CFFC 155 results: Jon Cunningham, Hunter Lee each claim titles in stunningly quick fashion
Featured bouts need just 23 seconds – combined – to award two new titles at Friday's event at Philadelphia's 2300 Arena
PHILDELPHIA – Two new champions were crowned at Friday's CFFC 155 event in two of the fastest championship matchups in promotional history, as "Big, Bad" Jon Cunningham and "Big Game" Hunter Lee were awarded CFFC gold in the featured contests of the evening at 2300 Arena.
In the night's main event, it was Cunningham (4-1 MMA, 1-0 CFC) who earned light-heavyweight gold with an 11-second knockout of Ian Russell (2-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC). With the two men throwing hard from the start, it was Cunningham that landed first with a crushing right hand to the chin. As Russell dropped to a knee, Cunningham ripped off a series of big left hands that forced a quick intervention from referee Bryan Miner.
Russell recovered quickly and protested, but replays showed Cunningham's damage unfolding in real time and justified the stoppage.
"This means everything in the world to me," Cunningham said. "Let's go!"
Meanwhile, Lee (7-1 MMA, 2-1 CFFC) earned interim middleweight gold with his quick stoppage of Jeff Craig (7-4 MMA, 0-1 CFFC).
As Lee, a standout wrestler. looked to change levels in the early going, he fired an overhand right simultaneously, and it found the mark. Lee drove through on the takedown, but it was clear Craig was't offering much resistance. Once on the deck, Lee postured up to land a few more pinpoint ground-and-pound blows, and referee Eric McMahon quickly pulled him off to save further damage.
Afterward, Lee had a callout ready with CFFC and UFC vet Danny Barlow.
"It feels great," Lee said after the win. "I've just been chasing belts lately. There's one guy I'd like to call out: Danny Barlow, if you're out there, I heard you were ducking this fight. How do you expect to get back in the UFC if you're ducking the champ? I want you next. Come and get this belt."
Complete CFFC 155 results include:
MAIN CARD
Jon Cunningham def. Ian Russell via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:11 – to claim light heavyweight title
Hunter Lee def. Jeff Craig via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:12 – to claim interim middleweight title
Richie Lewis def. Nikolay Kiosse via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Egor Kostyuchenko def. Jakob Scheffel via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Cornell Beachem def. Jake Valdes via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:47
Kayana La Torre def. Kara Hoad via submission (ninja choke) – Round 1, 1:44
PRELIMINARY CARD
Moises Ilogon def. Asher Frederick via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Buddha Hanchard def. Cody Howard via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:18
Maksim Sergeev def. John Poppie via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:07
Julio Brodie def. via Lucas Dos Santos split decision (27-30, 30-27, 30-27)
JJ MacDonald def. James Lledo via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 1:17