Two Pro Series Title Fights Set to Headline Caged Fury 9 in Cleveland, OH

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The NAAFS returns to Gray’s Armory in downtown Cleveland, OH on Saturday February 20th for Caged Fury 9, an event that will feature the stars of both the Pro & National Amateur Series in action live. This event will be headlined by two Pro Series title fights, the first round of the Pro Series Featherweight title tournament, as well as featuring some of the top stars in the promotion battling it out inside the NAAFS cage.

A new Pro Series Heavyweight champion will be crowned at Caged Fury 9 when “Cujo” Joe McCall (8-1) of Matt Hughes’ Hit Squad takes on 2008 National Amateur Co-Heavyweight Champion “Big” John Hawk (9-0-1) for the vacant championship. McCall is coming off a victory at the 3rd Annual Rock N Rumble over UFC veteran Josh “Heavy” Hendricks, where as Hawk recently defeated Thad Schlichter at Night of Champions 2009 in en epic battle. McCall is looking to become the first ever two-time Pro Series Champion, while Hawk is looking to become the second competitor to win both amateur and professional NAAFS gold.

Current NAAFS Interim Pro Series Lightweight Champion Frank “The Tank” Caraballo (12-4) defends his title for the first time at Caged Fury 9 against Vision MMA’s Daniel Straus (13-4) of Cincinnati, OH. Caraballo, now training with Strong Style Fight Team, captured the title at the 3rd Annual Rock N Rumble. Straus made history at Night of Champions 2009 by becoming the first person to defeat “Smokin” Joe Heiland in his MMA career and now Straus has his sights on Frank Caraballo and the Interim Pro Series Lightweight title.

The first round of the Pro Series Featherweight tournament to determine a new champion will take place at Caged Fury 9 on February 20th. Instigator Fight Team’s Dustin “The Reaper” Kempf (14-5) will be facing Team GriffonRawl’s Donny “Eagle Eye” Walker (10-6), while 2006 National Amateur Lightweight Champion Mike Nesto (12-6) of Shrader’s MMA takes on Team Predator’s Nick Sorg (7-6) in respective first round fights. The winners will face off with each other at Fight Night in the Flats VI in June to determine the new Pro Series Featherweight Champion.

In addition to the these Pro Series fights with championship ramifications, Caged Fury 8 will also feature the NAAFS debut of former NFL star Bobby Jones, the pro debut of 2006 National Amateur Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Ellison, and the highly anticipated return of top HW prospect Stipe Miocic to the NAAFS!

Tickets for NAAFS Caged Fury 9 on Saturday February 20th, 2010 from Gray’s Armory in downtown Cleveland, OH will go on sale this Friday, December 18th and will be available by logging onto NAAFS.tv or by calling the official NAAFS ticket line at 330-280-8442. For more information on the NAAFS, log onto www.NAAFS.tv.

NAAFS Caged Fury 9 Fight Card
February 20th, 2010 * Gray's Armory * Cleveland, OH

Featured Pro Series Bouts

Pro Series Heavyweight Title
"Big" John Hawk 9-0-1 (Strong Style Fight Team)
2008 National Amateur Co-Heavyweight Champion
vs.
"Cujo" Joe McCall 7-1 (The Hit Squad)
Former Pro Series Heavyweight Champion

A new NAAFS Pro Series Heavyweight Champion will be crowned at Caged Fury 9 when former champion "Cujo" Joe McCall (7-1) takes on 2008 National Amateur Co-Heavyweight Champion "Big" John Hawk (9-0-1) in a highly antcipated collosal showdown. Since losing the title to Justin Black at Columbus Night of Pain 4 in September of 2008, McCall has been on a mission to reclaim the gold and become the first ever two time Pro Series Champion. He cemented his status as the top contender in the division by defeating UFC veteran Josh "Heavy" Hendricks at last year's Rock N Rumble event in Cleveland, OH and now he has the title shot he's since longed for at Caged Fury 9. "Big" John Hawk made his intentions known when he signed a three fight deal with the NAAFS last fall that he wants the belt. After remaining unbeaten througout his amateur career, Hawk has done more of the same in the pro division with wins over names like Josh Stansbury and Thad Schlichter. Now these two former friends turned rivals will do battle at Caged Fury 9 to determine once and for all who is the man to beat in the NAAFS Pro Series Heavyweight division.

Interim Pro Series Lightweight Title
Daniel Straus 13-4-1 (Vision MMA)
Challenger
vs
Frank "The Tank" Caraballo 12-4 (Strong Style Fight Team)
Interim Pro Series Lightweight Champion

The Interim Pro Series Lightweight Title will be on the line when current champion Frank "The Tank" Caraballo (12-4) defends the gold for the first time against top contender Daniel Straus (13-4-1) of Vision MMA. Caraballo is considered by many to be one of the most dedicated fighters in the NAAFS and that dedication paid off in the form of the Interim Pro Series Lightweight Title at last year's Rock N Rumble. At Caged Fury 9 he looks to become the first ever Pro Series champion to successfully defend his belt. Daniel Straus made an immediate impact in the NAAFS, defeating the previously unbeaten "Smokin" Joe Heiland at Night of Champions by Unanimous Decision. After working his way through smaller organizations, Straus has already proven that he has the skill set to take out some of the top names in the NAAFS. Will Frank Caraballo be the one to break the alleged curse of the Pro Series title or will Daniel Straus keep the tradition alive when he is crowned the new interim Pro Series Lightweight champion? The entire NAAFS Nation will find out at Caged Fury 9.

Pro Series Featherweight Title Tournament - First Round
Dustin "The Reaper" Kempf 13-5 (Instigator Fight Team)
vs.
Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker 10-6 (Team GriffonRawl)

The first round of the tournament to crown a new NAAFS Pro Series Featherweight Champion will take place at Caged Fury 9 with one half of the bracket pitting Dustin "The Reaper" Kempf (13-5) of Instigator Fight Team against Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker (10-6) of Team GriffonRawl. Both of these competitors are very familiar names to the NAAFS Nation with roots dating back to the origins of the promotion. Walker is the only competitor in the tournament that Kempf has yet to face in his career and they will do battle in the first round of this championship tournament. Donny Walker has stepped inside the cage with some of the toughest competition in the sport and his never say die attitude makes him a lethal threat to go all the way in this tournament. One man will take the next step towards championship gold, while the other will be left watching from the sidelines.

Pro Series Featherweight Title Tournament - First Round
Nick Sorg 7-6 (Team Predator)
vs.
Mike Nesto 12-6 (Shrader's MMA)

The other half of the NAAFS Pro Series Featherweight Title tournament first round bracket will see Nick Sorg (7-6) of Team Predator take on 2006 NAAFS National Amateur Lightweight Champion Mike Nesto (12-6) of Shrader's MMA. Sorg made a statement at Fight Nite in the Flats V with his win over Dustin Kempf and that statement is he is a force to be reckoned with in the Pro Series Featherweight Division. The Findlay native has only faced the toughest competition in his NAAFS tenure and is looking to make a run in the 145 lbs weight class that will culminate in the elusive championship gold. Mike Nesto enters this tournament as the only competitor to have won an NAAFS title, becoming the first ever NAAFS National Amateur Champion when he won the Lightweight title back in 2006. He took some time off but returned at North Coast Showdown 4 where he defeated Brandon Hance to show once again that he is capabale of beating any fighter on any given night. Who will advance to the finals at Fight Nite in the Flats VI? We'll all find out at Caged Fury 9!

Pro Series Heavyweight Division
Bobby Jones 3-0 (Evolve MMA)
vs.
TBA

Pro Series Middleweight Division
Chuck Ellison 8-3 (Instigator Fight Team)
vs.
TBA

National Amateur Series Bouts

265 lbs - Stipe Miocic 5-0 (Strong Style) vs Nate Loughran 7-2-1 (Follansbee, WV)

170 lbs - Reggie Parks 7-2 (GriffonRawl) vs Travis Soto 5-0 (Vander)

170 lbs - Chris Trippi 6-0 (Strong Style) vs TBA

205 lbs - Chris Green 8-3 vs Jason Butcher 5-1 (Team Jorge Gurgel)

155 lbs - Kenny Jackson 4-1 (Strong Style) vs Marcus Daniels 3-0 (Pain Headquarters)

145 lbs - RJ Buck 4-1 (Ohio BJJC) vs Ben Quigley 5-1 (Team DNA) 

130 lbs - Marie Colangelo 3-2 (East Side Combat Club) vs Chelsea Herring 2-0 (TFG MMA)

155 lbs - Bryon McCrosky 6-3 (Griffon Rawl) vs TBA

185 lbs -Jesus Santiago 3-2 (Cleveland, Oh) vs Cory Bresson 2-1 (Kombat MMA)

*CARD SUBJECT TO CHANGE*