MMA
CFFC NextGen 3: Berardelli vs. Oltmanns headlines Atlantic City amateur title fightCFFC NextGen 3: Berardelli vs. Oltmanns headlines Atlantic City amateur doubleheader
Published
6 months agoon
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – After two unique events in 2025, Cage Fury Fighting Championships returns with its first The next generation card of the year 2026.
CFFC NextGen 3: Berardelli vs. the Oltmanns takes place Saturday, May 2 at the stunning Sound Waves at Demanding Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, along Atlantic City’s historic boardwalk. The card will feature some of the top emerging amateur fighters in the country two championship fights at the top of the ranking.
The NextGen promotional series has quickly become known for showcasing elite prospects in an intimate setting that provides non-stop action and a tense atmosphere.

Main Event: Cade Berardelli vs. Max Oltmanns for the inaugural 182-pound title
In the main fight of the evening, rising Cade Berardelli (7-1) will face Max Oltmanns (4-2) for the championship title. inaugural CFFC 182-pound championships.
22-year-old Berardelli, representing Webb MMA & Fitness, has become one of the organization’s most invigorating juvenile athletes. Known as “Ace of spades”, comes into the fight with momentum and a reputation for striking aggressively.
The person standing in front of him will be menacing and threatening “Stretched” by Oltmannwho brings a versatile skill set and hopes to win a historic belt in what could prove to be a defining moment in his career.

Co-main event: Undefeated fighters fight for the interim 175-pound belt
The co-main event will be an intriguing fight between two undefeated fighters.
Giorgi Barliani (4-0) faced Jack McCaffrey (5-0). interim 175-pound championship.
With the reigning title holder James Lledo this fight, now sidelined, represents a huge opportunity for both rising fighters to become top contenders in the division.
CFFC CEO Rob Haydak excited about the return of the next generation
According to Rob Haydak, the promotion is expecting another unforgettable night of fights.
“Our first two NextGen events were absolutely amazing and truly some of the most fun fights we have ever hosted,” Haydak said.
“When we combine our commitment to creating the best events in sports with the incredible talent of emerging athletes and place it in a spectacular setting like Sound Waves, we get fast-paced, incredible action from start to finish in an evening of action that simply cannot be missed.”
Tickets for both previous NextGen events have sold out, and officials expect the same result for the Atlantic City show.
Additional fights confirmed for CFFC NextGen 3
Several invigorating amateur fights have already been announced, including:
- Devon Coates (8-2) vs. James “Florida Boy” Gavra (5-2)
- David Crow (3-1) vs. Mike O’Brien (3-1)
- Rafael Argenas (4-1) vs. Kson Newborn (2-0-1)
- Gavin McQuade (6-2) vs. T’Khi Wood-Smith (5-1)
- Cody Harrison (2-0) vs. Jerome Nelson (2-0)
- Molly McCormack (2-0) vs. Katelyn Ramos (2-0)
- Dilovar Balaev (4-2) vs. Mitch White (5-2)
The NextGen Series continues to focus on identifying and developing the next wave of MMA talent across the United States.
Unique CFFC support for amateur players
Unlike most amateur promotions, the CFFC provides players with extensive support. Competitors competing at Next Generation 3 get facilitate with costs of pre-fight treatment, travel, accommodation and other expenseswhile coaches are also reimbursed for classic running costs.
The initiative reflects the CFFC’s commitment to supporting the next generation of sport in its transition from amateur competition to the professional stage.
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MMA
UFC 331 upset winner reveals ‘crazy’ decisions behind $600K debt
Published
2 hours agoon
September 23, 2026
Sharaf is planning on getting a financial advisor after making
several terrible decisions.
Sharaf (5-2) was a massive underdog going into his
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout against
Gable
Steveson at UFC
331, where he recorded a 12-second knockout in a historic
upset. He revealed before the bout that he was in heavy debt.
Sean Sharaf discusses ‘crazy' ways he blew up money to end up
in debt
Sharaf earned a $50,000 promotional bonus from Paramount+ for his
win over Steveson. Dana
White added $50,000 of his own to double Sharaf's bonus, while
revealing that the UFC heavyweight was $600,000 in debt.
Sharaf recently revealed how he gradually came under massive debt.
The former U.S. Marine admits to making terrible financial
decisions like buying a truck he couldn't afford. Sharaf also
started gambling when he first moved to Las Vegas in the hope of
meeting White, who frequents casinos.
Sharaf eventually had to borrow money from his mother. He took an
advance from his management company for UFC 331 so that he could
train in Vegas, as he lives with his mother in California now.
Sharaf barely has any assets in his name and banks regularly keep
hounding him. However, his life will hopefully change after his
last win, considering he plans to consult a financial advisor
now.
“I just made a lot of very crazy financial decisions,†Sharaf told
ESPN MMA. “So, I had a TRX I couldn't afford. Blew $120,000 on that
thing. I was trying to help my mom sometimes. But more times I
actually had borrowed money from her. I got an advance on my purse
from my management so I could have my camp in Vegas… I gambled a
lot of money when I first moved to Vegas. I was trying to meet
Dana… I don't have anything in my name. The banks call you every
single day… I think I'm getting a financial advisor.â€
MMA
Marlon Vera reveals $200K robbery on eve of Sean O’Malley title fight
Published
3 hours agoon
September 23, 2026
Vera's house was broken into while he was getting ready to
challenge Sean
O’Malley for the title.
Vera made an unsuccessful
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title bid against
O'Malley in 2024 in Miami. He recently revealed that his house in
California was broken into the night before the fight. When the
cameras went off at night, Vera's wife thought it was due to a
power cut. The next morning, the police informed Vera that his
house had been robbed.
Marlon Vera says his watch collection was stolen from his
California home before UFC 299
Vera wasn't happy to hear the news just hours before the biggest
fight of his career. Vera's watch collection, worth approximately
$200,000, was stolen. While someone informed Vera about a suspect,
the police never caught the culprit. Vera also believes it could be
someone who knew him, as they entered, found the watch collection
without rummaging through the house and exited within five
minutes.
“The night before the fight, the cameras went off,†Vera told
Michael
Bisping. “My wife was like, ‘Oh, maybe it's the electricity.'
The next morning, I wake up like, ‘F*ck yeah, title fight. Today
life changed.' Then the phone rings and the cops are like, ‘Hey
dude, they just robbed your house last night around 7 p.m.' I said,
‘Right now I don't have time for this; I'm fighting tonight.' The
cops know who I am; they were like, ‘No, we get it; we just thought
we’d let you know.' I'm like, ‘Wrong time to let me know.' They
told me they took my safe. I lost like $200K because I'm a watch
collector. Those were kind of investments. Those watches are money.
I'm counting in my head like, ‘Now I'm $200K short.' The cops never
found the guy. I have a photo and I have this random person
accusing, like, ‘Oh, I know this guy. His name is blah, blah.' The
guy came in, took the safe and took it through the front door. It
took him five minutes.â€
Vera (24-12) went on a four-fight skid starting with the failed
title challenge against O'Malley. “Chito†finally ended the slump
with a stoppage win over Charles
Jourdain at UFC 331.
MMA
Alexandre Pantoja should retire following UFC 331 loss, says Demetrious Johnson: "You've done your thing"
Published
4 hours agoon
September 23, 2026
Zuffa LLCAlexandre Pantoja may be wise to ride off into the sunset following UFC 331, at least that's what Demetrious Johnson thinks.
Pantoja hoped to prove that he's still the true king of the flyweight division when he shared the Octagon with Joshua Van a second time this past Saturday. Their first encounter ended prematurely when Pantoja suffered an arm injury. While the second clash was a five-round affair that earned “Fight of the Night†bonuses, it was Van who walked out of the Crypto.com Arena still the 125-pound ruler.
So, where does that leave Pantoja now? During a post-UFC 331 edition of the “Precision Pod,†Johnson told Israel Adesanya that he feels now would be a good time for Pantoja to walk away from pro MMA competition given his place in the flyweight division without a title (via MMAJunkie).
“It's hard because he was a champion, and he's beat Brandon Moreno, he's beat Brandon Royval,†Johnson said. “I don't know if he's beat Manel Kape, but Manel Kape is going to be fighting Joshua Van next. So it's kind of interesting because he's in the no-man's land where he's beaten everyone already. The only guys he can fight now are just newcomers. He's not going to fight Kyoji Horiguchi because they're teammates. You don't want to knock down an upcoming newcomer because Pantoja is 36. That's where my black ass just goes, ‘Dog, ride off into the sunset. You don't need to get hit. You don't need concussions anymore. You've done your thing.’â€
Whether or not Pantoja feels the same way remains to be seen. The former flyweight champion will be turning 37 in April, and he's already cemented his legacy with a lengthy run at the top of his weight class. Pantoja has long dismissed the possibility of moving up to bantamweight, but perhaps the loss to Van will give him something to consider.
Where should Alexandre Pantoja go from here? Is retirement a strong possibility? If not, should he stick around at flyweight or move up to 135 pounds? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
UFC 331 upset winner reveals ‘crazy’ decisions behind $600K debt
Marlon Vera reveals $200K robbery on eve of Sean O’Malley title fight
Alexandre Pantoja should retire following UFC 331 loss, says Demetrious Johnson: "You've done your thing"
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