CES MMA Featherweight Champion Matt Bessette was recently knocked out on the debut episode of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contenders Series. With that being said, the promotion has decided to crown an interim featherweight champion because Bessette won’t be allowed to compete again until 2018.
Battling for that vacant CES MMA Interim Featherweight Title is going to be Saul Almeida and Pedro Gonzalez.
Almeida (19-8-0) has won just one of his last four fights, with that lone win coming over Josh LaBerge at CES MMA 42. Almeida also won just oen of three fights during his tenure in the World Series Of Fighting, defeating Chris Foster, while suffering defeats to Alexandre Almeida and Bruce Boyington. Almeida is also a former Xtreme Championship Fight League Featherweight Champion, winning that title in 2010.
Gonzalez (11-5-0) will enter this bout on the strength of a four fight winning streak, but this is going to be his first fight in well over a year. Gonzalez is also a former Global Fight League Featherweight Champion, defeating Paul Gorman to win the belt in 2011. Gonzalez has only competed once in CES MMA, having defeated Andres Jeudi at CES MMA 35 in April 2016.
CES MMA 45 takes place on Friday, August 11 from the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island with Ashley Gooch and Juliano Coutinho headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on AXS TV.
