded slugger debuted for the promotion with a first-round finish of Justin Harbison before returning to action this past April and knocking out Schoenfelder to win the CFFC heavyweight title. He'll now look to defend the belt for the first time when he faces Abbey, a kickboxing and bare-knuckle MMA veteran who parlayed a three-fight win streak into his Dana White's Contender Series invitation and now looks to claim the CFFC heavyweight title while extracting some revenge for his Kill Cliff FC teammate.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, MMA pioneer, noted coach and UFC analyst Din Thomas calls the action at CFFC 148 alongside CFFC General Manager and longtime MMA journalist and broadcaster John Morgan.
Stay tuned to CFFC.tv for future announcements regarding CFFC 148.
ABOUT CAGE FURY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Considered one of the best developmental mixed martial arts organizations in the world, Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) hosts events across the United States with an emphasis on cultivating the best and brightest talent in the sport. CFFC events are broadcast live on UFC FIGHT PASS, the leading digital subscription service for fight fans, and include the company's flagship mixed martial arts events, as well as CFFC BJJ & Professional Grappling, CFFC Match Day & CFFC Muay Thai.
Founded in 2006, CFFC has served as home to a variety of combat sports stars, including Aljamain Sterling, Paul Felder, Sean Brady, Pat Sabatini, Katlyn Chookagian, Shane Burgos, Merab Dvalishvili, Anthony Smith, Jared Gordon, Kimbo Slice, Jimmie Rivera, Jim Miller and Nick Catone, among others. Led by its respected CEO Rob Haydak, CFFC's executive team consists of sports and entertainment industry executives who have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in the world. For inquiries regarding partnership/sponsorship opportunities please contact us at CFFC.tv.