One of the most popular fighters in Northeast Ohio, the 30-year-old Cleveland product Caraballo is set to make his RFO debut in what promises to be a pivotal bout in his career. The former NAAFS champion was just inches away from a potential UFC contract a few short years ago, as he reeled off six straight victories after dropping to the featherweight division. Then came a loss to big show veteran Deividas Taurosevicius at Ring of Combat XLIII, a loss that started a skid that saw “The Tank” drop three of four. But he recently rebounded with a pair of impressive wins, stopping UFC veteran Tommy Hayden last June and then earning a unanimous decision over the well-respected Cody Stevens in October.
Richardson will make the trek up to Ohio from South Carolina, as the 31-year-old is a three-time veteran of the XFC promotion during their AXS TV days. He has recently been competing in the North Carolina-based Fight Lab promotion, where he possesses a 9-1 record, including four straight wins in the last year. “The Rockstar” holds notable wins over Bellator veteran Rodrigo Lima, D’Juan Owens, and Dustin Walden.
This is the second professional bout added to Big Guns 16, as we reported last week that fast-rising heavyweight prospects Jeff Hughes and Curt Lemmon will also square off.
RFO Big Guns 16: The Summit takes place on August 22nd at the Summit County Fairgrounds in Tallmadge, Ohio.