(PRESS RELEASE) -- Two titles will be on this line this Saturday night when the 52nd installment of Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) makes its last trip to the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa this year. Besides the CFFC lightweight title bout between current champion Darrell Horcher and hungry challenger, Stephen Regman, thie even will also feature Ricky Bandejas versus Nick Pace for the vacant CFFC bantamweight title.
Although Pace took a break from MMA, the Tiger Schulmann (TSK) product debuted in Glory in 2013 in a kickboxing bout with a decision victory over former CFFC featherweight champion and current UFC fighter, Levan Makashivili. “Glory was another great adventure of mine,” stated Pace. “I wanted to do some kickboxing to tighten up my stand up for MMA. Turns out, I'm fighting Levan and he's a badass. We fought and I found out later on that he was fighting in Glory for the same reason I was. We still train together and are friends.”
Now Pace turns his attention to an undefeated, young, and hungry fighter in Ricky Bandejas. “I was never good with assessing other fighters,” responded Pace. “I know what I can do and he knows what he can do. That's the reason we fight, to decide who's better. I'd say for the CFFC to choose this fight between us, I'm guessing he's good. My prediction, I don't make predictions. I make things happen.”
"Nick is a great addition to the CFFC bantamweight division,” exclaimed CFFC CEO Robert Haydak Jr. “His resume speaks for itself and I fully expect him to test Ricky like never before.”
Pace’s opponent, Ricky Bandejas (5-0) has fought all of his professional fights in CFFC and isn’t concerned with his opponent’s UFC experience. “Nick Pace having a UFC experience does not intimidate me in anyway,” exclaimed Bandejas. “I train with some of best in the world on a daily basis and if anything, it gets me pumped to train and work very hard every time I am in the gym.”
Pace hasn’t lost in the professional ranks and has been with CFFC ever since he turned professional – a combination he is comfortable with. “Having a 5-0 record feels pretty good,” said Bandejas with a smile. “Just shows that all my hard work has been paying off. My confidence is
definitely at an all-time high, just from training under Nick Catone and having the guys I workout with on a daily basis.”
“Fighting for the CFFC title is a huge accomplishment for me being they are the number one ranked regional show and the fact the last two bantamweight champs (Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera) went to the UFC. By winning this title, it would just be another step in the right direction in fulfilling my dream.”
In regards to an assessment of his opponent, Bandejas keeps it simple. “Pace comes from TSK, a kickboxing based camp, but he's well rounded everywhere and comes to fight,” said Bandejas. “I see myself coming out with the win. This is my first fight camp that I am training full time. My previous camps I was only able to get in the gym three to four days a week because of my work schedule. I've been training a lot this camp with one of the best bantamweights in the world, Marlon Moraes for this fight. I also added strength and conditioning into my routine with strength coach Brain Blue for this camp. I never really did strength & conditioning for a full camp in the past and I feel it's made a huge difference. Keep an eye on this fight it is going to be my best performance to date.”
"Ricky deserves this title shot,” continued Haydak. “In his young career, he's already dealt with the pitfalls of competing on the regional level. He's had numerous opponent changes and always stepped up to the challenge and persevered. I fully expect him to transition to the UFC one day. A win on Saturday night could make that happen much quicker. "
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About Cage Fury Fighting Championships
Cage Fury Fighting Championships is a pioneer in bringing prominent and elite MMA talent to the East Coast. Since CFFC’s debut, past, and current champions have competed at the highest level. Before they were in the UFC, Jim and Dan Miller were both CFFC champions. That legacy remains the same today. Six recent CFFC champions, George Sullivan, Aljamain Sterling, Paul Felder, Jonavin Webb, Lyman Good, and Jimmie Rivera are currently on the UFC roster. Current UFC fighters Zach Makovsky, Nick Catone, Nah-Shon Burrell, John Howard, and Ron Stallings have also competed in CFFC prior to their entry to the UFC. Also, CFFC helped jumpstart the career of Internet fighting sensation Kimbo Slice, whose first foray into MMA came in the CFFC cage when he fought former boxing champion Ray “Merciless” Mercer. CFFC continues to thrive as one of the best regional promotions in the world while focusing on treating fighters with respect and giving the fans the ultimate MMA experience.