Titan Fighting Championship officials held weigh-ins today in anticipation of tomorrow night’s Titan FC 57 fight card which will be broadcast live from Pabellón de Esgrima Juan Pablo Duarte del Centro Olímpico in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Martin Brown, the Titan FC lightweight champion, came in one pound too heavy for his scheduled October 19, five-round affair with the Dominican Republic’s own Johnasser Paulino. As a result of Brown not being able to make the required championship weight of 155-pounds, Titan FC officials have stripped him of the belt.
“It was a heartbreaking decision,” said Titan FC COO Lex McMahon. “It’s heartbreaking but at the same time it is protocol and it had to be done. Champions must come in on the mark during a title defense, and because Martin Brown came in at 156 pounds, we have to follow the rules and take the belt from him.”
McMahon said that the fight will go on as scheduled but now only Paulino has an opportunity to win the title.
“If Johansser Paulino wins the fight tomorrow night, he will be the new Titan FC lightweight champion. If Brown wins, he wins, but he does not go home with the belt,” McMahon said.
A second Titan FC title bout is set for Saturday night as flyweight champion Juan Puerta (17-6) will defend against Reynaldo Adolfo de los Santos (6-1).
Kamal Magomedov (8-0) and Brazil’s Italo Goncalves (5-3) will compete in the opening bout on the main card and the fight will be for the promotion’s interim welterweight title. An injury sustained by newly named Titan FC welterweight champion Michael Graves has kept him from defending his title at Titan FC 57. The winner of the Magomedov and Goncalves fight will meet Graves at a later date for the official Titan FC welterweight title.
Titan FC recently signed a three-year strategic partnership with the Dominican Republic based mixed martial arts promotion, Fighting Force, further developing Titan’s international expansion.
Two Fighting Force bantamweight World Grand Prix semi-final bouts are billed to take place tomorrow night at Titan FC 57. Tommy Garcia will lock horns with Juan Reyes, while Elias Faustin looks to tackle Micaias Urena.
You can watch Titan FC 57 tomorrow night on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
MAIN CARD
Lightweight Title 5 Rounds
Martin Brown (13-5) – USA vs. Johansser Paulino (5-1) – Dominican Republic
Flyweight Title 5 Rounds
Juan Puerta (17-6) – Columbia/USA vs. Reynaldo Adolfo de los Santos (6-1) – Dominican Republic
Fighting Force Super Fight Bantamweight 3 Rounds
Tommy Garcia (1-0) – Dominican Republic vs. Juan Reyes (1-1) – Dominican Republic
Featherweight 3 Rounds
Landon Quinones (3-1-1) – USA vs. Jeffrey Roy (5-0) – Dominican Republic
Fighting Force Super Fight Bantamweight 3 Rounds
Elias Faustin (1-0) – Dominican Republic vs. Micaias Urena (3-2) – Dominican Republic
Heavyweight 3 Rounds
Mohammed Usman (4-1) – USA vs. Alexis Garcia (5-1) – Dominican Republic
Welterweight Interim Title Fight 5 Rounds
Kamal Magomedov (8-0) – Russia vs. Italo Goncalves (5-3) – Brazil
PRELIMINARY CARD
Lightweight 3 Rounds
Ty Kalista (0-1) – Dominican Republic vs. Jonasky Sojo (8-2) – Dominican Republic
Lightweight 3 Rounds
Reynaldo Tiki Acevedo (6-1) – Dominican Republic vs. Anderson Gomez (4-2) – Dominican Republic
Bantamweight 3 Rounds
Makiel Frias (3-4) – Dominican Republic vs. Yoryi Lopez (1-1) – Dominican Republic