CFFC BJJ 14 preview: Luke Fernandez seeks more history against Phil Hawes; Junny Ocasio in search of first title defense
Elder Cruz vs. Steve Joachim, Andrew Kochel vs. Sergio Vilas round out featured matchups at Friday's event on UFC FIGHT PASS.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Cage Fury Fighting Championships officials are excited to kick off an amazing weekend of combat sports action at the incredible Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, with CFFC BJJ 14 on Friday, July 25, and CFFC NextGen 1 on Saturday, July 26. Both events take place at the spectacular Sound Waves at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, right on the historic Atlantic City Boardwalk.
CFFC BJJ 14 is the latest edition of the organization's star-studded submission grappling series and the first with its new moniker after formerly operating as FURY Professional Grappling. The updated series name now allows for consistency in branding among the promotion's other properties, including the flagship CFFC MMA events, along with CFFC Muay Thai and CFFC Match Day.
Featuring an inaugural cruiserweight title match between MMA standouts Luke Fernandez and Phil Hawes, as well as the return of reigning bantamweight champion Junny Ocasio, who looks to defend his title against a dangerous challenger in Joey Diehl, CFFC BJJ 14 marks the promotion's second visit to Sound Waves.
The CFFC BJJ 14 main card streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS, while prelims stream on OnlyFans. Limited tickets remain at CFFC.tv.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS, 9 p.m. ET)
Luke Fernandez vs. Phil Hawes – for inaugural cruiserweight title
Champ Junny Ocasio vs. Joey Diehl – for bantamweight title
Elder Cruz vs. Steve Joachim
Andrew Kochel vs. Sergio Vilas
Jack Reynolds vs. Dietrich Trumbauer
Daishi Goto vs. Jarbem Pacheco
Taylor Clarke vs. Cathryn Discianni
Christian Bobe vs. Michael Haynes-Moller
Tyler Carroll vs. Jimmy Vanosdol
Max Livingston vs. Sebastian Gallegos
PRELIMINARY CARD (OnlyFans, 7 p.m. ET)
Robby Bloom vs. Peter Fazekas
Kyle Hughes vs. Casey Malik
Jovani Martinez vs. Nick Willey
Zach Maslany vs. Dennis Pressey Jr.
Nick Digiacomo vs. Ben Lakatos
Angelina Hernandez vs. Rachel Yang
Elijah Azucar vs. Alex Myers
Efrain Garcia vs. Nieko Malone
Charlie Kennedy vs. Ty Pfeufer
Nick Massaro vs. RJ Jimenez
Bobby Riordan vs. John Romero Jr.
MAIN EVENT: LUKE FERNANDEZ VS. PHIL HAWES
Luke Fernandez has become absolutely synonymous with winning during his time under the CFFC banner, going undefeated as an amateur mixed martial artist and claiming the promotion's NextGen title before also building a perfect professional record and earning the CFFC MMA belt, as well. Now, the former Elizabethtown College wrestler looks to take home a CFFC BJJ title as well, though his opportunity won't come against the opponent he first expected.
Pat Downey was initially slated to challenge Fernandez for the inaugural CFFC BJJ cruiserweight belt, but injury forced him to withdraw just days out from the card. Stepping in on short notice is the man they call "Megatron," Phil Hawes.
The 36-year-old Hawes twice made appearances on Dana White's Contenders – not to mention a stop on "The Ultimate Fighter" – before finally securing a UFC deal, where he's made eight octagon appearances. But before that MMA run, Hawes was a collegiate wrestling standout, claiming an NJCAA national title at Iowa Central Community College before moving on to perennial Division I powerhouse Iowa State University.
Should Fernandez prove victorious, it would secure him a historic third belt from the CFFC combat sports portfolio, a feat that has never before been accomplished. Meanwhile, Hawes could certainly play spoiler as a last-minute replacement and walk away with gold as he returns to his grappling roots.
CO-MAIN EVENT: JUNNY OCASIO VS. JOEY DIEHL
The first man to ever be awarded a CFFC BJJ title, Junny Ocasio, will now seek to become the first athlete to defend a belt, as well, as he takes on a very stern challenge in a man who handed him a submission loss in 2023 in Joey Diehl.
Ocasio is highly decorated black belt under Murilo Santana and an instructor at New York's Unity Jiu-Jitsu School. He's also the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi World Champion, scored back-to-back titles in both the 2023 and 2024 IBJJF Pan-American and IBJJF European Championships, and is ranked No. 3 in the current IBJJF pound-for-pound rankings.
Ocasio claimed the CFFC BJJ belt in May with a slick heel hook submission win over Kevin Dantzler and now looks to keep his title and extract some revenge over a familiar foe.
Meanwhile, "The Real" Diehl is a third degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a 22-time MMA veteran who earned an impressive 75 percent of his career victories via submission, and is now the owner and head at coach at Real Movement and Martial Arts in Illinois.
Diehl submitted Ocasio at an ADCC U.S. Open event in Dallas in 2023 with a kneebar, and he'll look to repeat the feat in his CFFC BJJ debut.
ELDER CRUZ VS. STEVE JOACHIM
Elder "El Monstro" Cruz hails from Honduras and embarked on a brief amateur MMA career before turning his attention fully to grappling under the tutelage of Lucas Leite. He has gained incredible success in relatively short order and owns two IBJJF No-Gi World Championships at black belt, in addition to Pan-American and American awards, as well – awards that have earned him the No. 1 pound-for-pound spot in the current IBJJF no-gi rankings.
He now takes on Jay Regalbuto and Jonavin Webb black belt Steve "Captain America" Joachim. The South Jersey native returns to the promotion for the first time since a decision win over Jonathan Piersma at FURY Professional Grappling 4 in 2022.
ANDREW KOCHEL VS. SERGIO VILAS
At 195 pounds, the all-action Andre Kochel returns for an incredible 11th appearance for CFFC BJJ when he takes on what is potentially his toughest test to date in Sergio Vilas.
Kochel has put together an impressive 7-3 mark in the organization, winning his last four via submission. But more than just results, Kochel has used his exciting style to gain a loyal fanbase, taking risks for the sake of entertainment and always willing to face any opponent offered. His latest challenge is Vilas, a Crazy 88 instructor and IBJJF World Championships medalist who is making his promotional debut.
JACK REYNOLDS VS. DIETRICH TRUMBAUER
A battle of returning veterans unfolds at 180 pounds, as Jack Reynolds faces Dietrich Trumbauer.
Representing The Vault Jiu Jitsu, the 29-year-old Reynolds made his promotional debut this past December, suffering a submission loss to Kochel, and he now looks to notch his first CFFC BJJ victory. Meanwhile, Tap House Jiu Jitsu's Trumbauer debuted for the organization in 2024 with a Sudden Victory win, but he's since suffered two straight extra time losses in subsequent appearances and now looks to get back to winning ways.
DAISHI GOTO VS. JARBEM PACHECO
A featured 195-pound matchup sees a returning Daishi "Gotorilla" Goto taking on a seasoned promotional newcomer in Jarbem Pacheco for a Japan vs. Brazil contest.
Goto has appeared on the FURY Professional Grappling mats five times previously, most recently suffering a heartbreaking Sudden Victory loss in May. That razor-thin result snapped a solid streak for Goto, in which he also competed in the 2024 ADCC World Championship and was featured on UFC FIGHT PASS in the Karate Combat Submission Pit Series, as well.
Meanwhile, the 42-year-old Pacheco is the oldest competitor on the night's main card and is the founder of New York's Jiu Livre Grappling Office. Pacheco boasts more than 20years of grappling experience and is a black belt in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and luta livre.
TAYLOR CLARKE VS. CATHRYN DISCIANNI
The lone women's matchup on the main card takes place at strawweight, where Gracie Barra Seminole's Taylor Clarke takes on New Asgard Martial Arts' Cathryn Discianni.
Hailing from Florida, Clarke returns to the CFFC BJJ mats after earning a thrilling Sudden Victory win over fan-favorite Amanda Mazza in May. She'll look to build on that positive result as she takes on Pennsylvania's Discianni, who is making her promotional debut.
CHRISTIAN BOBE VS. MICHAEL HAYNES-MOLLER
Webb Fitness & MMA rep Christian Bobe continues to balance a successful submission grappling run along with his budding MMA career as he takes on Syndicate MMA's Michael Haynes-Moller.
Bobe recently suffered a decision loss in a thrilling MMA contest at May's CFFC 142 but isn't waiting long to return to the CFFC BJJ mats, where he's notched four straight victories, earning his past two results via submission. Now he'll take on Haynes-Moller, who returns to the promotion for the first time since 2023, where he took on another MMA prospect in Cameron Scalio, falling short via decision.
TYLER CARROLL VS. JIMMY VANOSDOL
In a matchup at 165 pounds between two athletes originally scheduled to face different opponents, the 23-year-old Tyler Carroll returns to take on the 24-year-old Jimmy Vanosdol.
Carroll, who was originally scheduled to face Lee Moringo, has been on an absolute tear on the CFFC BJJ mats, rattling off four straight submission wins, including three by heel hook. The OCBJJ product will look to see if he can keep that run alive when he takes on 10th Planet Bethlehem's Vanosdol, who was originally linked to a matchup against John Lyons but will now make his promotional debut against Carroll, instead.
MAX LIVINGSTON VS. SEBASTIAN GALLEGOS
The night's main card kicks off at 165 pounds, as nine-time promotional veteran Max Livingston returns to take on promotional newcomer Sebastian Gallegos.
A Webb Fitness & MMA rep, Livingston has been a mainstay with the organization from the promotion's 2021 debut and has taken out a few CFFC MMA notables along the way in Jose Perez and Frank Wells. Most recently, Livingston scored a D'Arce choke victory over Joshua James in May.
Meanwhile, Gallegos is part of New Jersey's Ambush Jiu Jitsu Club and steps on to the CFFC BJJ mats for the first time.
