Undefeated prospect Blake Bilder defended his CFFC Featherweight Championship for the first time on Friday night, securing an explosive third-round finish win against Bellator alum Regivaldo Carvalho with strikes.
Bilder’s win headlined CFFC 107, which took place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.
Bilder dropped Carvalho with a two-punch combination of hooks to the head during the third round. These punches made Carvalho fall hard, allowing Bilder to end the fight on the ground with punches.
Bilder was clearly closing in on a win before, unloading with shots against a defensive Carvalho earlier in the round.
The fighters arguably earned a round each before the finish in the third round.
Carvalho had Bilder in trouble on the feet early. He scored two knockdowns in the opening frame, using punches to bring Bilder down briefly. Bilder recovered from these positions, often using takedowns to slow Carvalho down.
Bilder started the second round strong, dropping Carvalho with a left hook. He then controlled most of the frame by mounting the back of Carvalho and periodically landing punches.
Bilder was emotional in his post-fight interview, dedicating his fight to those who deal with mental health issues.
“A month ago my little brother took his own life … As somebody that has gone through depression, as somebody that has gone through anxiety and mental health, I just want to be an advocate and just let you know that I’m fighting for you,” said Bilder in his post-fight interview.
Bilder earned the CFFC Featherweight Championship in late 2021, submitting Frank Buenafuente in the second round of a bout.
Carvalho was given the title fight after winning a CFFC bout against Timothy Teves last year, scoring a first-round submission win.
Campbell Continues Strong Run With Quick Finish
Bellator alum Charlie Campbell made quick work of Guilherme dos Santos in the co-main event, finishing him in the first round with strikes.
Campbell hurt dos Santos with right hands on the feet, backing him up and then eventually flooring him with these shots.
Campbell now has a strong four-fight winning streak that includes two performances in Bellator.
Campbell accepted the fight on this card despite dos Santos missing weight for the bout on Thursday, per the broadcast.
Dos Santos was making his CFFC debut on a three-fight winning streak from performances between 2019 and 2021.
Undefeated Velasco Catches Smart With Heel Hook
Undefeated heavyweight Greg Velasco scored a sudden second-round submission against Edwin Smart for his fourth pro win on Friday night.
Velasco caught Smart with a heel hook in the second round during a scramble on the ground.
Earlier moments in the fight saw the heavyweights compete in clinch positions and included a brief grappling exchange on the ground.
Velasco has scored four wins via stoppage since he turned pro in May 2021. His previous win was a rear naked choke submission against Willie Tarpley late last year.
Smart was fighting for the first time since 2019 when he was stopped by Jimmy Lawson on a Ring of Combat card.
Miller Sneaks By Nolan With Split Decision Win
Ty Miller scored his second pro win on Friday night, picking up a split decision victory against Eric Nolan.
All three rounds of the fight played out in a similar fashion. Miller remained active on the feet with striking, and Nolan would attempt to slow this momentum with takedowns. Nolan would be able to get Miller down during the fight, but it would be for only brief amounts of time.
Both fighters were coming off successful pro debuts.
Miller had his first pro fight just two months back, scoring a first-round finish win against Justin Dorsey.
Nolan appeared on a CFFC card late last year, defeating Shane WhiteEagle via unanimous decision.
Rizco Bounces Back Against Murphy
Ryan Rizco had a hard-fought win against Michael Murphy on Friday night, defeating him via unanimous decision after three grappling-heavy rounds.
Rizco opened the fight with some ground control. Murphy had a strong finish to the opening round, as he unloaded with hard punches and elbows to the head of Rizco in a ground position.
Rizco controlled most of the second round by dominating grappling positions. He remained focused on grappling in the third round, although Murphy remained active from his back with striking.
Rizco, a CFFC veteran, was fighting to bounce back from a finish loss he took against Yanal Ashmoz in October 2021.
Murphy’s three previous wins resulted in a draw and two finish victories.
Grigoriou Picks Up Win Against Short-Notice Opponent
Charalampos Grigoriou put an end to a dominant performance in the second round on Friday night, finishing short-notice opponent Joey Crisostomo with ground and pound shots.
A steady pace of shots from Grigoriou caused the referee to step in and end the fight late in the second round. This came after two rounds of dominant wrestling from Grigoriou that kept Cristosomo grounded.
Grigoriou’s previous win was a quick performance, stopping Efren Escareno in just 21 seconds in October 2021.
Crisostomo, a Guam-based fighter, is now on a five-fight losing streak. His last win dates back to 2017.
The Rest of the Card
Ground and pound from Mark Grey earned him a late finish against Hector Iglesias to win his pro debut.
CFFC amateur alum Isaack Watkins won his pro debut on the prelims, defeating Victor Silverio via split decision in a bout that had wildly different scorecards.
BJ Young scored his second consecutive CFFC win to open the card, working toward a unanimous decision win against Vitor Oristanio.
Quick Results
Main Card (8:30PM EDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 9: Blake Bilder def. Regivaldo Carvalho via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 2:53) (CFFC Featherweight Championship)
Bout 8: Charlie Campbell def. Guilherme dos Santos via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 3:16)
Bout 7: Greg Velasco def. Edwin Smart via Submission, Heel Hook (RD 2, 2:45)
Bout 6: Ty Miller def. Eric Nolan via Decision, Split
Bout 5: Ryan Rizco def. Michael Murphy via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Charalampos Grigoriou def. Joey Crisostomo via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:06)
Preliminary Card
Bout 3: Mark Grey def. Hector Iglesias via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 4:13)
Bout 2: Isaack Watkins def. Victor Silverio via Decision, Split
Bout 1: BJ Young def. Vitor Oristanio via Decision, Unanimous
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