Less than two weeks was seemingly enough time for Blayne Richards to prepare for a major regional title fight, as the short-notice welterweight prospect overcame Raheam Forest on Friday night to pick up CFFC gold.
Richards earned a quick win in the main event of CFFC 136 from the 4 Bears Casino & Lodge from New Town, North Dakota, USA this weekend, making him the latest 170-pound champ in the promotion’s history.
A sudden burst of energy in the opening round allowed Richards to put the fight away early. After a strong start from Forest, using clinch positions to control the fight for half of the opening round, Richards ended up on his back after a trip takedown attempt.
The slick grappling skills of Richards was on display while on the back of Forest, slipping in a rear naked choke to force a tap in the bout’s first round.
“Too quick, too slick, too good for these guys,” he said afterward. “I had one thing to do this weekend, and that was become undeniable. At this point I’m un-f******-deniable.”
The fight was easily the biggest win yet in the career of Richards, who has now pieced together six consecutive wins on the U.S. regionals. Among previous victories were a pair of CFFC appearances, beating prospects Hugh Pulley and Eric Nolan.
Richards wasn’t even initially in the plans for this weekend, as Forest was originally booked to meet Gage Saunders in a fight for the vacant bout. However, with 12 days to go before the event, Saunders withdrew from the card and Richards was called to step up for the title fight. Now with a title around his waist, Richards is calling for a spot on the UFC roster.
Forest entered Friday with the goal of regaining the CFFC Welterweight Championship. He initially captured the belt in late 2022, beating Collin Lubberts via split decision at CFFC 115. He lost the title a few months later, getting submitted by now-UFC talent Charles Radtke.
27-year-old Forest was returning to CFFC after failing to capture a UFC contract on last year’s season of “Dana White’s Contender Series,” getting stopped in 89 seconds by Danny Barlow. He has now been finished in three of his last four fights, a tough stretch for a prospect who at one point looked ready to break into a bigger promotion.
Undefeated Hasan Scores First Submission Win In CFFC Flyweight Title Clash
Bilal Hasan showed a new side to his game on Friday night, scoring his first-ever career submission win to capture the CFFC Flyweight Championship.
Hasan notched a second-round rear naked choke against Jose Leon in Friday’s co-main event, keeping him undefeated and earning him a regional title for the first time.
Hasan found the back of Leon suddenly in the second round, getting into the position roughly a minute after catching a leg for a sweep takedown. He fully applied the rear naked choke from the back, forcing a tap by Leon to end the fight.
The finishing sequence came after an aggressive opening round from Hasan, which saw him walk Leon down at stand-up range. He pieced together solid shots throughout the round, including a right hook which caused a knockdown at one point, but also notably ate some punches on the return as well.
23-year-old Hasan entered this weekend with the reputation of being a knockout artist. Among his four previous pro wins in CFFC were three finishes, including a highlight-reel spinning back kick knockout earlier this year. The title win on Friday proved that he could get fights done on the canvas as well.
“I want to show that I have so many skills, so many tools in my arsenal,” Hasan said in his post-fight interview. “I’m still young, I’ve got so much to prove. I’m happy with tonight’s performance, I’m glad I have a submission in the repertoire.”
Hasan now has an undefeated record of five wins since his debut in late 2022, all of which have come inside the CFFC cage. Leon, who notably took the fight on short notice, came in with a record of two wins and two losses.
Main Card (9:00PM EDT / 8:00PM CDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 10: Blayne Richards def. Raheam Forest via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 3:20) (Vacant CFFC Welterweight Championship)
Bout 9: Bilal Hasan def. Jose Leon via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 2:16) (Vacant CFFC Flyweight Championship)
Bout 8: Austin Clayton def. Andrew Huckeby via TKO, Doctor Stoppage (RD 2, 5:00)
Bout 7: John Nguyen def. Chris Vasil via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Loai Abushaar def. Joe Boerschig via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 3:09)
Bout 5: Frank Rayford def. Jeremy Titsworth via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:24)
Preliminary Card (7:00PM EDT / 6:00PM CDT)
Bout 4: Micaela Rampage def. Lorren Dullum via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 1:44)
Bout 3: Anthony Jagel def. Dylan Brigman via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Kevin Gutierrez def. Taylor Michels via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 2:45) (Amateur)
Bout 1: Sam Footh def. Isaiah Spitzer via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:46) (Amateur)
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