CFFC 66: Five Reasons You Have To See The Event Live
The Gold Standard of Regional MMA returns to Atlantic City on August 5. Here are the five reasons why you need to be there...
5. Rising Stars Debut
One of the most exciting aspects of attending a Cage Fury Fighting Championships event is the promise that you'll witness tomorrow's MMA superstars doing battle inside the cage. At CFFC 66, three promising young men -- all making their professional debut -- will compete with the intention of spearheading a campaign for gold.
Santo Curatolo, a flyweight and pupil of Nick Catone, will stand opposite Chancey Wilson in what should be a thrilling display of speed and athleticism. Curatolo is leaving the amateurs having almost reached the pinnacle of MMA in his state and weight class, and he intends to start his professional career off inside the win column. Wilson, a recent addition to the professional ranks, is 1-0 -- the Cincinnati native seeks to extend his flawless start this Saturday.
Another bout on the August 5 card features promising prospect BJ Young. He'll take on Baltimore's Jamal Johnson in the main card's opener, contested at the 145lbs weight class. Young -- a resident of Jackson, New Jersey -- achieved an impeccable record in the amateur ranks, going 7-0 against his opposition. Young is also a Nick Catone MMA fighter and models his skills after his good friend and mentor Frankie Edgar. Will his win streak extend into the professional ranks?
4. The Atlantic City Experience
The Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa has been home to a multitude of classic events and for good reason: it's one of the premiere venues in the Northeast. The $1.1 billion facility boasts a 161,000 square foot casino with over 4,000 slot machines and 200 table games. The Event Center and Theatre have been home to some of the most famous acts in the world -- Jay Z, Rihanna, David Bowie and more.
One of the hottest destinations in all of Atlantic City -- the 18,000 square foot The Water Club -- offers entertainment throughout the night, and it's the perfect respite following a night of intense CFFC action. Whatever your pleasure, Atlantic City is sure to quench your appetite for fun and fights.
3. Who's Next?
What college basketball is to the NBA fan, CFFC is to the MMA fan: At a Cage Fury Fighting Championship event, you'll almost always see the future stars of the sport on display. With exciting, young talents like the aforementioned BJ Young, the undefeated Cesar Balmaceda, Ricky Bandejas, and a refocused Jonavin Webb (more on him later), CFFC 66 has been positioned to be a showcase of future UFC champions.
The bright lights of the UFC are no stranger to CFFC alumni. Current UFC standouts Aljamain Sterling, Paul Felder and Jimmie Rivera have all previously fought atop the Cage Fury canvas. At the last CFFC held at the Borgata, Cage Fury featherweight champion Jared Gordon impressed UFC President Dana White enough to earn his shot in the UFC. Who will be next to get the "call-up?" You'll just have to attend this Saturday's event to find out.
2. Beauty & The Beast Collide
Serving as the co-main event of the evening, New York's Giorgi Kudukhashvili will take on the surging Ricky Bandejas in an interim bantamweight title clash. Ahead of their fight, Kudukhashvili went on the offensive, claiming that Bandejas' skills don't match his good looks. Never one to put his mouth above his actions, Bandejas has vowed to dismantle the Georgian fighter come August 5.
Beauty and the Beast -- or rather "Ken Doll" and "Godzilla" (see the video above) -- will finally put the trash talk aside when they meet in Atlantic City for the right to be called "champ."
1. Jonavin Webb Returns
If you were to take even a cursory glance through the records books of Cage Fury, one name would stand out as synonymous with the promotion's rise in the Northeast: Jonavin Webb.
Punctuating the start of his professional career within CFFC's cage, Webb first appeared in 2012 at CFFC 14 - No Mercy. Since then, the Marlton, NJ-based grappler has racked up wins and welterweight gold, with his only two losses coming from his recent stint in the UFC.
A high-level submission artist, Webb's arsenal contains a vast array of devastating techniques. But, for his second stint in the CFFC cage, the Daniel Gracie-trained fighter is looking to put the past behind him with a refocused plan to get back to the big stage and cement his legacy as one of the best fighters in the world. At CFFC 66, "The Spider" will take his first steps in that direction in front of a massive Borgata crowd that will include his good buddy and training partner Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.
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