Cage Fury Fighting Championships reveals CFFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026, with Bill Algeo, Jared Gordon and Dante Rivera
All three legends to be formally inducted at special ceremony on Friday, December 18, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) officials are honored to welcome three more incredible names to the CFFC Hall of Fame: Bill Algeo, Jared Gordon and Dante Rivera.
The three members of the CFFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be officially honored at a special CFFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, December 18, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, the same spectacular property that will host the following night's blockbuster CFFC 163 event. Once officially inducted, they will join former CFFC and UFC champion Aljamain Sterling, former CFFC champion and current UFC analyst Paul Felder, longtime CFFC matchmaker Arias Garcia, former CFFC welterweight champion and current UFC contender Sean Brady, former CFFC welterweight champion, UFC veteran and current CFFC BJJ exec Jonavin Webb and former CFFC welterweight champion and UFC veteran George Sullivan in the CFFC Hall of Fame, which was established in 2023 to honor the organization's greatest names.
"It's once again my honor to welcome three incredibly deserving men to our growing list of honorees in the CFFC Hall of Fame," CFFC CEO Rob Haydak said. "Bill Algeo had an incredible fighting career in the CFFC and UFC cages, and he continues to thrive now in his role as trainer, developing the next generation of MMA talent. Jared Gordon was part of the promotion from the day I first took the reins, and his story is nothing short of remarkable, beating addiction and achieving his dreams of making it to the UFC. Meanwhile, Dante Rivera's time with the organization dates back to the very start of CFFC, and his students have been some of the most successful athletes in our company in recent years as he also helps guide hopeful fighters to reach their full potential.
"These three men represent exactly what we pursue at Cage Fury Fighting Championships in identifying and developing the absolute best talent in MMA and helping prepare those athletes for success at the highest level of the sport. I'm pleased to now formally recognize their accomplishments by welcoming them to the CFFC Hall of Fame as the Class of 2026."
Extremely limited tickets to the 2025 CFFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are currently available to the public at CFFC.tv. Priced at $125, each purchase also includes a special Reception Hour for all attendees with hors d'oeuvres, as well as a dinner that follows.
As in years past, the CFFC Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will each receive an incredible custom designed piece from Spivak Jewelers.
Algeo made his CFFC debut in 2013 and would go on to post an incredible 7-1 record for the promotion, including a decision win over then-featherweight champion Jeff Lentz at CFFC 57 in 2016. Unfortunately, Algeo was unable to claim the title due to missing weight, though he would proudly claim the CFFC's 146.5-pound title for the remainder of his career. "Señor Perfecto" counted four of his seven CFFC wins by finish, and he would first earn in invitation to Dana White's Contender Series, then directly into the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he would compete 10 times before retiring in 2024.
Algeo remains a fixture at CFFC events, leading the sport's next generation of elite prospects as the Founder and Lead Instructor of Algeo MMA & Kickboxing in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Gordon made his professional debut under the CFFC banner, taking home a submission win at CFFC 6 in 2011, the first event under the guidance of current CFFC CEO Rob Haydak. He would put together a spectacular 8-1 record in the famed white cage, claiming the CFFC featherweight title with a head-kick knockout of WEC veteran Anthony Morrison and then defending it successfully with a decision win over now-fellow Hall of Famer Bill Algeo. That run was enough to earn Gordon an invitation to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he still remains after 18 appearances for the promotion.
Incredibly, Gordon battled with substance abuse during his rise to the sport's highest level, and he remains an outspoken advocate for addiction recovery and mental health awareness. "Flash" also made his commentary debut for the promotion earlier this year.
These days, Rivera is a constant presence at CFFC events, audibly and forcibly guiding athletes such as Luke Fernandez, Nick Galanti and Eric Nolan to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with other prospects like current CFFC interim flyweight champion Jerry Lleshi hoping to do the same in short order. But before the Founder and Head Instructor at Dante Rivera Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy was leading others, he was pursuing his own fighting dream, nothing a pair of submission wins at some of CFFC's earliest events in 2007.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under the legendary Ricardo Almeida, Rivera also served as a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 7," notching memorable appearances against MMA notables Matt Riddle, Jesse Taylor and John Wood, and also later competing twice under the Bellator MMA banner before focusing on his current coaching journey.
Stay tuned to CFFC.tv for future announcements regarding both CFFC 163 and the 2026 CFFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
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.