CFFC 72 – Sean Brady defends, Daukaus and Wilcox battle for vacant middleweight title
The boardwalk in Atlantic City will once again host a major championship combat sports event in 2019 as CFFC 72 will be held on Saturday, February 16. .
Cage Fury Fighting Championships announced it will host a championship card at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
The event, which features two CFFC title fights, will be broadcast live on UFC FIGHT PASS, with veteran broadcaster Mike Gill and international superstar CM Punk returning to call the action.
In the night’s main event, reigning CFFC welterweight champion Sean Brady (Philadelphia, Pa., 9-0) defends his title against Taj Abdul Hakim (Queens, N.Y., 8-1). With a win, the undefeated and versatile Brady looks to cement his place as one of the best welterweights in CFFC history. Meanwhile, the dangerous Abdul Hakim is fresh off a victory over Marco Smallman at CFFC 71 and determined to end Brady’s run atop CFFC’s talent-rich 170-pound division.
In addition to the welterweight title fight, a pair of gifted submission artists collide in the night’s championship co-main event. Mike Wilcox (Philadelphia, Pa., 6-3) battles Kyle Daukaus (Philadelphia, Pa., 5-0) for the vacant CFFC middleweight crown, which was last held by UFC star Anthony Smith.
Wilcox – a former NCAA Division III National Champion wrestler at Delaware Valley College – has won four of his last five contests, all by first-round submission. Like Wilcox, Daukaus is a grappling ace, with all five of his pro wins coming by way of submission.
Both fighters in this title fight look to follow in the footsteps of Smith, one of UFC’s fastest rising stars who holds wins over the likes of MMA legends Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Rashad Evans.
Tickets for this incredible night of championship fights are available NOW at CFFC.tv and the Hard Rock Live Box Office. Additional bouts for this card will be announced in the coming weeks.
“The boardwalk in Atlantic City has hosted some of the greatest fights in the history of combat sports and we look forward to carrying on that tradition with our new partners at Hard Rock,” said Rob Haydak, President of CFFC. “Joe Lupo and his team are doing a remarkable job in positioning Hard Rock as one of the best properties in the country for gaming, dining, nightlife and entertainment. We couldn’t be more excited to bring two CFFC championship fights to Hard Rock as we look to once again deliver the best regional MMA fights in the industry.”
Joe Lupo, President, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City stated, “We could not be more excited to host Cage Fury Fighting Championships at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City this February 16th. Building a relationship with a premier MMA organization to host the first of many CFFC events at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena for our fight fans to enjoy on the Boardwalk speaks to our continued commitment to world-class entertainment.”
