CFFC 156 preview: Interim heavyweight title on line as promotion visits Hard Rock Casino Rockford for first time
Jackson Stanford, Bevon Lewis clash in main event of Friday's card, streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS
ROCKFORD, Illinois – Cage Fury Fighting Championships visits the "Land of Lincoln" for the first time in promotional history when Hard Rock Casino Rockford plays host to Friday's "CFFC 156: Stanford vs. Lewis," where an interim heavyweight champion will be crowned in the night's main event.
With reigning heavyweight champion Vitor Resende forced to withdraw from the event due to illness, the CFFC 156 headliner sees the undefeated Jackson "The Last Caveman" Stanford stepping up on short notice to face UFC and Dana White's Contender Series veteran Bevon Lewis for interim gold.
Additionally, the night's co-main event sees former CFFC lightweight champion Will "I Am" Starks make a quick turnaround to take on talented newcomer Roland "The Armadillo" Pruden.
The CFFC 156 main card streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS, while prelims stream at OnlyFans.com/cffcmma. Limited tickets remain at CFFC.tv.
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS, 9 p.m. ET)
Jackson Stanford vs. Bevon Lewis – for interim heavyweight title
Will Starks vs. Roland Pruden
Matt Gawlik vs. Billy Ray Valdez
Scottie Sopko vs. Shane Jackman
Guram Gochashvili vs. Leivon Lewis
Landen Fischer vs. Abdimamatov Syimyk
PRELIMINARY CARD (OnlyFans.com/cffcmma, 7:15 p.m. ET)
Henry Huff vs. Darius Patterson
Christian Herrera vs. Levi Frank
NextGen: Edgar Rojas vs. Joshua Severson
NextGen: Jeremiah Martin vs. Alex Liaromatis
MAIN EVENT: Jackson Stanford vs. Bevon Lewis
Jackson Stanford (3-0 MMA, 1-0 CFFC) made an immediate impact in his promotional; debut, taking out former heavyweight champion Anthony Guarascio in just 17 seconds this past March. It's not a rare occurrence for The Jungle MMA athlete, who has actually finished all three of his professional opponents in the opening round, and that follows a perfect 5-0 amateur record that included four finishes. At 6-foot-4, the 29-year-old prospect is starting to gain some real momentum, and this is the biggest opportunity of his career.
Meanwhile, Bevon Lewis (8-6 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) has been to the very top of the sport, but now he's trying to reinvent himself in a new division. Competing as a middleweight, Lewis actually earned a pair of victories at Dana White's Contender Series, eventually earning himself a UFC deal. He would compete there four times before a one-fight stint at PFL, as well, and he struggled to get consistent results. However, now settled at heavyweight, Lewis picked up a win this past August and now looks to try and build again without the concern of cutting weight.
These two heavyweights are in far different stages of their respective careers, but one will take a massive step forward with a win.
CO-MAIN EVENT: Will Starks vs. Roland Pruden
In the night's co-feature, former CFFC lightweight champ Will Starks (12-4 MMA, 1-1 CFFC) will waste absolutely no time in looking to rebound from his recent loss to new champ Kevin Pease, as he steps back into the CFFC cage to take on a tough promotional newcomer in Roland Pruden (7-2 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
Prior the surprising submission loss to Pease four weeks ago, Starks had been on quite the tear, earning five straight victories, including an impressive knockout of a previously undefeated Nikita Leshukov in February. However, rather than sit back and bemoan the latest result, Starks is looking to turn his fortunes and steps immediately back into the cage.
Meanwhile, Arkansas' Pruden is a 21-year-old prospect hailing from Without Limits MMA who stands at 6-1 in his past seven official appearances, including five wins by stoppage. He actually competed most recently just two weeks ago, but the bout was declared a no contest less than two minutes into the bout when he landed an illegal elbow to the back of the head that left his opponent unable to continue. After the unsatisfying result, Pruden also wanted to compete as quickly as possible, and he stepped into the high-profile matchup.
Matt Gawlik vs. Billy Ray Valdez
The night's main event isn't the only anticipated heavyweight matchup of the night, as the undefeated Matt "The Bearwolf" Gawlik (4-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) takes on the durable Billy "Wreck It" Ray Valdez (4-2 MMA, 1-0 CFFC).
The 24-year-old Gawlik is a Top Notch MMA fighter hailing from nearby Winfield, Illinois, and he's expected to have a rowdy support group on hand. Gawlik has been impressive thus far in his career, stopping all four of his professional opponents to date in the first round. In fact, five of Gawlik's eight amateur fights also ended in the opening stanza. However, Valdez is as tough as they come, and he returns to the organization for the first time since 2022, when he scored a first-round knockout over former CFFC NextGen champ Ian Allston in his professional debut back at CFFC 116. On Friday, he'll look to play spoiler once again.
Scottie Sopko vs. Shane Jackman
Welterweights with fantastic nicknames get the shine of UFC FIGHT PASS early in their careers, as Scottie "The Freakshow" Sopko (1-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) takes on Shane "Slim Reaper" Jackman (1-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
Indiana's Sopko cross trains with Gilbert Grappling and GOE Fitness and picked up a first-round submission win via triangle choke in February in his professional debut. He carries a three-fight win streak overall after also picking up submission wins in his final two amateur appearances. Meanwhile, Illinois' own Jackman opened his pro run in April, taking home a split-decision victory. The Dominion MMA athlete now looks to build on that result.
Guram Gochashvili vs. Leivon Lewis
A pair of powerful Georgian middleweights collide next when the country's Guram Gochashvili (4-1 MMA, 1-1 CFFC) takes on the state's Leivon Lewis (5-3 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
Teixeira MMA & Fitness athlete Gochashvili was in action most recently in December, when he suffered a decision loss to Chris Brown in a failed bid for the CFFC middleweight title. He now returns to the promotion and looks to make another run back to the top of the division. Meanwhile, Lewis is the brother of headliner Bevon Lewis. Competing as low as featherweight in the early days of his career, Lewis has scored mixed results in his professional run, though all three of his career losses came to an opponent that was undefeated at the time, proving his willingness to take on the absolute toughest challenges available.
Landen Fischer vs. Abdimamatov Syimyk
The night's main card kicks off in the flyweight division and features a pair of promotional newcomers, as Landen Fischer (1-0 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) takes on Abdimamatov Syimyk (3-0-1 MMA, 0-0 CFFC).
South Dakota's Fischer trains with Hub City MMA & BJJ along with Gold Bar Training Center and made his professional debut in November, scoring a first-round submission win via rear-naked choke. That followed an amateur run that included a 100 percent finishing rate in his victories. He now meets Kyrgyzstan's Syimyk, who has relocated to Chicago and now fights for the first time in the United States following a four-and-a-half year layoff from competition.
Henry Huff vs. Darius Patterson
The night's final preliminary bout takes place at featherweight, as Gilbert Grappling veteran Henry Huff (6-5) takes on undefeated prospect Darius "Da Sniper" Patterson (3-0).
Indiana's Huff joins a big roster of his teammates in making his CFFC debut. He competed most recently in February, taking him a submission win and stands at 201 in his past three appearances overall. He now takes on Mississippi's Patterson, who was expected to compete at May's CFFC 154 event but lost his matchup on fight week and immediately booked another appearance just four weeks later.
Christian Herrera vs. Levi Frank
The night's first professional contest is a flyweight matchup two athletes making their debut, as Illinois' own Christian Herrera takes on Nevada's Levi "The Honeybadger" Frank.
Gilbert Grappling's Herrera finished his amateur run on a two-fight win streak that included two first-round stoppages. Herrera went to the judges just twice in eight total amateur contests. He now takes on Frank, who suffered a unanimous-decision loss to an undefeated opponent in his final amateur appearance but showed his class in his four wins, scoring first-round stoppages in all four outings.
NextGen: Edgar Rojas vs. Joshua Severson
The final NextGen bout of the evening takes place at lightweight, as Dominion MMA's Edgar Rojas (1-0) faces Wanderley Jiu Jitsu & MMA's Joshua Severson (Debut).
At just 18 years old, Rojas is the youngest athlete on the card and looks to build on the success of a decision win in his debut in September. He now takes the 21-year-old Severson, who competes live for the first time.
NextGen: Jeremiah Martin vs. Alex Liaromatis
The night starts off in the lightweight division, as Gilbert Grappling's Jeremiah "Ghost" Martin (Debut) takes on Top Notch MMA's Alex "The Lion" Liaromatis (0-1).
At just 19 years old, Martin will try to set the tone for his team, which has four athletes on the card, including three on the preliminary portion, alone. It's Martin's NextGen debut, while Liaromatis competed in April and suffered a second-round TKO loss, leaving both athletes seeking their first win.