Friday night, CES 53 returned to the Twin River Casino for another night of exciting face-bashing action.

In typical MMA fashion, the 24 hours leading up to the event was certainly eventful. Thursday morning, CES 53 headliner Dinis Paiva was rushed to the hospital in the midst of a weight cut gone awry. 

The mishap resulted in his removal from the main event, leaving his opponent Tony Gravely without a dance partner.

The last-minute shakeup landed U.S. Army veteran Kody Nordby the biggest fight of his career. Fresh off a tour in Iraq, Nordby had been out of MMA action since late March 2017.

Having only lost to the best of the best in his career, Gravely had won seven of his previous eight entering the clash with Nordby. A win over the local hero would solidify his spot as a top prospect at 135 pounds.

Storming into enemy territory, Gravely made the statement he needed. The 27-year-old fighter finished the New Englander in brutal fashion. 

After Nordby went for a straight armbar in the opening seconds, Gravely slammed him on his head multiple times before landing a couple extra shots on his floored opponent.

? #AndNew ?

? What a slam KO & what an incredible night of action, LIVE on @AXSTVFights ? pic.twitter.com/VSWkb0EtsK

— CES MMA (@CESMMA) November 3, 2018

Outside of the main event, the rest of the evening’s card was peppered with impressive performances.

In the co-main event, flyweight standout Richie Santiago (7-1) rebounded from his first career loss. The 26-year-old mixed martial artist beat longtime regional veteran Billy Giovanella in short fashion, submitting the Bellator MMA veteran in the first round. 

Massachusetts youngster Kris Moutinho continued his ascent up the regional ladder, defeating gritty Carolinian James Quigg by unanimous. The bout was the unofficial “Fight of the Night” with both men landing battering each other with punches for three straight rounds.

Rick Hawn underling Dylan Lockard advanced to 5-1, putting on a clinic against undefeated New Yorker Josh Ricci.

On the untelevised prelims, grandson of Italian-American gangster John Gotti III (3-0) picked up his third knockout in as many professional fights. New York’s own blasted through Combat Clinic’s Josh Zuckerman in just 28 seconds.

Hyped New England light heavyweight Fabio Cherant (4-0) continued his winning ways, submitting rival Ron Marshall in the second round. 

Full CES 53: Gravely vs. Nordby Results: 

Vacant Bantamweight Title Bout: Tony Gravely (16-5) def. Kody Nordby (9-5) by knockout (slam and punches) at 0:36 of Round 1

Flyweight Bout: Richie Santiago (7-1) def. Billy Giovanella (9-9) by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:13 of Round 1

Bantamweight Bout: Andy Aiello (4-3) def. Zachary Burhans (3-3) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Bantamweight Bout: Kris Moutinho (7-2) def. James Quigg (4-3) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Flyweight Bout: Johnny Lopez (8-4) def. Josh Ricci (4-1) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Featherweight Bout: Dylan Lockard (5-1) def. Anthony Wright (3-1) by TKO (punches) at 2:35 of Round 2

Heavyweight Bout: Keith Bell (10-9-1) def. Parker Porter (8-5) by DQ (illegal shots to back of head) at 2:30 of Round 1 

Welterweight Bout: John Gotti III (3-0) def. Josh Zuckerman (0-4) by knockout (punches) at 0:28 of Round 1

Light Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Cherant (4-0) def. Ron Marshall (0-1) by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:41 of Round 2

Middleweight Bout: Tommy Lee Davis (1-1) def. Hugh McKenna (1-2) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Flyweight Bout: Justin Valentin (1-0) def. Jessie Pires (0-3) by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:44 of Round 3