Fresh off his title win at CFC 437, "The Drizzle" Ceaser El Toro Jr climbed into the ring in his first defense against Ivan "Snurri" Andrianov. Andrianov was making his CFC debut and hadn’t lost since July. El Toro Jr’s new, relaxed persona didn’t translate to the ring and he bolted out of the gate, gaining a clinch early and pummeling Andrianov with some heavy inside shots. A cut midway through the first raised some eyebrows in the challenger’s corner, but they were able to work on it between rounds and it became a non-factor. Beautiful work by the cut man. Things settled down over the next two rounds as both fighters looked to impose their gameplans. Andrianov won a close second round and El Toro pulled out the third. The fourth was all El Toro Jr, who allowed the challenger to get in close and worked him over with some nasty looking body shots. Andrianov knew he needed to pull out something special in the fifth to earn the win, but El Toro Jr wouldn’t allow it. Leg kicks kept Andrianov honest and he was too wild by the end to land anything worthwhile. Great fight by both men. Result: Still Welterweight Champion, Ceaser El Toro Jr by Decision (Unanimous)
Co-Main Event
265 lbs Solomon Nao vs Thiago Araujo
Thiago Araujo retired Bubba Jones at CFC 438 and was looking for continued CFC success against newcomer and wittingly-named Solomon "Apocalypse" Nao. The former #1 heavyweight KT in the world, Nao waddled into the ring on his absurdly large legs and showed some surprisingly good footwork in avoiding Araujo’s shots early. It didn’t last though, as Araujo was able to take Nao to the mat, spending the rest of the first round on his back, repeatedly looking for an armbar submission. Nao said no, the crowd booed, but Araujo took the first round on the back of that aggressiveness. The second round was more of the same. An early takedown by Araujo had Nao playing defense throughout the round and he played it well, allowing Araujo no room to manoeuvre. Even at one apiece heading into the third, Araujo tried again to take Nao to the mat early, but Nao was able to avoid the first four attempts. On the fifth, he stepped to the side and cracked Araujo with a huge right hand, sending him to the mat. Nao allowed him to get back up and did his best Roadhouse impression, knocking Araujo out with those tree trunks. Result: Solomon Nao by KO
Undercard
185 lbs Andor Kovacs vs Joao Andrade
CFC newcomer Andor Kovacs is undefeated in MMA under manager, Paul Priest. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy, just getting the job done. He took it to Joao "A Maldição" Andrade and scored a surprisingly easy victory. After cutting Andrade with a fantastic one-two combo at the three minute mark, the two fighters stayed out of range and tried to exchange shots. That didn’t sit well with Kovacs, who rage-rushed Andrade throwing wild punches like a grade-school nerd finally getting his hands on the bully. Result: Andor Kovacs by TKO
170 lbs Avraam Papadopoulos vs Settakian Fett
Cairo’s Avraam Papadopoulos has seen better days. Once ranked 5th overall in MMA, the 38 year-old’s last twelve fights have gone the distance and the results have been mixed. Settakian Fett couldn’t have cared less. He won the welterweight championship at CFC 435A, only to lose it in his first defence at CFC 437. It was an odd stand-up fight between these two for the full three rounds; Papadopoulos was clearly the aggressor, throwing at liberty and hoping to land a knockout blow. It didn’t happen, but he was the busier of the two and won easily on all cards. Fett, who had been working on his takedowns leading up to this fight, was happy with sitting back and letting the fight come to him. He threw nothing but combos. Manager Alexander Biro won’t be happy with that. Result: Avraam Papadopoulos by Decision (Unanimous)
265 lbs Professor Xe vs Brent Boston
Two more CFC newcomers, Professor Xe against "Bostons" Brent Boston. Did you know that “Bostons” Brent Boston was from Boston? Xe improved his record to 19-6 with this one, knocking Boston out later into round 2. It was a toss up whether Xe would make it through the first round though. Boston hit him with a stiff left very early in the fight, cutting him above the eye. Like the smart fighter he is, Boston isolated the injury, landing many more shots until the blood flowed freely over Xe’s eye. The ringside doctor took a long look and decided against stopping the fight, allowing Xe to fight back, knocking Boston down with a vicious combination before the first bell had rung. Both fighters, bloody and bruised, came out in the second and continued their brutal ways. Xe changed things up 90 seconds in, catching Boston flat-footed and driving him to the mat. A little later, and it was all over after the ref jumped in to save Boston from more GNP. Result: Professor Xe by TKO
185 lbs Jamie Bounty vs Edwin Lucan
Two experienced old farts with vastly different records. Jamie Bounty came in with a 39-16 record against 12-19 Edwin "The Baron" Lucan. Lucan was also winless in five fights, getting knocked out in each along the way. This fight was no different. Bounty dropped and cut Lucan in the first seconds of the fight, but couldn’t finish it right away. Lucan fought back briefly, landing his own right that cut Bounty and the two then held onto each other for dear life while recovering. Bounty cut loose around the three minute mark, crushing Lucan’s nose with right cross, sending him crumpling to the canvas. You have to feel for Edwin Lucan, he’s taken some brutal beatings lately. Result: Jamie Bounty by TKO.
205 lbs Ezekiel Marley vs Shogun Silva
I’ve bet on Ezekiel Marley in his GAMMA days, only to be disappointed after he suffered three losses in a row. His new manager, Dakota Thibodeaux promised changes and he delivered in Marley’s CFC debut. Shogun Silva played the part of a Street Fighter character, getting knocked off his feet with a no-doubt-about-it uppercut. Ugly loss for Silva, we hope he recovers well. Result: Ezekiel Marley by KO.
185 lbs Holden Gracie vs Jaheim Reid
Moving up the middleweight rankings, Holden Gracie scored his third straight CFC win with a first round TKO of Jaheim "Junior" Reid. Reid tried to mix it up, but could do nothing against the younger opponent on his way to a fourth straight loss. He got cut early and suffered a three-punch combination that sent him to the canvas for good. Result: Holden Gracie by TKO.
185 lbs Jun Liu vs Marian Balkon
Handsome … or sexy … Jun "205 Queen" Liu enjoyed her first CFC win in her debut with a three round unanimous decision against Marian Balkon. Balkon had quantity, throwing over a hundred strikes, but the quality was lacking. Liu was far less active, but more accurate and the judges decided it was the way to go. Result: Jun Liu by Decision (Unanimous)
185 lbs Shane Murphy vs Marcos Martinez
Another middleweight clash had Shane Murphy against Marcos Martinez. That sentence took longer to type than the fight lasted. Result: Shane Murphy by KO
