Louis Gaudinot Captures CFFC Flyweight Title, Hopes for Return to UFC

PHILADELPHIA -- Onetime UFC flyweight Louis Gaudinot took the Cage Fury Fighting Championships 125-pound title from Sidemar Honorio in the main event of CFFC 57, which took place Saturday at 2300 Arena.

With the fight having been rescheduled multiple times, Gaudinot later told Sherdog.com that he had been in training to face Honorio for “four or five months.” All the training was rewarded for the Team Tiger Schulmann product, as Gaudinot became the new champ less than one minute into the opening round. He attacked Honorio with a flurry of punches to force referee Dan Miragliotta to end the title fight after 59 seconds.

After the bout, Gaudinot was already looking ahead.

“I feel like I’m a big fish in a little pond,” Gaudinot told Sherdog.com after the bout. “It’d be cool to defend the belt five times in a row, but I’d rather be fighting in the UFC, alternating wins and losses, but be at that level. I don’t want to win 10 fights in a row at this level. I want to go to UFC level and test myself with those guys. I’ve been top-10. I fought top-10 guys. I have a chip on my shoulder.

“CFFC has been great to me, but I don’t belong here. I belong fighting the best in the world because that’s what I am.”

In the second of three CFFC title fights on the evening, Katlyn Chookagian won her second belt in as many bouts, this time at bantamweight. After both Chookagian and opponent Stephanie Bragayrac agreed on a 130-pound catchweight bout, CFFC put a new title on the line. Though she’s not expected to defend the belt, Chookagian did show off her strength with a fight-ending knee just 45 seconds into the bout.

“I was really proud of my last fight,” Chookagian told Sherdog.com. “[It was] a five-round fight, and I had three 10-8 rounds, but I was a little salty because everyone was saying, ‘You’re too nice. You could’ve finished that fight.’ I’ll tell you what, I was trying to finish that fight. She was tough. I came in and wanted to show everyone how versatile I am. I’m a power puncher.”

At lightweight, Jeff Lentz was supposed to defend his belt against Bill Algeo. But, when Algeo failed to make weight, it became a bout in which only Lentz could retain the title, while Algeo could not win it. The CFFC lightweight belt is now vacant after Algeo used his reach effectively to keep Lentz at bay on his way to a five-round unanimous decision.

In other main card action, Azunna Anyanwu outlasted Chris Birchler in a heavyweight bout, eventually winning a unanimous decision.

After two losses to Anthony Smith, Tim Williams rebounded with his second straight win. Williams scored a split decision over Ruslan Melikov in a middleweight bout.

Bassil Hafez used takedowns in every round to outwork Robert Plotkin via unanimous decision.

In the first women’s bout on the card, Bobbi Jo Dalziel used a huge head kick to knock out Andria Wawro just 30 seconds into the first round.

The only amateur bout on the card saw Tim Tyler score a split decision win over Bobby Malcolm to open the show.