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3 Fighters To Watch At CFFC 149 | UFC FIGHT PASS
We Pick Out Three Fighters to Follow at Cage Fury Fighting Championships’ Final MMA Event of 2025, CFFC 149, in Atlantic City on Saturday, December 20.
The action heads to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday night for CFFC 149, the final MMA event of Cage Fury Fighting Championships’ 2025 calendar.
The matchmakers have stacked the deck, with six title fights on the fight card, including four pro titles that will close the show on the main card, which streams live on UFC Fight Pass.
Ahead of fight night, we caught up with CFFC General Manager and play-by-play commentator John Morgan, who picked out a trio of fighters to follow when the main card action gets underway on Saturday night.
Bilal Hasan
A dynamic fighter with bags of personality and an eye for the spectacular, Bilal Hasan has been one of CFFC’s most exciting athletes over the last couple of years, and he takes center stage in Atlantic City this weekend.
The Hawaii-born fighter of Indonesian heritage captured the CFFC flyweight title in only his fifth pro fight back in September 2024, and he’s made two highlight-reel defenses of his title already this year.
On Saturday night, Hasan will look to complete a hat-trick of title defenses in a calendar year when he takes on fellow 7-0 talent Renaldo Manse in the main event of CFFC 149. It’s a matchup between two fighters who both fly the flag of Indonesia, and it promises to be another explosive matchup.
For Hasan, it’s a chance to further highlight his prodigious talent, and for fight fans, it’s an opportunity to watch someone the CFFC brass firmly believes can be a star on the big stage.
“Bilal is must-watch TV every time he steps in the cage or picks up a microphone,” said CFFC General Manager John Morgan.
“At just 24 years old, he's got time on his side, but I'm honestly a little surprised the UFC hasn't called him up already.
“Dynamic striking, slick grappling, and a heck of a personality. His run has been fun to watch.”
Emily Martins
A IBJJF purple-belt no-gi world champion, Emily Martins took just one amateur fight before turning pro and immediately turning heads as a potential star of the future in CFFC.
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After two submission wins in her first to pro fights, Brazil’s Martins, who trains out of the acclaimed American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Florida, looked to be on the fast-track to the top. But a shock first-punch KO at the hande of Auttumn Norton in June 2024 pumped the brakes on her progression.
Martins regrouped and returned in April this year with a rear-naked choke finish of Nikola Kacperska to get back to winning ways. Then came the fight she had been desperate to get ever since her defeat – a rematch with Norton.
This time, the vacant bantamweight title was on the line, and Martins made amends as she battled through some early adversity to claim a third-round rear-naked choke victory, and the women’s 135-pound strap. On Saturday night, “Galega” will look to register the first defense of her title when she takes on Alexa Conners. Guiding her from her corner will be former UFC flyweight contender Jussier Formiga, who is fresh off an impressive victory on his UFC BJJ debut last week.
“Emily is dangerous when the fight hits the floor, and she's not just looking to control the action there – she wants to finish fights,” explained Morgan.
“That we already knew, but in her last appearance in July, we really got to see her heart, durability and determination, battling through a tough start in a rematch against Auttumn Norton and securing a third-round submission to win the title.
“She's just 21, and she's committed to this game. I think there's big possibilities for her in the UFC women's bantamweight division.”
Nick Galanti
A bona fide home-grown CFFC talent, Nick Galanti has fought the entirety of his career, amateur and professional, under the CFFC banner.
The New Jersey middleweight has already captured championship gold, in the form of CFFC’s NextGen amateur middleweight title, and now he has his sights set on the professional equivalent.
The 27-year-old heads into his CFFC 149 bout with Derek Benoit riding an impressive win streak, and with the middleweight title set to be contested between champion Chris Brown and Guram Gochashvili later in the evening, Galanti will be looking to add another statement win to his resumé to put himself next in line to face the winner.
“Nick is a former CFFC NextGen champ who really seems to be turning things up a notch in his pro career after a 2024 setback,” explained Morgan.
“Three straight wins, three straight finishes – and I think I might have been most impressed with his win in August, when he was clearly ahead on the scorecards in the final minute, but kept pushing to get the finish.
“With his Dante Rivera BJJ teammates Luke Fernandez and Eric Nolan added to the UFC roster this year, Galanti is highly motivated to join them, and I think an impressive win here could get him a title shot and move him closer in that direction.”
CFFC 149 Main Card (UFC Fight Pass, 8:30pm ET)
- Champ Ryan Cafaro vs Justin Patton – for featherweight title
- Champ Bilal Hasan vs Renaldy Manse - for flyweight title
- Champ Emily Martins vs Alexa Conners – for women's bantamweight title
- Champ Chris Brown vs Guram Gochashvili – for middleweight title
- Bobby Lee vs Richie Lewis
- Derek Benoit vs Nick Galanti