โค๏ธ 1 likes
Hall of Famer Paul Felder, former champs Sean Brady, Nikolas Motta lead list of six CFFC vets nominated for World MMA AwardsHighlighting the best performances in MMA from July 2024 through June 2025, 17th Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards live show slated for later this year.Hall of Famer Paul Felder and former champions Sean Brady and Nikolas Motta were among the six Cage Fury Fighting Championships veterans to receive nominations for the 17th Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards.Nominees for this year's World MMA Awards โ which highlight the sport's best performances from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 โ were revealed today, and voting for all categories is live now, concluding on October 6. Winners will be announced at a live awards show later this year.Felder, who retired from competition in 2021, was nominated in the Analyst of the Year category, awarded to "a leading TV analyst whose ability to break down and report on a fight or style is second to none."Felder is nominated alongside UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy, women's broadcasting pioneer Laura Sanko, and frequent CFFC commentator Din Thomas.Meanwhile, Brady was nominated in the Breakthrough Fighter of the Year category, "awarded to the fighter whose outstanding performances during the year have elevated their profile and status sufficiently to increase the level of future competition and ranking within the sport."The Philadelphia native went 2-0 with wins over Gilbert Burns and former UFC champion Leon Edwards during the eligibility period. Between those results, he also returned to the CFFC BJJ mats, scoring a submission win over grappling standout Richie "Boogeyman" Martinez.Brady picked up one submission victory under the CFFC NextGen banner before making his professional debut with the promotion and going a perfect 8-0 for the company, claiming the welterweight belt in 2017 and defending it twice before making his UFC debut.Former CFFC lightweight champion Motta actually shared a "Fight of the Year" nomination with fellow CFFC vet Nazim Sadykhov for their epic UFC on ABC 8 clash in Baku, Azerbaijan.Motta was 2-0 under the CFFC banner before getting the call to Dana White's Contender Series in 2020 and earning his way to the UFC. Meanwhile, Sadykhov was 2-0 as a professional under the CFFC banner, as well as 1-0 in the promotion's NextGen division. "Black Wolf" also made his move to the UFC through Dana White's Contender Series.Additionally, current UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was nominated in this year's Charles "Mask" Lewis Fighter of the Year category after going 3-0 during the nomination period and winning his title with a victory over Sean O'Malley. The Georgian native also registering two successful defenses with a victory over Umar Nurmagomedov and a win in a rematch with O'Malley.Dvalishvili fought for CFFC in 2014, losing a decision to future Bellator MMA standout Ricky Bandejas at CFFC 43 in Atlantic City. "The Machine" also appeared for CFFC BJJ 2 in 2021, dropping a decision to future title challenger Kevin Dantzler in Philadelphia.Meanwhile, two-time CFFC veteran Jasmine Jasudavicius was nominated in the Female Fighter of the Year category, going an incredible 4-0 in the period with wins over former UFC champion Jessica Andrade, Mayra Bueno Silva, Ariane da Silva and former CFFC double champion Fatima Kline. The wins over Andrade and da Silva also earned the Canadian standout "Performance of the Night" bonuses.Jasudavicius went 1-1 during her time with CFFC in 2020, scoring a TKO win over Gabriella Gulfin before dropping a hotly contested split-decision result to Elise Reed in a failed bid for the strawweight title. Reed defended the belt twice before moving to the UFC in 2021, while Jasudavicius earned her UFC contract that same year on Dana White's Contender Series.In addition to the six former CFFC fighters honored, CFFC BJJ veterans Gerald Meerschaert and Phil Rowe each also received nominations in the Comeback of the Year category.Meerschaert earned the recognition for his come-from-behind submission win over Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC on ESPN 62, while Rowe was given the nod for his incredible TKO rally against Ange Loosa at UFC on ESPN 69.Five-time CFFC veteran Charalampos Grigoriou is also featured in the category, though on the wrong end of the nomination, after knocking down opponent Toshiomi Kazama and leading 26-2 in significant strikes in their UFC on ESPN 61 matchup before ultimately succumbing to a second-round submission.The next group of athletes looking to make the move from CFFC to the sport's highest levels will be featured on Friday, August 30 at CFFC 145, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS and OnlyFans from New Jersey's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.Stay tuned to CFFC.tv for future announcements regarding CFFC 145.
