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Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and eventually, international locations. Since July 2015, Titan FC events are broadcast on the UFC online streaming service UFC Fight Pass, which also showcases a library of the organization's previous events.[1]
| |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Joe Kelly |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Jeff Aronson Lex McMahon |
| Website | www |
Titan Fighting Championships was founded in 2005 by veteran fight promoter and, at the time, Bellator Fighting Championships' director of operations, Joe Kelly. The organization was originally based in Kansas City and was headquartered in the city's historic Memorial Hall, where the organization held the majority of their early events. Memorial Hall was exclusively leased to Kelly's sports and entertainment promotion company Titan Entertainment, from which the MMA organization took its name.[2]
On December 13, 2010, Titan Fighting Championships announced that they had struck a deal with the cable and satellite television network HDNet (later relaunched as AXS TV) to broadcast their next event, Titan FC 16, live on the network.[2] The event would take place on January 28, 2011, and was headlined by a super heavyweight bout between former two-time UFC Heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and former The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights cast member Abe Wagner. Prior to the airing of the promotion's second show on the network, Titan FC 17: Lashley vs. Ott, CEO Joe Kelly announced that the organization had signed a three-year extension with HDNet to broadcast their live events under the network's HDNet Fights label. Kelly subsequently resigned from his position at Bellator FC in order to focus full-time on running Titan FC.[3]
Titan FC would initially air a total of nine live events on the HDNet/AXS TV networks, including a "Fight for the Troops" event taking place on June 15, 2012, at the Marshall Army Airfield at Fort Riley, Kansas, and conclude with Titan FC 24: Johnson vs. Jones which aired on August 24, 2012.
On October 11, 2012, officials for the Nebraska-based MMA promotion Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) announced that they had acquired Titan Fighting Championships, along with certain fighter contracts, as well as the organization's television deal with, now, AXS TV.[4] The goal was to combine the talent of both organizations under one umbrella, the RFA. Titan FC owner and president Joe Kelly would be brought in as the Vice President of the newly merged company, with seasoned MMA manager, and Black House gym owner, Ed Soares acting as the President.[5]
Seven months after the RFA buyout, the Titan FC promotion was resurrected when founder Joe Kelly bought back the organization in 2013 and produced two more shows on his own: Titan FC 25: Lashley vs. Asplund in June, and Titan FC 26: Hallman vs. Hornbuckle in August, both of which were aired live on AXS TV.[6]
In December 2013, Jeff Aronson, the former chairman and co-founder of the fighter management company Alchemist Management, purchased a majority stake in Titan FC from the promotion's founder and president Joe Kelly. Jeff Aronson would serve as company's new CEO with, longtime friend and business partner, Lex McMahon serving as Titan FC's COO. Kelly would remain as the organization's president and minority owner.[7]
Unlike other organizations in the past who tried to go head to head with the UFC and failed, CEO Jeff Aronson hoped to form a professional relationship with the UFC and has attempted to position Titan FC as an unofficial feeder league for the organization. The newly overhauled Titan FC has now focused itself on finding unsigned prospects, and giving top level veterans who have hit a rough patch, a platform on which to get themselves noticed, or get their career back on track.[8]
"No one is going to take on Zuffa and win at this point. It's just not going to happen."
- Titan FC CEO Jeff Aronson.[8]
Along with the new ownership came new rules for the organization's fighter contracts and bonus structure, and an increased focus on fan involvement. As an incentive to get fighters to perform their best, and thus garner the attention of the larger organizations, Titan FC awards "finishing bonuses" to all fighters who finish their fights by either knockout or submission. Also, to entice up and coming prospects and veteran fighters to sign with the organization, Titan FC now offers a no-questions-asked "Zuffa out" clause in all their contracts, in case the opportunity arises for the fighter to leave the organization and sign with the UFC.[8] The organization hopes that these incentives will encourage the fighters to put on a better show for the fans, and intends to increase the fan experience by offering VIP packages and holding giveaways, contests, and autograph sessions at all of their live events.[9] To reflect their new position in the MMA community, and philosophy towards fights and fighter contracts, Titan FC has since adopted the motto "'Fans, Fighters First.'".
On January 14, 2014, Titan FC officials announced that the first show under their new ownership, Titan FC 27: Ricci vs. Gurgel, would now be broadcast live on CBS Sports and that the organization had signed an eight-event deal with the television network.[10] As part of the deal, Titan FC prelim bouts would also be streamed live on the network's website, CBSSports.com. Titan FC officials also announced that CBS Sports had hired top MMA trainer, and TriStar Gym owner, Firas Zahabi and UFC hall of famer Stephan Bonnar to provide the commentary for all Titan FC events.[11] Titan FC 27: Ricci vs. Gurgel debuted on the CBS Sports Network on February 28, 2014.
Titan FC 30: Brilz vs. Magalhães would take place on September 26, 2014, and stands out as being the first time in Titan FC's history that the organization would crown a divisional champion, as two former UFC veterans faced off for the inaugural Titan FC Light Heavyweight title. Four time World Jiu-Jitsu Championship gold medalist and former The Ultimate Fighter contestant Vinny Magalhães would submit wrestling standout Jason Brilz with a guillotine choke in the fourth round to claim this inaugural title.[12]
Titan FC crowned their second divisional champion at Titan FC 32: Green vs. Siler on December 19, 2014. That night Bellator MMA tournament veteran Desmond Green defeated former UFC fighter and The Ultimate Fighter contestant Steven Siler to claim the inaugural Titan FC Featherweight championship.[13]
Over the course of their yearlong partnership Titan FC would eventually air a total of seven live cards on the CBS Sports network, spanning seven cities in seven different states, and culminating in their largest event to date, Titan FC 33: Green vs Holobaugh. Titan FC 33 took place on March 20, 2015, in Mobile, Alabama at the Mobile AeroFest music and art festival, a two-day-long not-for-profit event designed to raise money to support injured U.S. military service members and veterans.[14] The card would feature a total of four separate title fights, three of which would crown the inaugural championships for Titan FC's heavyweight, lightweight and bantamweight divisions; and was headlined by the organization's first ever championship title defense as Desmond Green sought to defend his newly acquired featherweight title.[15]
On June 15, 2015 UFC officials announced that Titan FC has signed a contract with the organization to air all future live events exclusively on the UFC's subscription-based digital streaming service, UFC Fight Pass.[16]
"I think we should look at being on UFC Fight Pass. So I gave Dana (White) a call and said it was something we'd like to pursue. He set the wheels in motion and, after quite a bit of negotiating, we finally got a deal done."
- Titan FC COO Lex McMahon.[16]
The first event to be held on the service, Titan FC 34: Healy vs. Edwards, aired on July 18, 2015, and featured a total of four title fights, including the crowning of Titan FC's inaugural flyweight champion when Tim Elliott defeated fellow UFC veteran Iliarde Santos for the vacant belt. Additionally, it was announced by UFC officials that the entire Titan FC library of past events would be added to the "On Demand" section of the Fight Pass online service.
Titan Fighting Championships follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, which were first established in April 2000. The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts have been adopted by every state athletic commission that holds mixed martial arts events throughout the United States.
Under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts there are no groin strikes, eye gouging, kicking or kneeing a grounded opponent, downward elbows, strikes to the back of the head, head butting, biting, or grabbing the fence. Upon a violation of the rules, referee can either warn the fighter, take a point away, or disqualify the fighter depending upon the regularity and severity of the foul.
All non-world championship fights in Titan FC consist of three, five-minute rounds, with one-minute rest periods between rounds. All world championship fights consist of five, five-minute rounds, with one-minute rest periods between rounds.
Titan FC currently uses eight weight classes for men:
| Weight class name | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| Flyweight | 125 | 57 |
| Bantamweight | 135 | 61.2 |
| Featherweight | 145 | 65.8 |
| Lightweight | 155 | 70.3 |
| Welterweight | 170 | 77.1 |
| Middleweight | 185 | 83.9 |
| Light Heavyweight | 205 | 93.0 |
| Heavyweight | 265 | 120.2 |
Titan FC currently uses two weight classes for women:
| Weight class name | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in pounds (lb) | in kilograms (kg) | |
| Strawweight | 115 | 52 |
| Flyweight | 125 | 57 |
Matches usually end via:
Note: In the event of a draw, it is not necessary that the fighters' total points be equal. However, in a unanimous or split draw, each fighter does score an equal number of win judgments from the three judges (0 or 1, respectively). A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical submission, disqualification, forfeit, technical draw, or no contest. The latter two outcomes have no winners.
The ten-point must scoring system is in effect for all bouts in Titan. Three judges score each round with the winner of each round getting 10 points while the loser gets 9 points or less. The only way that an even round can occur is if the fighter that won the round has a point deducted for a foul. Rounds scored 10-8 and 10-7 are typically scored when a fighter wins a round in dominant fashion.
The following is a list of fouls outlined by the states that regulate MMA, as established by the Nevada State Athletic Commission:[17]
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
| Division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses | Next Fight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 265 lb (120 kg) | Vacant | Titan FC 64 March 20, 2022 | ||
| Light Heavyweight | 205 lb (93 kg) | Vacant | March 4, 2015 | ||
| Middleweight | 185 lb (84 kg) |  Bruno Assis | Titan FC 70 July 2, 2021 | 0 | |
| Welterweight | 170 lb (77 kg) |  Will Brooks | Titan FC 82 June 2, 2023 | 0 | |
| Lightweight | 155 lb (70 kg) | Richie Lewis | Titan FC 83 July 21, 2023 | 0 | |
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg) |  Ali al-Qaisi | Titan FC 71 August 06, 2021 | 0 | |
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg) | Ira Lukowsky | Titan FC 73 December 17, 2021 | 0 | |
| Flyweight | 125 lb (57 kg) | Victor Dias | Titan FC 68 March 26, 2021 | 1 | |
| Women's Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg) | Vacant | October 7, 2017 | 0 | |
| Women's Flyweight | 125 lb (57 kg) | Uninaugurated | |||
| Women's Strawweight | 115 lb (52 kg) | Uninaugurated | |||
| Combat Grappling | 170 lb (77 kg) | Gesias Cavalcante | Titan FC 60 May 29, 2020 | 0 | |
| Kickboxing Heavyweight | 265 lb (120 kg) | Alex Nicholson | Titan FC 75 April 10, 2022 |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Gormley def. Jon Madsen |
Titan FC 33 Mobile, AL, US |
March 20, 2015 | 104 days | |
| Gormley vacated the title on July 2, 2015, after he signed with Bellator MMA.[18] | |||||
| 2 |  Said Sowma def. Bobby Brents |
Titan FC 64 Miami, Florida, US |
September 25, 2020 | 30 days | |
| Sowma vacated the title in late 2020, after he signed with Bellator MMA.[19] | |||||
| 3 | Alex Nicholson def. Oscar Sosa |
Titan FC 78 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
July 29, 2022 | 834 days | |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vinny Magalhães def. Jason Brilz |
Titan FC 30 Cedar Park, TX, US |
September 26, 2014 | 159 days | |
| Magalhães vacated the title on March 4, 2015, after he signed with the World Series of Fighting.[20] | |||||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruno Assis def. Shane O'Shea |
Titan FC 70 Miami, FL, US |
July 2, 2021 | 1226 days (incumbent) |
|
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belal Muhammad def. Steve Carl |
Titan FC 38 Miami, FL, US |
April 30, 2016 | 41 days | |
| Muhammad vacated the title on May 25, 2016, after he signed with the UFC.[21] | |||||
| 2 | Dhiego Lima def. David Michaud |
Titan FC 39 Coral Gables, FL, US |
June 10, 2016 | 175 days | |
| 3 |  Jason Jackson |
Titan FC 42 Coral Gables, FL, US |
December 2, 2016 | 235 days | |
| Jackson vacated the title on July 25, 2017, after he signed with the Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. | |||||
| 4 | Jose Caceres def. Rami Hamed |
Titan FC 49 Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US |
April 6, 2018 | 84 days | |
| 5 |  Uros Jurisic |
Titan FC 50 Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US |
June 29, 2018 | 437 days | |
| 6 | Michael Graves def. Jared Gooden for the interim Title |
Titan FC 53 Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US |
March 15, 2019 | 618 days | 1. def. Yuri Villefort at Titan FC 59 on Feb. 28, 2020
2. def. Oton Jasse at Titan FC 65 on Nov. 22, 2020 |
| On September 9, 2019, Graves was promoted to undisputed Welterweight Champion as Jurisic was stripped of his title due to ongoing medical issues and a bout outside of his Titan FC contract.[22] | |||||
| - |  Kamal Magomedovdef. Italo da Silva Goncalves for the interim Title |
Titan FC 57 Dominican Republic |
October 19, 2019 | 132 days | |
| Magomedov was stripped of the Interim title when he pulled out of a fight with the current Welterweight Champion Michael Graves on Feb. 28, 2020. | |||||
| Graves was stripped of the title when he missed weight for his title defense on Nov. 22, 2020. | |||||
| 6 | Dilano Taylor def. Carlos Matos |
Titan FC 69 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
May 14, 2021 | 287 days | 1. def. Marcus Edwards at Titan FC 73 on Dec. 17, 2021 |
| Taylor vacated the title in February 2022 when he signed with PFL. | |||||
| 7 | Will Brooks def. Predrag Bogdanovic |
Titan FC 82 Novi Sad, Serbia |
June 2, 2023 | 526 days (incumbent) |
|
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Healy def. Kurt Kinser |
Titan FC 33 Mobile, AL, US |
March 20, 2015 | 183 days | 1. def. Marcus Edwards at Titan FC 34 on July 18, 2015 |
| 2 | Rick Hawn |
Titan FC 35 Ridgefield, WA, US |
September 19, 2015 | 31 days | |
| Rick Hawn retired, vacating the Lightweight title.[23] | |||||
| 3 | Gesias Cavalcante def. Pat Healy |
Titan FC 39 Coral Gables, FL, US |
June 10, 2016 | 56 days | |
| 4 | Freddy Assuncao |
Titan FC 40 Coral Gables, FL, US |
August 5, 2016 | 469 days | |
| - | Kurt Holobaugh def. Gesias Cavalcante for the Interim Title |
Titan FC 44 Pembroke Pines, FL, US |
May 19, 2017 | 52 days | |
| Assuncao was stripped of the title due to inactivity & Holobaugh vacated the title to compete on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series | |||||
| 5 | Raush Manfio def. Chazz Walton |
Titan FC 46 Pembroke Pines, FL, US |
November 17, 2017 | 224 days | 1. def. Lee Henry Lilly at Titan FC 48 on February 16, 2018 |
| Manfio was stripped of the title when he was defeated by Sidney Outlaw at Titan FC 50. Outlaw didn't make weight, so wasn't eligible to win title. | |||||
| - | Martin Brown def. Beibit Nazarov for the Interim Title |
Titan FC 51 Almaty, Kazakhstan |
December 21, 2018 | 302 days | |
| Brown was stripped of the title when he failed to make weight at Titan FC 57 in his bout against Johansser Paulino. | |||||
| - | Rafael Alves def. Felipe Douglas for the Interim Title |
Titan FC 54 Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US |
April 26, 2019 | 487 days | |
| Rafael Alves vacates title to fight on Dana White's Contender Series. | |||||
| 6 | Landon Quinones def. Reynaldo Acevedo |
Titan FC 75 Dominican, Republic |
April 10, 2022 | 468 days | 1. def. Yemi Oduwole at Titan FC 80 on November 18, 2022 |
| Quinones vacates title to fight on The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler. | |||||
| 7 | Richie Lewis def. Charlie Decca |
Titan FC 83 Hallandale Beach, FL, US |
July 21, 2023 | 477 days (incumbent) |
|
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desmond Green def. Steven Siler |
Titan FC 32 Lowell, MS, US |
December 19, 2014 | 92 days | |
| 2 | Kurt Holobaugh |
Titan FC 33 Mobile, AL, US |
March 20, 2015 | 121 days | |
| 3 | Andre Harrison |
Titan FC 34 Houston, TX, US |
July 18, 2015 | 3402 days |
1. def. Desmond Green at Titan FC 35 on September 19, 2015 2. def. Steven Siler at Titan FC 37 on March 4, 2016 |
| Harrison vacated the title on November 23, 2016, after he signed with the World Series of Fighting.[24] | |||||
| 4 |  Luis Raul Gomezdef. Sodiq Yusuff |
Titan FC 47 Pembroke Pines, FL, US |
December 15, 2017 | 112 days | |
| 5 | Jason Soares |
Titan FC 49 Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US |
April 6, 2018 | 589 days |
1. def. Caio Uruguai at Titan FC 52 on January 25, 2019 |
| Soares vacated title on November 16, 2019 after he signed with the PFL[25] | |||||
| 6 |  Olivier Muraddef. Muhammadjon Naimov |
Titan FC 67 Miami, FL, US |
February 12, 2021 | 175 days | |
| Murad vacated the title in August when he signed on to compete in Dana White's Contender Series. | |||||
| 7 | Ali AlQaisi def. Andrew Whitney |
Titan FC 71 Miami, FL, US |
August 06, 2021 | 1191 days (incumbent) |
|
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brett Johns def. Walel Watson |
Titan FC 33 Mobile, AL, US |
March 20, 2015 | 121 days | |
| Johns was stripped of the title on July 17, 2015, after failing to make weight for his first title defense at Titan FC 34.[26] | |||||
| 2 | Anderson dos Santos def. Ricky Simon |
Titan FC 37 Ridgefield, WA, US |
March 4, 2016 | 119 days | |
| dos Santos was stripped of the title on August 5, 2016, when he was defeated by Andrew Whitney in a non title tournament Semi Final at Titan FC 40 | |||||
| 3 |  Farkhad Sharipovdef. Andrew Whitney |
Titan FC 42 Coral Gables, FL, US |
December 2, 2016 | 168 days | |
| 4 | Jose Torres |
Titan FC 44 Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US |
May 19, 2017 | 378 days | 1. def. Gleidson DeJesus at Titan FC 46 on November 17, 2017 |
| Torres vacated the title in June of 2018 after signing a contract with the UFC | |||||
| 5 | Rudson Caliocane def. Edir Terry |
Titan FC 52 Fort Lauderdale, FL, US |
January 25, 2019 | 284 days | |
| 6 |  Irwin Rivera def. Matt Wagy for the interim Title |
Titan FC 55 Fort Lauderdale, FL, US |
June 28, 2019 | 136 days | 1. def. Danny Sabatello at Titan FC 58 on December 20, 2019 |
| Rivera was promoted to an undisputed champion after Caliocane vacated the title on Nov. 11, 2019 when he suffered a brain stem injury at a Future FC event.[27] Eventually in mid-June 2020, Rivera vacated his title to sign with the UFC.[28] | |||||
| 7 | Danny Sabatello def. Raymond Ramos |
Titan FC 61 Fort Lauderdale, FL, US |
June 28, 2020 | 327 days | 1. def. Da'Mon Blackshear at Titan FC 67 on February 12, 2021 |
| Sabatello vacated the title in May of 2021 after signing a contract with the Bellator MMA | |||||
| 8 | Ira Lukowsky def. Alberto Montes |
Titan FC 73 Miami, FL, US |
December 17, 2021 | 1058 days (incumbent) |
|
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tim Elliott def. Iliarde Santos |
Titan FC 34 Kansas City, MO, US |
July 18, 2015 | 384 days |
1. def. Felipe Efrain at Titan FC 35 on September 19, 2015 |
| Elliott vacated the title in December of 2016 after signing a contract with the UFC | |||||
| 2 | Jose Torres def. Abdiel Velazquez for the Interim title |
Titan FC 40 Coral Gables, FL, US |
August 5, 2016 | 665 days |
1. def. Pedro Nobre at Titan FC 43 on January 21, 2017 |
| Torres vacated the title in June of 2018 after signing a contract with the UFC | |||||
| 3 | Juan Puerta def. Kazbek Ashimov |
Titan FC 51 Almaty, Kazakhstan |
December 21, 2018 | 448 Days |
1. def. Claudio Ledesma at Titan FC 55 on June 28, 2019 |
| Puerta vacated the title on March 13, 2020 after signing a contract with Combate Americas | |||||
| 4 | Wascar Cruz def. Christian Ynastrilla |
Titan FC 63 Miami, Florida |
August 28, 2020 | 210 Days | |
| 5 | Victor Dias |
Titan FC 68 Miami, Florida |
March 26, 2021 | 1324 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Ryskulbek Ibraimov at Titan FC 72 on September 17, 2021 |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalindra Faria def. Carina Damm |
Titan FC 41 Coral Gables, FL, US |
September 9, 2016 | 393 days | ||
| Faria vacated the title in October of 2017 after signing a contract with the UFC | ||||||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gesias Cavalcante def. Raush Manfio |
Titan FC 60 Miami, FL, US |
May 29, 2020 | 1625 days (incumbent) |
|
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Nicholson def. Oscar Sosa |
Titan FC 75 Dominican, Republic |
April 10, 2022 | 944 days (incumbent) |
|
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