CFFC 152 results: Nick Galanti pushed to limit, narrowly outlasts Austin Clayton to claim title
Former NextGen champion now adds professional title to his trophy case following razor-thin main event in Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – It certainly didn't come easy – and perhaps not without some controversy, as well – but Nick Galanti is now the CFFC middleweight champion following his narrow victory in a five round battle with a previously undefeated Austin Clayton.
The two squared off for a vacant belt in the headlining bout of Friday's CFFC 152 event, which streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. It took all five rounds to determine a winner, with Galanti taking the contest 48-47 on all three cards, but the story between these two may not be done just yet.
The matchup looked like it might be over in relatively short order, with Galanti earning a takedown in the opening 25 seconds and quickly attacking a guillotine choke that destined to end the fight. Clayton refused to tap, but he struggled to get completely out of danger, facing additional looks at potential guillotines, as well as a few tricky inverted triangle attempts.
Clayton did finally get to his feet and score a takedown of his own in the final two minutes of the frame, but he wasn't able to mount any significant offense and was likely just happy to survive a difficult opening round.
In the second, it was clear the grueling pace of the first was affecting both men. Galanti did seem to get the best of the early work, though late work from Clayton, including a couple of well-executed takedowns and a bit of time in mount, left the score of the round a bit questionable.
As the fight wore on, Clayton clearly took over the momentum, though nothing came easy. Each man was fatigued but would find spots to explode with moments of offense. Clayton's grappling was clearly the most effective weapon, and he was able to dominate positioning in the later frames, even if he didn't secure much damage in the process.
At the end of four rounds, judges had the scores tied at two rounds a piece, meaning a sudden victory fifth would decide the winner.
Galanti came alive for the final five minutes, but Clayton was there to match the effort. An early Clayton takedown set the tone, but Galanti scrambled to his feet and engaged in the clinch, where each landed short knees and elbows inside. Galanti appeared to get the better of the striking, but not by much, while Clayton also mixed in a few takedowns but didn't necessarily capitalize with offense once on top.
In the end, it was a razor-thin difference between the two, but all three judges gave the final round to Galanti, awarding him the fight 48-47 across the board.
Afterward, Galanti praised his opponent's effort and said perhaps a rematch was in the cards for them both once they each make it to the UFC.
"I think Austin's a savage," Galanti told Josh Thomson after the win. "I have so much respect for him. I think at the next level, me and him have to run that back.
"He's a dog. That was a good fight. We have to run that back."
With the victory, Galanti (7-1 MMA, 7-1 CFFC) has now won five straight fights, while Clayton (5-1 MMA, 1-1 CFFC) suffers his first professional setback.
Complete CFFC 152 results include:
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS)
Nick Galanti def. Austin Clayton via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – to claim vacant middleweight title
Nick Fiore def. Richie Lewis via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:27
Max Metzgar def. Elcin Romero via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Rosalani Ikei def. Paige Wilcox via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
Christian Bobe def. Cody McClanahan via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 0:54
Jerry Lleshi def. Safar Akhmadov via techncial submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:17
PRELIMINARY CARD
Manny Morales def. Jonathan Ramsay via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:09
Alana Cook def. Rebecca Evans via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Billy Van Dyke def. Justin Rosario via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Cole Barnard def. Chris Conway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Chris Hayes def. Damien Blotzke via TKO (arm injury) – Round 1, 0:25