Cage Fury returns to Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a stacked CFFC 152 card loaded with undefeated prospects, elite grapplers, and two titles on the line. Here’s who to watch this Friday night:
Austin Clayton, 27, 5-0-0, Middleweight
Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, by way of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Austin “The Ace” Clayton is back in the octagon to compete for the vacant CFFC middleweight championship. Currently on a nine-fight win streak, Clayton is a finisher with an undefeated record, with just one fight going to decision across his amateur and professional career.
Confidence is the first thing that flashes when watching Clayton mix it up on the feet. The 27-year-old doesn’t get overzealous like most prospects coming up through the ranks. Clayton possesses an element of patience in his game, showing a high volume of feints at his opponents, downloading information before exploding for the finish. He’s no pushover on the ground either; the Xtreme Couture fighter picked up his most recent win back in July 2025, submitting his opponent via D’Arce in the first 30 seconds, marking his eighth straight finish.
Clayton will be in slightly uncharted waters in this one, as he’s only fought at middleweight twice in his career. Fighting at 6-foot-4, this could be his more natural weight class. “The Ace” encounters 6-1-0 Nick Galanti, a New Jersey native who’s rattled off four straight finishes since falling to DWCS alum Brandon Holmes. This one should be fireworks between two 27-year-old prospects and likely won’t need the judges’ scorecards. Keep an eye on the winner of this title fight, who could be within arm’s reach of a call to the UFC.
Nick Galanti, 27, 6-1-0, Middleweight
As mentioned earlier, Nick Galanti will be on the other side of the octagon looking for the belt. He enters the picture with plans of his own to find success. Since falling to DWCS alum Brandon Holmes back in August 2024, Galanti has been on an absolute tear, rattling off four consecutive wins, all by finish. Now back for more after a massive 2025, Galanti is looking to capitalize on the biggest opportunity of his career.
It’s pretty clear what Galanti’s game plan will be once he steps into the octagon; it’s just a matter of whether his opponent can stop it. The 27-year-old is a talented grappler who is routinely looking to get inside on his opponents, attempting to bring the fight to the mat. Galanti has a deep toolbox on the ground, finishing fights by way of guillotine, rear-naked choke, triangle choke, and even a north-south choke- which he pulled off in the first amateur fight. On the feet, Galanti is fairly composed, mixing up his targets and often ending his one-two combinations with a low kick. Facing a taller opponent, Galanti will have to lean on the strengths of his game and find a way to close the distance.
Fighting out of Freehold, New Jersey, Galanti will draw serious support from the fans filling Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena. The Dante Rivera BJJ product should be in for a good one as he meets his toughest opponent to date in the undefeated middleweight, Austin Clayton. Don’t blink- this one figures to be back-and-forth early with the vacant championship on the line. If Galanti can put on a show in front of his home crowd, you can only imagine what could be next for the rising prospect.
Max Metzgar, 29, 5-0-0, Lightweight
“Mad” Max Metzgar has had multiple opportunities to get into the big show thwarted in the past. First, he was scheduled to make his pro debut at Bellator 297, but his opponent withdrew. He then missed weight over the summer at LFA 214. With those setbacks now behind him, top prospect Max Metzgar has found himself in the biggest spot of his career, debuting at CFFC 152.
Having finished six of his nine fights across an undefeated amateur and professional run, Metzgar has only seen the scorecards three times in his career. The 155er forces his will physically in the octagon, imposing his strength on opponents regardless of their size. On the ground, he’s persistent and ruthless, cinching up the bottom half of the opposition, flattening them out, and unleashing brutal ground and pound.
Metzgar will see a jump in competition in this next one, drawing 4-1-0 Elvin Romero on the main card. Romero suffered a loss in his Cage Fury debut in October 2025, but before that had four straight first-round finishes under Anthony Pettis Fighting Championship. Expect these two to go at it, as both lightweights will be trying to push themselves into the next tier of prospects.
Jerry Lleshi, 25, 4-1-0, Flyweight
Jerry Lleshi returns to familiar territory this weekend at CFFC 152, representing Dante Rivera BJJ as he looks to protect home soil. Entering the matchup at 4-1, Lleshi has built a strong résumé, with his lone defeat coming in his professional debut against current flyweight champion Bilal Hasan. That bout ended in a split decision, and many viewed it as a highly debatable result- the kind of fight that still leaves questions about how differently things could have unfolded if the scorecards had swung the other way.
Lleshi’s style is built around pressure and control. A grappler at his core, he does some of his best work forcing opponents backward and pinning them along the cage while maintaining a strong base. For a flyweight, his physical strength is especially noticeable, and he uses it effectively once the fight hits the mat. Whether it’s lifting opponents and planting them back down or tying up the legs in a Dagestani-style lock, Lleshi’s ground game is both technical and punishing.
He’ll be taking on Safar Akhmadov, who enters at 5-2-2 and will be making his MMA return after spending more than two years competing in Karate Combat. On paper, the matchup appears to favor Lleshi, especially given his pressure-heavy grappling and the advantage of fighting in front of a home crowd.
Also, make sure to check out the pro debut of Rosalani Ikei. If you want a more in-depth read on her, check out the feature mmawizzard put out on her this weekend here.