When the main event goes down at CFFC 53 on Friday night in Philadelphia, there may be more on the line than just the CFFC heavyweight title.
Current CFFC champion Zu Anyanwu (9-3) and challenger Dan Spohn (11-4) could be fighting for a spot in the UFC, as a win could propel either fighter to the Octagon.
Both fighters have solid resumes, including Anyanwu, who became the CFFC champ in July on his second attempt with a split decison victory over former champion Plinio Cruz.
Anyanwu has been known as a finisher with a devastating right hand, with five career wins via knockout and two via submission. Of his five CFFC wins, three have come via knockout in the first round.
The Bellator veteran is a solid 250-pound heavyweight that many opponents have shied away from facing.
In steps Spohn, a fighter who has already tasted the top of the mountain with a lone UFC appearance. After appearing on “The Ultimate Fighter 19,” the Ohio native dropped a lackluster decision to fellow castmate Patrick Walsh on the live finale.
Spohn is also known as a devastating finisher, first with his 9-second flying knee knockout over Dane Bonnigson at Bellator 51 and then his 10-second knockout over Tyler King in the TUF 19 preliminary fight.
After appearing on TUF, Spohn has had a difficult time finding fights, although he has gone 3-0 with two finishes in the year and a half since the show.
With the inability to find fights, Spohn made the decision to jump to heavyweight in order to stay active.
UFC president Dana White has specifically put an emphasis on finding new talent with his new show “Looking for a Fight,” and he’d be hard-pressed to find two better fighters competing on the regional scene.
Anyanwu has already appeared in Bellator, and he’s a big, powerful heavyweight that could make waves in the UFC. Despite being 34, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva tends to favor signing older heavyweights as they fight until they are older on a more regular basis.
A heavyweight Spohn could also be a great addition to the UFC. Silva typically tells fighters to go get some impressive wins on the reginoal circuit after they are cut, and that’s exactly what Spohn has done. Always a larger 205-pounder, Spohn at 235-240 pounds with the same kind of hand speed could be dangerous.
There has also been a fun back and forth between these two leading up to this fight, making for an even more fun main event on Friday.
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Which fighter will walk away with the CFFC gold, and will it earn him a spot in the UFC?
Check out all of the action from CFFC 53 on Friday night, and either follow along here on BluegrassMMA or order the iPPV via GFL.tv.