Nick Alley upsets unbeaten John Gotti III at CES MMA 61

Warwick, RI – In his first fight in more than eight months, New Hampshire’s Nick Alley earned the biggest win of his career Wednesday night on UFC FIGHT PASS®.

Alley (7-3) pulled off the upset over previously-unbeaten welterweight prospect John Gotti III (5-1) in the main event of CES MMA 61 from “The Tent” at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, RI. A skilled grappler and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt, Alley dominated the fight on the ground over the final two rounds to earn the 29-28, 29-28, 29-27 unanimous decision win.

The event streamed live on FIGHT PASS, the promotion’s first since January due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gotti, who last fought in January, had won four bouts by first-round knockout to open his pro career and recently went the distance in a win over Marcos Lloreda, but failed to mount much of an offensive attack against Alley. The 29-year-old Hooksett native controlled the pace over the final two rounds, nearly locking in a triangle choke on several occasions, but ultimately playing it safe down the stretch to earn the victory on the scorecards. Alley has now won four in a row.

In the co-main event, light heavyweight Fabio Cherant (6-1) coasted to a unanimous decision over Ontario’s Yu Ji (2-1), who entered the bout unbeaten as a pro and amateur. The Wrentham, MA, native fought past the second round for the first time in his career and earned a dominant 30-27, 30-26, 29-28 win on the scorecards.

The knockout of the night belonged to Seattle heavyweight Jamelle Jones (9-6, 6 KOs), who flatted 40-year-old veteran Tyler King (12-9) with a looping, overhand left at the 4-minute, 57-second mark of the opening round. King, a North Attleboro, MA, native and eight-time CES MMA veteran, nearly survived what had turned into a rough opening round, but Jones caught him with a counterpunch for the third time in the round, this time knocking King unconscious before his head hit the canvas. Jones has now won three of his last four.

Bantamweight Kris Moutinho (8-4, 3 KOs) of Milford, MA, snapped a two-fight losing streak with an impressive come-from-behind win over previously-unbeaten Queens native Ashiek Ajim (3-1), rebounding from what appeared to be a vicious early knockdown to earn the knockout victory at 2:45 of the second round.

Ajim sent Moutinho to the canvas with a right hand in the opening round, but never followed through, instead allowing Moutinho to regain his composure and gain control of the fight. As Ajim ran out of gas, Moutinho poured it on, eventually landing a deadly combination that prompted the referee to stop the bout. All 12 of Mountinho’s fights have come under the guidance of CES MMA.

On the preliminary card, bantamweight Mitch Raposo (5-0) of Fall River, MA, impressed in his CES MMA debut, keeping his perfect record intact with a 30-26, 30-26, 30-27 unanimous decision win over the game Matt Almy (4-4) of Plymouth, NY. The prelims also featured two sensational finishes, starting with lightweight Eddy George (2-0, 2 KOs) of West Haven, CT, finishing debut Frank Mazepa at 2:21 of the opening round. Also making his CES MMA debut, featherweight Connor Matthews (3-0) of Freetown, MA, caught Atlanta’s Joshua Marer (2-2) in a rear-naked choke to earn the submission just 57 seconds into the opening round.