The Titan Fighting Championships returns with their third event under new CEO Jeff Aronson, as Titan FC 29 emanates from the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C. The main event initially was supposed to see 170-pound standouts Matt Riddle and Ben Saunders battle for the vacant welterweight title, however Riddle bowed out due to injury, a replacement couldn’t be found and Saunders signed with the UFC with permission from the promotion.
Nevertheless, this event still packs a punch with a replacement lightweight championship matchup as the new headlining bout. In addition, the event features a 145-pound title eliminator and a number of UFC veterans scattered throughout the card.
Here are five reasons to tune into Titan FC 29 on Friday night.
Going for gold
In the main event, Canadian Mike Ricci looks to add a championship belt to his resume as he battles fellow UFC veteran George Sotiropoulos. The 28-year-old Tristar fighter is coming off an impressive first round knockout over Jorge Gurgel at Titan FC 27, his first win since his UFC release. Aiming for his first three-fight win streak since 2009, Ricci faces a fellow TUF alumnus in dire need of a victory. Sotiropoulos has lost four straight fights and competes for the first time since his release from the UFC. At 37 years of age, Sotiropoulos needs to prove he’s still relevant in the lightweight picture. The Australian aims to find the form that saw him go on an impressive five-fight win streak in the UFC, which included submission wins over Joe Lauzon and George Roop. Sotiropoulos has eight victories by submission while Ricci has five knockouts on his resume. Don’t expect this contest to go the distance.
Next in line
The night’s co-feature is a very intriguing matchup pitting two fighters looking to establish themselves in the featherweight division. Making his promotional debut, the always exciting Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard takes on takes on UFC veteran Kurt Holobaugh in a featherweight title eliminator. Interestingly enough, Woodard landed his contract with Titan FC by reaching out to the promotion via social media and looks to prove his worth. Fighting for the first time at 145 pounds, the 29-year-old Bellator veteran has only been stopped once in his 17-fight career. Going the distance with former Bellator champion Michael Chandler and earning an impressive stoppage victory over Patricky Freire, Woodard has proven he can hang with some of the best. His opponent Holobaugh is coming off an impressive victory over Eric Marriott at Titan FC 27 where he battered his opponent for three rounds on route to a unanimous decision victory. Boasting a 10-2 record, the 27-year-olds only blemishes were to UFC veterans Steven Siler and Pat Healy. With 13 submission victories between the two of them, it’s likely we could see a jiu-jitsu clinic.
TUF veterans collide
TUF 16 contestant Bristol Marunde makes his Titan FC debut as he battles TUF 14 veteran Micah Miller. The 32-year-old Marunde was released from the UFC after going 0-2 and is coming off a first round submission victory this past April against Ian Williams. The Syndicate MMA product was initially slated to fight Canadian Ryan Ford at a WSOF Canada event, but an injury to the Canadian Ford nixed those plans. Miller–the brother of UFC featherweight Cole Miller–jumps up two weight classes for this fight, as the ATT product previously competed in the featherweight division. The 27-year-old, BJJ brown belt is coming off a submission victory this past April against Eddie Larrea and will be looking for his first two-fight win streak since 2010. Despite Marunde being the much larger fighter, height and reach wise these fighters are nearly identical. With Ben Saunders leaving the promotion and signing with the UFC, the winner of this fight may be next in line to face Matt Riddle for the vacant welterweight title.
Making their mark
Fight Master runner-up Mike Bronzoulis looks to prove he’s more than just a reality TV show contestant when he makes his Titan FC debut against Keith Johnson. “The Greek” comes into this fight on a two fight slide, including his loss in the Fight Master finale to Joe Riggs at Bellator 106. Johnson meanwhile comes into this fight on a two-fight winning streak, however he hasn’t competed since late 2012. The 31-year-old will likely try to take this to the mat where he boasts four submission victories in nine fights. With Johnson going the distance just once in his career and Bronzoulis boasting 10 career knockouts, it’s likely we won’t see this fight going the distance.
Unique finish bonus
Who doesn’t love a good finish? While you might not recognize all the names on this Titan FC 29 card, you’re undoubtedly set to see some action. Unlike the majority of MMA promotions, including the UFC, Titan FC has implemented a unique finish bonus for the fighters. Hence, that extra bit of cash will no doubt provide incentive for fighters to go and get the finish. If you need proof, look no further than the last event, Titan FC 28, where out of eight of 10 scheduled bouts ended inside the distance.
Here’s a look at the full fight card:
— Mike Ricci (9-4) vs. George Sotiropoulos (14-6)
— Lucas Lopes (29-17) vs. Dustin Jacoby (9-3)
— Lloyd Woodard (13-4) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (12-2)
— Mike Bronzoulis (15-7-1) vs. Keith Johnson (7-2)
— Micah Miller (19-6) vs. Bristol Marunde (13-9)
— Mike Bruno (11-6) vs. D’juan Owens (10-7-1)
— Luciano Santos (9-6) vs. Jeremy Severn (1-0)
— Lamar Reed (4-2) vs. Alex Rojas (2-3)
— Rakim Cleveland (9-5) vs. Steve Montgomery (6-2)
— Brian Davidson (11-4) vs. Kevin Smith (6-0)
— Blaine Thomas (5-1) vs. Robert Washington (17-8)
