A pair of title bouts top the lineup for Victory Fighting Championship’s VFC 57 slated for Friday, May 5 at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Kansas, and live on UFC FIGHT PASS.
Reigning Victory Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Daniel “Big Kansas” Gallemore will defend the title in his home town and he’ll face a new challenger as Daniel “The Predator” James steps in to replace Razak Al-Hasan.
The second title matchup sees former VFC bantamweight champ Nick “Garfield” Mamalis move down a weight class to take on Kevin “Pocket Herc” Gray for the vacant flyweight championship.
A total of nine pro fights come together to create the VFC 57 main card.
Daniel Gallemore (6-3) vs. Daniel James (6-2-1) – heavyweight title
The 31-year-old Gallemore defended his crown for the first time at VFC 55 last December, and the fan favorite didn’t disappoint that night as he scorched challenger Derek Bohi, needing only 1:34 to register the TKO victory. Gallemore, who has five career knockouts and four first-round finishes, captured the title at VFC 50 with a shocking first-round submission victory over then-champion Abe Wagner.
James, who stands 6-foot-5, has notched three knockout victories (all coming in the second round) as well as a pair of first-round wins via submission. The 35-year-old from Chicago is coming off a knockout win over Chris Beal back in March.
Nick Mamalis (18-10) vs. Kevin Gray (8-3) – flyweight title
Mamalis, who hails from Green River, Wyoming, won the VFC bantamweight belt at VFC 30 back in February 2010 when he earned the decision nod over Zack Wolff. Later that year at VFC 33, he scored a second-round TKO verdict over Josh Rave. Gray has won four of his last five outings, and had a four-fight stint in Bellator MMA that included competing in the Season 3 bantamweight tournament.
Gray will have the home-town edge fighting in Topeka, and the 31-year-old is on a tear having won three of his last four bouts. Gray, who has an even split of four wins via decision and four by way of submission, defeated Joey Diehl via decision at VFC 55.
Darrick Minner (17-6) vs. Justin Overton (4-3) – featherweight
Minner has won eight of his last 10 outings with seven victories coming via first-round submission. All together, the 26-year-old from Nebraska City, Nebraska, has notched 15 wins by way of submission inside the opening round. Overton, who hails from Manhattan, Kansas, opened his career with a 3-0 start, and is now 1-1 under the VFC banner. He earned a first-round submission win over Coren Hermrick Jr at Fight Night Junction City 7, but fell in the third round due to strikes to Chuka Willis at VFC 50.
Josh Pfeifer (5-2) vs. Cody Carrillo (11-14) – lightweight
Prior to losing a decision to Trey Ogden at VFC 55, Pfeifer, who fights out of Manhattan, Kansas, had gone 4-1 inside the VFC square cage with submission victories coming against Ramon Barber (VFC Fight Night 7), Tate Wright (VFC Fight Night Harrah’s 3), Joe Brewer (VFC Fight Night Little Apple), and Gary Westphal (VFC Fight Night 5). Meanwhile, Carrillo, who hails from Wichita, Kansas, has split his last four bouts. The eight-year veteran dropped a decision to newly crowned VFC welterweight champ Yuri Villefort at VFC 50 after securing a 32-second submission victory over Sean Wilson at VFC 47.
Daron McCant (2-0) vs. Sharkey Slyter (3-1) – bantamweight
Both of McCant’s victories have come via submission. The Kansas City, Missouri, product fought as an amateur at VFC Fight Night 7 and defeated Arturo Roman by submission. Slyter, who is from Paola, Kansas, has one career knockout and picked up a decision win over Bryan Timmons at VFC 50.
Chance Thackerston (3-0) vs. Trey Ogden (7-1) – lightweight
All three of Thackerston’s wins have come by first-round submission in a grand total of only 3:23. The Manhattan, Kansas, product scored a 42-second tapout verdict over Eric Grant at VFC Fight Night Little Apple. Ogden, who fights out of Kansas City, Missouri, rides a five-fight winning streak into the battle with three of those wins registered by submission. He topped Josh Pfeifer by decision at VFC 55.
Rob Mitchell (1-0) vs. Alex McGowan (1-1) – featherweight
Sioux City, Iowa, product Mitchell needed just 33 seconds to earn a submission win in his pro debut last August. McGowan, who fights out of Wichita, Kansas, also won his pro debut with a first-round submission, but lost a split-decision to Yazan Hajeh at VFC 55.
Dustin Kramer (4-1) vs. Matt Murray (1-0) – bantamweight
Kramer has won two in a row and the Lenexa, Kansas, native has three first-round victories and three submission wins under his belt. Murray, who will be fighting in his home town of Topeka, Kansas, won his pro debut last June via first-round submission.
Johnnie Roades (9-11) vs. Arnold Berdon (7-2) – bantamweight
Roades had been on a six-fight winning streak but the Kansas City, Missouri, product then dropped three straight. Berdon made a splash in his organizational debut as he starched Terrence Almond with a 21-second TKO at VFC 54 which gave the Waianae, Hawaii, product a third consecutive victory.
Tickets for VFC 57 are available at www.ticketmaster.com.
Victory Fighting Championship 57 Fight Card
- Daniel Gallemore (6-3) vs. Daniel James (6-2-1) – VFC heavyweight title
- Nick Mamalis (18-10) vs. Kevin Gray (8-3) – VFC flyweight title
- Darrick Minner (17-6) vs. Justin Overton (4-3) – featherweight
- Josh Pfeifer (5-2) vs. Cody Carillo (11-14) – lightweight
- Daron McCant (2-0) vs. Sharkey Slyter (3-1) – bantamweight
- Chance Thackerston (3-0) vs. Trey Ogden (7-1) – lightweight
- Rob Mitchell (1-0) vs. Alex McGowan (1-1) – featherweight
- Dustin Kramer (4-1) vs. Matt Murray (1-0) – bantamweight
- Arnold Berdon (7-2) vs. Johnnie Roades (9-11) – bantamweight
