CFFC 145 preview: New Jersey's own Richie Lewis, fellow newcomer Benny Orozco look to shine in elevated headliner
With Kyle Daukaus' successful UFC return, lightweight prospects take center stage on Saturday at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Cage Fury Fighting Championships returns home to the historic Atlantic City Boardwalk for a Labor Day Weekend lineup of incredible mixed martial arts action to close out summer at the spectacular Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City with "CFFC 145: Lewis vs. Orozco."
With the night's original headliner, Kyle Daukaus, returning to the UFC on short notice for an incredible victory in China this past weekend, top lightweight prospects Richie Lewis and Benny Orozco have been granted the honor of competing in the night's main event. It's a spotlight made especially sweeter for Lewis, a New Jersey native who fights professionally in his home state for the first time.
Meanwhile, there are real title implications in a number of main card matchups, including a middleweight contest between Nick Galanti and Ty Gwerder, as well as a welterweight clash between Joshua Sierra and Busurman Zhumagul.
The CFFC 145 main card streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS, while prelims stream on OnlyFans.com/cffcmma. Limited tickets remain at CFFC.tv.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS, 8 p.m. ET)
Richie Lewis vs. Benny Orozco
Nick Galanti vs. Ty Gwerder
Joshua Sierra vs. Busurman Zhumagul
Jojo Gonzalez vs. Jose Rodriguez
Karli Jo Thomas vs. Annabel Kelly
Ben Coyle vs. Oscar Jurado
PRELIMINARY CARD (OnlyFans.com. 6 p.m. ET)
Justin Patton vs. Frank Wells
Tyler Berger vs. Jeremiah Delgado
Tom Hinz vs. Alex Rios
Darwin Pena vs. Michael Pino
Jacob Guerrero vs. CJ LaFragola
Justin Meyers vs. Khetag Moraov
Reggie Northrup vs. Jose Soto
MAIN EVENT: Richie Lewis vs. Benny Orozco
With two-time middleweight champion Kyle Dakaus called up to the UFC – where he delivered a spectacular "Performance of the Night" winning knockout this past weekend in China – lightweight prospects Richie "Savage" Lewis (6-1 MMA, 0-0CFFC) and Benny Orozco (5-1 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) step into the spotlight of the main event.
Lewis is a New Jersey native who wrestled collegiately at Rutgers before winning the 2017 Senior U23 United World Wrestling Championship. He turned his attention to MMA in 2021 and had instant success, earning both the Titan FC and LFA lightweight titles. He lost the LFA belt in April in his first professional setback and now returns to fight in his home state for the first time as he makes his CFFC debut.
Meanwhile, Orozco also competes under the CFFC banner for the first time, and he does it on the strength of a three-fight win streak. A grappling standout in his own rights, the Californian has earned four of his five professional wins via submission and believes the elevated status of this headlining role will provide him the spotlight needed to fuel a run to the UFC.
CO-MAIN EVENT: Nick Galanti vs. Ty Gwerder
Former CFFC NextGen middleweight champion Nick Galanti (4-1 MMA, 4-1 CFFC) has contested his entire professional and amateur career under the CFFC banner, and he returns to work in a big spot after earning back-to-back submission wins in his previous two outings.
Those results followed the lone loss of his career, which came to Brandon Holmes, who competed on the first episode of this season's Dana White's Contender Series, and Galanti believe he's now primed to join teammates Eric Nolan and Luke Fernandez, who have each recently earned offers from the UFC and Dana White's Contender Series, respectively.
Standing in his way is the heavy-handed Ty "Savage" Gwerder (7-5 MMA, 0-0 CFFC), who has earned six of his seven professional wins via knockout. An Xtreme Couture product and four-time Bellator MMA veteran, Hawaii's Gwerder looks to play spoiler in his CFFC debut.
With reigning interim champion Chris Brown and undefeated challenger Guram Gochashvili competing for an undisputed title in September, the winner here could find themselves in an enviable position.
Joshua Sierra vs. Busurman Zhumagul
At just 21 years old, Kyrgyzstan's Busurman Zhumagul (3-0 MMA, 3-0 CFFC) appears to have an incredibly bright future, standing 6-foot-4 in the welterweight division and having earned all three of his professional appearance by first-round stoppage – including two results that ended in less than one minute each.
He now faces another stiff test in MMA Masters product Joshua Sierra (2-1 MMA, 0-1 CFFC), who dropped his professional debut under the CFFC banner but has since bounced back with two first-round knockouts and now returns to the promotion looking to make his name by taking out an undefeated prospect.
The CFFC welterweight title was recently vacated with reigning champion Eric Nolan departing for the UFC, so a big result here could propel the winner into an upcoming championship opportunity.
Jojo Gonzalez vs. Jose Rodriguez
Undefeated lightweight prospects collide early in their careers, with promotional newcomer Jojo Gonzalez (1-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) facing former CFFC NextGen titleholder Jose "Cheeto" Rodriguez (2-0 MMA, 2-0 CFFC).
Connecticut's Gonzalez made his professional debut in May, picking up a decision win in his initial outing. That result followed an amateur career that saw him capture a title on the regional scene, successfully defending it once. He now makes his CFFC debut.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez claimed the CFFC NextGen belt in his final amateur appearance and has since picked up two victories as a professional for the promotion, with both results coming via knockout. The Dante Rivera BJJ product now looks to make it three in a row.
Karli Jo Thomas vs. Annabel Kelly
In the night's lone women's matchup, Karli Jo Thomas (1-0 MMA, 1-0 CFFC) looks to follow up on her scintillating pro debut when she takes on undefeated promotional newcomer Annabel Kelly (3-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
The 25-year-old Thomas turned pro in May, scoring a dominant first-round submission win over a then-undefeated Lateesha Mohl. She returns three months later looking to repeat the performance.
Meanwhile, Syndicate MMA's Kelly has rattled off three straight wins to open her pro career, including two via knockout, and now makes her CFFC debut.
Ben Coyle vs. Oscar Jurado
The night's main card kicks off in the flyweight division, as the streaking Ben Coyle (6-4 MMA, 3-2 CFFC) takes on promotional newcomer Oscar "The Shank" Jurado (4-2 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
After a promising amateur career, Coyle opened his pro run at just 1-3. However, he's since gone 5-1 with five stoppage victories, and the loss is of incredibly dubious value. He's got his eyes on a title shot, but standing in his way is Jurado, who picked up a belt on the New Hampshire regional scene in his most recent outing and now looks to make an immediate impact in his CFFC debut.
Justin Patton vs. Frank Wells
The prelims close out with a pair of veterans looking to throw down, as Justin "The General" Patton (8-4) takes on Frank "Chopper" Wells (6-4).
Patton arrives to CFFC with a 4-1 mark in his past five official appearances. In that stretch, he also settled for a no contest result with current CFFC featherweight champ Ryan Cafaro in a bout that took place on the Pennsylvania regional scene. He now faces Wells, a 10-time CFFC veteran who is 3-1 in his past four outings, with the only loss in that stretch coming to current Dana White's Contender Series signee David Mgoyan.
Tyler Berger vs. Jeremiah Delgado
Top featherweight prospects looking to pick up a statement win early in their career collide next, as Tyler "The Real Oregon Gangster" Berger (1-0) takes on the 20-year-old Jeremiah Delgado (Pro debut).
Berger was a three-time All-American wrestler at Nebraska, scoring a runner-up finish in 2019 as a senior after losing a major decision to Jason Nolf. After turning his attention to MMA, he made his pro debut in May, taking home a decision win. He now takes on Marquez MMA's Delgado, who turns professional following a 4-0 amateur career that saw him earn all four wins via stoppage.
Tom Hinz vs. Alex Rios
Second in a run of four straight featherweight bouts to close out the preliminary card, "Tacoma" Tom Hinz (2-1) returns to the CFFC cage to take on promotional newcomer Alex Rios (Pro debut).
A Nick Catone protege, Hinz opened up his professional career with two straight decision wins under the CFFC banner but came up short on the cards at March's CFFC 140. He now welcomes Rios to the cage for his professional debut following an impressive 5-1 run as an amateur.
Darwin Pena vs. Michael Pino
A run of four straight featherweight bouts on the preliminary card sees young talents Darwin "Gatillero" Pena (1-1) and Michael Pino (2-1) face off.
Former CFFC NextGen champ Pena earned a submission win in his professional debut but was clipped early in a shocking 20-second loss in February, the first defeat he's suffered at any stage in his MMA career. He now meets Pino, who has two first-round knockouts in his professional run bookended around a decision loss in the lone setback he's seen at the pro ranks.
Jacob Guerrero vs. CJ LaFragola
In welterweight action, a pair of athletes looking to rebound from recent setbacks collide, as Jacob "The Tyga" Guerrero (2-2) meets longtime CFFC fixture CJ LaFragola (2-3).
Panama's Guerrero saw a two-fight win streak snapped this past October after a succumbing to a short choke and now looks to bounce back in his CFFC debut. Meanwhile, LaFragola has competed under the CFFC banner for his entire professional career, routinely taking on the top prospects in his division. In March, a body kick felled him the third round, and now the standout wrestler will also be hoping to get back in the wait column, as well.
Justin Meyers vs. Khetag Moraov
Lightweights who were each victorious in their professional debuts will look to stay unbeaten, as Justin Meyers (1-0) faces Khetag Moraov (1-0).
New Jersey's Meyers competed once for CFFC during his 5-1 run as an amateur, and then turned pro at March's CFFC 140, where he picked up a decision win. He now takes on Moraov, who stepped in on short notice for his first pro appearance in June, taking home a first-round TKO, and now makes his CFFC debut.
Reggie Northrup vs. Jose Soto
The evening kicks off at light heavyweight and could provide immediate fireworks, as Reggie "Black Dragon" Northrup (2-0) takes on Jose "The Real Hitman" Soto (1-0).
Northrup was an undefeated amateur and has earned two wins as a professional, both by knockout, while also making stops at Karate Combat and Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA. Meanwhile, made his professional debut under the CFFC banner, picking up a decision win, and has also gone unbeaten in three appearances for CFFC BJJ. However, he recently turned his attention to boxing, going 3-0 with three first-round knockouts in just the past six months.
