CFFC 155 official for Friday, June 19 at Philadelphia's 2300 Arena; tickets on sale now
Jon Cunningham vs. Ian Russell headlines on UFC FIGHT PASS with vacant light heavyweight title on the line
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) officials are pleased to announce the organization's return to Philadelphia's historic 2300 Arena on Friday, June 19 for "CFFC 155: Cunningham vs. Russell."
With former CFFC light heavyweight champion Luke Fernandez joining the UFC late last year after a victory at Dana White's Contender Series, the vacant 205-pound title will be on the line in the CFFC 155 main event when promotional veterans "Big Bad" Jon Cunningham (3-1) and Ian "The Carpenter" Russell (2-0) collide. Meanwhile, the night's co-main event sees Marquez MMA standout Egor Kostyuchenko (6-1) facing undefeated Fusion X-Cel Performance product Jakob "Bubba" Scheffel (7-0) in a key welterweight matchup.
Additional contests already confirmed for CFFC 155 include New Jersey wrestling legend Richie "Savage" Lewis (7-2) taking on Russian veteran Nikolay Kiosse (10-4-1), promotional newcomer John Poppie (14-7) facing the returning Maksim Sergeev (17-11) at middleweight, a clash between talented flyweight newcomers Asher "Shock N Rock" Frederick (7-2) and "The Lion King" Moises Ilogon (5-1), welterweights Cornell Beachem Jr. (3-1) vs. Jake "Smooth Operator" Valdes (3-1), the professional debut of CFFC NextGen vet Samuel "The Simple Man" Van Wynen vs. Brazil's Lucas "The Hitman" Dos Santos (2-2), former amateur standouts Buddha "The Bounty Hunter" Hanchard and Cody Howard stepping into the pro ranks in a welterweight bout, and a battle of women's bantamweight debutants with Kayana La Torre vs. Kara Lynn Hoad..
Additional matchups for CFFC 155 will be announced shortly.
CFFC 155 was initially expected to see the organization's debut at Virginia's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol. Those plans will now take place later in the year, with announcements expected over the next few months.
"With Christian Edwards making his octagon debut this past weekend, the last two men to compete for the CFFC light heavyweight title are now both in the UFC, and Jon Cunningham and Ian Russell are looking to follow that exact same path," CFFC CEO Rob Haydak said. "Both Jon and Ian each debuted in the CFFC cage with first-round knockouts, and they'll look to claim another one in the biggest fight of their careers thus far.
"Outside of that, you've got another incredible lineup of top talent, including some familiar faces and some new names looking to make their way to the top of the sport, and you put it all inside 2300 Arena, where the atmosphere is always electric. It's going to be another amazing night of fast-paced, high-energy entertainment and top-level production, so get your tickets now and join us on June 19."
Tickets for CFFC 155 are on sale now at CFFC.tv.
The CFFC 155 main card streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS, with preliminary bouts streaming exclusively at OnlyFans.com/cffcmma.
Training out of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, Washington's Russell made his CFFC debut in April and delivered a spectacular first-round finish of Razohnn Gross Jr. to remain undefeated and pick up a "Performance of the Night" bonus in the process. He'll return to the cage two months later with an opportunity to claim CFFC gold.
Meanwhile, Cunningham actually made his amateur debut under the CFFC banner as a heavyweight in 2020 and needed just 61 seconds to earn a knockout victory. After turning professional and coming up short in a PFL Challengers appearance against another CFFC vet in Daiqwon Buckley, Cunningham made the move down to the light heavyweight division, where the Ohio native and Strong Style fighter has since gone 2-0 and now returns to the CFFC banner with a massive opportunity in front of him.
Stay tuned to CFFC.tv for future announcements regarding CFFC 155 and beyond.
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 Next Generation and CFFC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
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.