Cageside MMA - blog
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| CJ Murdock |
The World Combat Federation brings its 14th event to the Durham Armory a week from Saturday in North Carolina.
If you’ve never seen a live Mixed Martial Arts event, the Durham Armory provides the ideal venue cageside and with balcony seating that due to the layout of the building lets you see right down into the cage.
The event features a featherweight match-up for the World Combat Federation 145 lb title, recently vacated by John “Bagels” Telford (6-1), who incidentally has a close split decision win over CJ in CJ’s MMA debut fight several years ago.
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| Steven Thigpen |
World Combat Federation 145 lb Title: CJ Murdock (4-3) vs Steven Thigpen (4-1) at 145 lbs:
CJ Murdock, a recently promoted black belt/faixa preta under Luiz Palhares has stayed busy over the past 2 ½ years: fighting 7 times in MMA, reaching black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and competing on the grappling circuit. He recently also began teaching at Wright’s Extreme Martial Arts here in North Carolina.
CJ has 4 submission wins in MMA (3 triangles, one armbar).
CJ winning a very tough fight via Triangle:
Steven Thigpen fights out of Triangle Jiu-Jitsu and trains with Royce Gracie black belt/faixa preta, Jacob Whitfield. Thigpen returns to action since last winning by a quick triangle (1:49 of the first round) at Bull City Brawl 12 back in July of this year. Prior to that Thigpen racked up 3 wins (2 by submission, 1 by TKO) and lost a very close split decision to Lucas Burwell but was sidelined by ACL surgery.
Thigpen has never been finished or submitted.
Thigpen defeating a tough opponent by arm triangle:
John Allen (5-3) vs William Brown (7-3) at 185 lbs:
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| John "Country" Allen |
Totaling 18 fights of experience between the two of them: John Allen and William Brown promise to bring a lot of experience and durability to their bout. I’ve seen each of these guys fight multiple times and both men are tough and both men hit extremely hard. I honestly do not see this fight going the distance and pure grit alongside conditioning will likely prove the deciding factor. Whoever wins, however, is going to be banged up. It is not hyperbole when I say “Do not blink,” because this fight could end at any moment.
John “Country” Allen has 5 wins in MMA (3 by TKO, 1 by RNC, 1 by Guillotine). Country has posted 3 losses (KO, TKO, and decision).
Country trains at Team ROC Raleigh under Royce Gracie black belts, Billy Dowey and Jason Culbreth.
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| William Brown |
William Brown represents Chris Heintzman's Hop Gar Kung-Fu.
Brown has 7 wins (3 by submission, KO, TKO, and 2 decisions). Brown has dropped 3 fights (all by way of RNC).
Cageside MMA proudly sponsors this World Combat Federation event as a spotlight for local and up and coming fighters in mixed martial arts. Cageside MMA sponsors both amateur and professional mixed martial artists and grapplers that compete everywhere from Raleigh, North Carolina at a local US Grappling event for charity all the way down to Peru in South America where Cageside professional fighter D’Juan Owens recently fought at Inca Fights. Cageside has its warehouse locally, in Durham, where they also have a satellite school of Triangle Jiu-Jitsu under Royce Gracie. Cageside recently launched its own Gi line, Toro BJJ, with a line of high end yet affordable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi’s and rashguards.
Cageside MMA
World Combat Federation
