Light heavyweight prospect Luke Fernandez showed on Friday night that his long-awaited return to the cage was worth the wait.
Fernandez defended his CFFC Light Heavyweight Championship with an impressive performance on Friday night, putting away past champ Gregg Ellis in the first round with a highlight reel knockout.
A slick counter left hook from Fernandez floored Ellis in the closing seconds of the opening round, giving the defending champ a walk-off victory. The perfectly-timed shot put an end to a fight which worked at a pedestrian pace in the prior minutes, with the light heavyweights mainly working in a body lock position.
The nasty finish – something Fernandez has quickly gained a reputation for delivering – was a long time coming for the champ.
Fernandez spent most of 2024 on the sidelines. CFFC previously attempted to put Fernandez against regional vet Will Dicke on cards in April and August but moved onto a fight with Ellis after both matchups fell through.
“It’s been a f****** long year for me, man,” Fernandez said in his post-fight interview. “Just wanting to get back in here. I hate being on the shelf. I want to be the talk of the town, I want to be the guy. Every month that went by where I wasn’t training, off that injury, waiting for my surgery, it was just making me more hungry. But I’m just glad to be here.”
The 29-year-old has already accomplished a lot after just four fights in his pro career.
Last year, he captured the CFFC Light Heavyweight Championship with a second-round stoppage win over Peter New. Before then, Fernandez had an undefeated record of two pro wins and six amateur victories, with only one of the fights not ending via finish.
Fernandez feels he is ready for a deal with a bigger MMA promotion.
“If you’re gonna bet on me, you should double down … I’m looking forward to that future next step,” said Fernandez, as a noticeable crowd of supporters chanted “UFC.” “Whenever that comes, I know me and my coach have already talked, we’re ready for when that comes. So hit me up, hit my line.
Friday night marked the light heavyweight debut for Ellis. His decision to move up a weight class coincided with the end of his time as CFFC Middleweight Champion, which came to an end in 2023 with a decision defeat against former UFC talent Kyle Daukaus.
CFFC’s main card was action-packed on Friday, with three other main card fights ending in the first round. Here are the quick results:
Main Card (9:00PM EST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 11: Luke Fernandez def. Gregg Ellis via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:49) (CFFC Light Heavyweight Championship)
Bout 10: Christian McAuley def. Elijah Harris via Submission, Anaconda Choke (RD 1, 1:52)
Bout 9: Riley Palmer def. Hunter Starner via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:48)
Bout 8: Busurman Zhumagul def. Gabriel Augusto via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:21)
Bout 7: Mark Grey def. Filipe Esteves via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Eric Nolan def. Trevor Gudde via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:17)
Preliminary Card (7:00PM EST)
Bout 5: Frank Wells def. Roman Kurashvili via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Erica Valentin def. Taylor Samarco via Decision, Split
Bout 3: Ben Coyle def. Alex De La Cruz via Submission, Armbar (RD 2, 2:37)
Bout 2: Jared Rivera def. Zayne Havener via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Christian Bobe def. John Hancock via Submission, Armbar (RD 3, 4:20)
Knockdown News 