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Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 61
The weigh-ins for a disrupted Cage Warriors 61 card took place this afternoon in Amman, Jordan.
Heavy fog at Heathrow Airport in London yesterday wreaked havoc with the travel schedules of several fighters and subsequently forced the cancellation of two bouts.
Mohsen Bahari and Hakon Foss, who were due to catch connecting flights having flown from Oslo, were unable to depart from London in sufficient time so their respective welterweight bouts against Mukhamed Berkhamov and Matt Inman were forced off the bill.
Cage Warriors officials then sought to re-match Berkhamov and Inman in a 170lbs bout against each other, but that proposal was turned down by Berkhamov, who became the third potential opponent for Inman to fall through this week following Bruno Carvalho's injury withdrawal on Monday.
Inman had only arrived in Amman at 6am this morning having also been subject to severe flight delays, but the Englishman stepped on the scales this afternoon nevertheless and made weight at 169.8lbs.
Cage Warriors 61 will go ahead tomorrow night at the King Hussein Boxing Arena as a reduced eight-bout professional card, which will be headlined by a crucial bantamweight contest between Marat Pekov and James Brum, neither of whom had any issues making weight today.
All other fighters also weighed in under the limit at the first attempt, with the exception of James Hurrell, who needed an additional half-hour to make the 206lbs limit, and Romanian flyweight Paul Marin, who endured a gruelling flight schedule in order to make it to Amman.
Travelling from his base in Barcelona, Marin missed his scheduled connection in London and instead made his way to Amman on an overnight flight that involved a lengthy stopover in Cairo.
Marin landed in the Jordanian capital less than an hour before the weigh-ins were due to begin and used the additional two-hour buffer to cut to as low as 126.8lbs, but in spite of the 0.8lb of excess weight, no purse deduction will occur as a result of the several travel disruption.
View a gallery of images from today's Cage Warriors 61 weigh-ins HERE.
Bantamweight: Marat Pekov (135.6lbs) vs. James Brum (135lbs)
Welterweight: Seydina Seck (170.6lbs) vs. Jack Mason (171lbs)
Light-heavyweight: James Hurrell (205.6lbs) vs. Mohamed Ali (204.6lbs)
176lbs catchweight: Vincent del Guerra (175.6lbs) vs. Jake Bostwick (175.6lbs)
Lightweight: Julien Boussuge (156lbs) vs. Damien Brown (156lbs)
Flyweight: Paul Marin (126.8lbs)* vs. Spencer Hewitt (125.6lbs)
Welterweight: James Burrows (170.8lbs) vs. Jarrah Al-Silawi (170.4lbs)
Featherweight: Doni Miller (145.4lbs) vs. Arnold Allen (144.6lbs)
*0.8lb over the limit but no purse deduction will occur due to disruption to fighter's travel schedule
Photo: James Brum and Marat Pekov face off (Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)
Cage Warriors 61: Jordan
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship stages its penultimate show of the year this Friday, December 13.
Cage Warriors 61, to be headlined by the bantamweight clash of James Brum and Marat Pekov, will take place at the King Hussein Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan.
The six-bout main card kicks off at 9pm local time (6pm GMT/1pm ET/10am PT) following two Facebook prelims, which stream live and free of charge to the entire world from 8.15pm local time (5.15pm GMT/12.15pm ET/9.15am PT). Find broadcast details for your region below.
Tickets, priced from just 15 JOD, are available to purchase HERE.
- Watch the Facebook prelims live HERE.
- Watch the main card live via:
MMAjunkie.com | USA and Canada only
JOE.ie | Ireland only
Sportube.tv | Italy only
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world (excluding the UK)
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
The Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola
Fight Klub | Poland
FX | Middle East
Setanta Action | Africa
ESPN International | Brazil, Latin America, Pacific Rim
MAIN CARD | 9pm AST (6pm GMT/1pm ET/10am PT)
Marat Pekov vs. James Brum
Seydina Seck vs. Jack Mason
James Hurrell vs. Mohamed Ali
Vincent del Guerra vs. Jake Bostwick
Julien Boussuge vs. Damien Brown
Paul Marin vs. Spencer Hewitt
FACEBOOK PRELIMS | 8.15pm AST (5.15pm GMT/12.15pm ET/9.15am PT)
James Burrows vs. Jarrah Al-Silawi
Doni Miller vs. Arnold Allen
For the latest news and updates, keep track of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Facebook and Twitter.
Results: Cage Warriors 62
If UFC veteran Curt Warburton was looking to send a message to the lightweights in his new home at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, he might have done it.
Warburton tore right through Wesley Murch for a standing rear-naked choke victory just 49 seconds into the fighter's main event at Cage Warriors 62 at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena. Warburton's quick finish was one of four first-round stoppages on Saturday's main card.
Warburton shot in immediately and took Murch to the canvas. He went after his back and got it without any problem. Murch got back to his feet, but Warburton stayed on him with a body triangle. Murch had to support Warburton's full weight on his back while defending the choke, but Warburton was relentless. He got the choke in, squeezed, and Murch had to tap.
The end came just 49 seconds into the fight, and Warburton ran across the cage and jumped up top to celebrate in front of the Newcastle fans. The fight was elevated to main-event status when a flyweight title fight between champion Neil Seery and UFC vet Ulysses Gomez was scrapped on Friday after Gomez had to be hospitalized while trying to cut weight.
"I was so focused," Warburton said. "I put a lot of pressure on myself for this fight. I dug in deep. I'm pleased to get off to a good start for Cage Warriors. I knew (the choke) was getting deeper and deeper, and once it was on, that was it."
Warburton said the promotion's lightweight division is strong, and that's why he came on board to make a run at a title: "It's stacked, and that's why I signed with them. They're the best promotion about." Warburton (13-4) is quickly back in the win column following a September TKO loss. Murch (13-7) had a four-fight winning streak snapped in his Cage Warriors debut.
In 32 fights, Olivier Pastor had never been submitted. That streak moved to 33 on Saturday, despite Chris Fishgold doing plenty to try to end it. Then Fishgold (10-0) had to survive a third-round rally from Pastor (18-15) to take home a unanimous decision.
Fishgold did solid work on the ground in the first round, fending off some of Pastor's submission attempts from his back. Although Pastor got back to his feet, Fishgold drove forward and dropped him back to the canvas, where he stayed relentless at the grind.
It was more of the same in the second, as Fishgold again landed a takedown. He then had to worry briefly about Pastor's hopes for a submission. But Fishgold took his back with well more than four minutes left, and he went after a neck crank, then got his arm under the chin for a rear-naked choke. He had it in deep, but Pastor stripped his hands off to avoid tapping. Pastor got out with a minute left, but couldn't get much done despite a couple of body kicks and a rolling wheel kick.
Pastor tried to turn the tables in the third, and he got Fishgold to the canvas turtled up, where he tried to land ground and pound. Fishgold scrambled back to his feet, but ate a knee and a kick. Pastor briefly had a guillotine choke, but Fishgold escaped with more than half the round left. He took a deep breath, then proceeded to eat a few more punches from the 41-year-old Pastor, who is 20 years older than Fishgold. But Fishgold survived the round and got the unanimous decision based on his big first two rounds. Fishgold took home a trio of 29-28 scores from the judges to stay unbeaten.
Richie Knox (3-1) wanted to give his home Newcastle fans a show, and he did. But then Karl Moore (4-0) pulled a little something out of his back pocket at just the right time. The two tied up early, but Knox landed a pair of knees too low on Moore. On the restart, Knox came out swinging, but it was Moore who landed some solid kicks. Not long after, it was Moore's turn to land low, and Knox got a chance to walk it off. When they got back at it, Knox landed nicely with a left. Moore countered, but Knox's output started to build up as he went from body to head and back again. But then, out of nowhere, when it looked as if Moore was about to be finished along the cage, he threw a big left hand that dropped Knox. One punch more on the ground was enough for referee Rich Mitchell to shut things down at the 2:36 mark of the first.
Tommy Quinn made his hometown fans happy in a big way. Quinn (6-1) and Dan Hope (10-6) scrapped early, trading back and forth both at distance and in tight with dirty boxing. But neither fighter seemed to take a distinct advantage through the opening five minutes. But in the second, Quinn started strong and put together several big combinations in close. He hurt Hope and crumpled him. Then, sensing he was ready to be finished, he started piling the punches on. With Hope up against the fence, he hit him repeatedly until he hit the canvas. The referee gave Hope opportunities to survive, but finally had to jump in and pull Quinn off after dozens of unanswered blows. The end came 83 seconds into the second.
In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it finish, Ian Entwistle (9-1) dodged a right hand from Liam James (8-6), made a crazy entry to a takedown, latched on to James' right leg, and that was all she wrote. Just 24 seconds into the fight, Entwistle had a masterful heel-hook submission over James, who looked as surprised as anyone at what happened – and how quickly things were over. Entwistle jumped onto the cage to celebrate, even as the crowd in James' hometown sat stunned, as well.
Alex Enlund (9-2) made quick work of Danny Lawson (8-4) to open the main card. Enlund looked for a throw early and got it. He went to work on top, then when Lawson got back to his feet, he slammed him back again. Lawson tried to control Enlund's hands to keep him from the choke. But Enlund kept at it and got a body triangle with more than three minutes left in the round. He gave it up briefly and landed punches, but then flattened Lawson out and sank in a rear-naked choke to get the finish at the 2:46 mark of the fight.
Complete Cage Warriors 62 results:
Curt Warburton def. Wesley Murch via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:49
Chris Fishgold def. Olivier Pastor via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Karl Moore def. Richie Knox via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:36
Tommy Quinn def. Dan Hope via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:23
Ian Entwistle def. Liam James via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 0:24
Alex Enlund def. Danny Lawson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:46
Ronan McKay def. Leeroy Barnes via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 2:56
Laura Howarth def. Emma Delaney via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Martin Sheridan def. Jordan Desborough via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 4:21
Agnieszka Niedzwiedz def. Kerry Hughes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Shaj Haque def. Mark Connor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 62
Neil Seery's CWFC flyweight title defence against Ulysses Gomez has been removed from tomorrow's card for Cage Warriors 62.
Approximately three hours before today's weigh-ins in Newcastle, Gomez collapsed while using a treadmill to cut weight and was taken by ambulance to hospital. Having received medical treatment, the fighter was later discharged and is now doing well.
Gomez was keen for tomorrow's bout against Seery to go ahead nevertheless, but CWFC officials have taken the decision to cancel it in the interests of the fighter's health and safety. Seery will be paid his purse in full.
"It's unfortunate that we've had to cancel our main event, particularly for the fighters and the fans, but this was undoubtedly the correct decision. We don't take any risks when it comes to the safety of fighters," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
"I'm glad that Ulysses Gomez has recovered well since this afternoon and I hope we can reschedule Neil Seery's first title defence to take place early next year instead."
As a result of the cancellation, the meeting of Curt Warburton and Wesley Murch will now top the Cage Warriors 62 bill, with the clash of Alex Enlund and Danny Lawson being promoted from the prelims.
Four fighters - Ian Entwistle, Laura Howarth, Kerry Hughes and Frankie Slater - missed weight today and were subsequently fined accordingly.
View a gallery of images from today's Cage Warriors 62 weigh-ins HERE.
Cage Warriors 62 will be broadcast live around the world and a limited number of tickets are also still available. Click HERE for fight card, ticket and broadcast details.
160lbs catchweight: Wesley Murch (160.6lbs) vs. Curt Warburton (160.2lbs)
Featherweight: Olivier Pastor (145.8lbs) vs. Chris Fishgold (146lbs)
Light-heavyweight: Karl Moore (204.9lbs) vs. Richie Knox (200.1lbs)
176lbs catchweight: Dan Hope (176.2lbs) vs. Tommy Quinn (175.4lbs)
Featherweight: Ian Entwistle (146.6lbs)* vs. Liam James (145.3lbs)
Featherweight: Danny Lawson (143.9lbs) vs. Alex Enlund (145.5lbs)
Middleweight: Leeroy Barnes (183.6lbs) vs. Ronan McKay (185.6lbs)
178lbs catchweight: Danny Roberts (177.3lbs) vs. Mateusz Strzelczyk (178lbs)
Bantamweight: Emma Delaney (135.2lbs) vs. Laura Howarth (138.2lbs)*
139lbs catchweight: Jordan Desborough (139.8lbs) vs. Martin Sheridan (139.9lbs)
Bantamweight: Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (135.1lbs) vs. Kerry Hughes (137.1lbs)*
Flyweight: Mark Connor (125.8lbs) vs. Shaj Haque (125.7lbs)
Lightweight: Paul Gregson (153.8lbs) vs. Frankie Slater (158.5lbs)**
*Failed to make weight; surrenders 25 percent of purse to opponent
**Failed to make weight; surrenders 40 percent of purse to opponent
Photo: Curt Warburton and Wesley Murch face off (Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
December fight card updates
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship officials have today confirmed several updates to the promotion's hectic December schedule.
The final month of 2013 will see CWFC stage events in England, Jordan and Ireland, bringing the curtain down on the busiest year in the promotion's history.
That schedule begins with Cage Warriors 62 this Saturday, December 7, in Newcastle, England, where injuries to Cory Tait and Alan Johnston have seen new opponents drafted in for Jordan Desborough and Tommy Quinn respectively.
Quinn will now take on Gateshead native Dan Hope at a catchweight of 176lbs, while Desborough will clash with Irishman Martin Sheridan in a 139lbs catchweight bout.
Next up is Cage Warriors 61 in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, December 13, where English bantamweight James Brum will aim for his seventh consecutive Cage Warriors win when he clashes with Russia's Marat Pekov.
Brum (pictured) had been scheduled to face CWFC bantamweight champion Brett Johns this weekend in Newcastle, but an injury to Johns forced the cancellation of the bout.
The 26-year-old said: "I'm excited to return to Jordan to fight Marat Pekov, who has a big fanbase out there just like I do. I can't wait to enter the cage, punch each other in the face and hear the crowd blow the roof off the arena."
Pekov will be making his second appearance on a Cage Warriors card, having most recently suffered a unanimous decision loss to Ronnie Mann at CWFC Fight Night 9 in October.
"The fight against Mann was very close but it went to the judges and they gave it his way," said Pekov. "I won't make the same mistake against Brum. It won't be left in the hands of the judges this time."
Also at Cage Warriors 61, Arnold Allen will now meet Scottish featherweight prospect Doni Miller after Taylor Lapilus was forced out due to injury.
On the back of an impressive unbeaten amateur career, highly-touted Jordanian prospect Jarrah Al-Selawe will make his professional debut against Welshman James Burrows in a welterweight contest.
Elsewhere, a new opponent is currently being sought for Catherine Costigan after Elodie Puget withdrew from their atomweight bout, scheduled for Cage Warriors 63 at The Helix in Dublin on New Year's Eve, due to injury.
For the latest news and updates, keep track of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 62: Newcastle
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship's busy December schedule kicks off this Saturday, December 7, at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.
Following the cancellation of the CWFC flyweight title bout between Ulysses Gomez and champion Neil Seery, the Cage Warriors 62 main event will now see Curt Warburton take on Wesley Murch, and fans all over the world - including the UK - can stream all the action live and free of charge.
The main-card begins at 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT), following the Facebook prelims, which will also be free to stream live from 7pm local time (2pm ET/11am PT).
Find streaming and fight card details below, and check the listings in your region for additional TV broadcast details.
Tickets, priced from £35 (plus booking fee), are available HERE. Venue doors will open at 4.30pm, with the first bout scheduled for 6.20pm (subject to change).
- Watch the Facebook prelims live HERE at 7pm local time (2pm ET/11am PT)
- Watch the main card live from 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT) via:
MAIN CARD (9pm local time)
Wesley Murch vs. Curt Warburton
Chris Fishgold vs. Olivier Pastor
Richie Knox vs. Karl Moore
Dan Hope vs. Tommy Quinn
Ian Entwistle vs. Liam James
Alex Enlund vs. Danny Lawson
FACEBOOK PRELIMS (7pm local time)
Leeroy Barnes vs. Ronan McKay
Emma Delaney vs. Laura Howarth
Jordan Desborough vs. Martin Sheridan
Kerry Hughes vs. Agnieszka Niedzwiedz
UNSTREAMED PRELIMS (6.40pm local time)
Mark Connor vs. Shaj Haque
For the latest news and updates, keep track of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Facebook and Twitter.
[VIDEO] Cage Warriors 62: Countdown
More Cage Warriors history will be made in the UK this Saturday, December 7, when the CWFC flyweight belt is defended for the very first time.
Irishman Neil Seery (pictured), who became the first ever champion of CWFC's 125lbs division this past June, will put his title on the line against American challenger Ulysses Gomez in the main event at Cage Warriors 62 at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena.
In the build-up to this landmark bout, which tops the bill for Cage Warriors' twelfth show this year, we sent our cameras to Dublin and Las Vegas to get a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations of both champion and challenger.
Whet your appetite for this highly-anticipated flyweight clash by checking out "Cage Warriors 62: Countdown" (below), and then grab your tickets for the event HERE if you're one of the few who has yet to do so.
Dubai victorious with 2020 Expo bid
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship would like to extend its congratulations to all involved with Dubai's winning bid to host the World Expo trade convention in 2020, after the city beat off rival bids from Brazil, Turkey and Russia to clinch the honour.
Fireworks exploded from the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, following last night's announcement in Paris. Dubai, which played host to CWFC Fight Night 4 last year, will be the first Middle Eastern city to hold the Expo, which takes place every five years. The expo sees hundreds of countries show off the latest in architecture and technology.
The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has promised to astonish the world with the event. The Gulf city beat Russia's Yekaterinburg in the final round of voting in Paris. The other contenders were Sao Paulo in Brazil and Izmir in Turkey.
"We renew our promise to astonish the world in 2020," said Sheikh al-Maktoum after the win. "Dubai Expo 2020 will breathe new life into the ancient role of the Middle East as a melting pot for cultures and creativity."
Dubai authorities say the Expo 2020 will bring in around $23bn (£14bn, 17bn euros). They say financing for the six-month event will cost a total of $8.4bn (£5.2bn, 6.2bn euros), with the government spending around $6.5bn (£4bn, 4.8bn euros) on infrastructure projects.
A huge exhibition centre will be built to host the event, plus new hotels and an extension to Dubai's metro line. The 2015 Expo takes place in Milan.
Congratulations, Dubai!
Cage Warriors 61 moves from Baghdad to Amman
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship officials have been forced to opt for a change of date and venue for next month's Cage Warriors 61.
The event, which was originally scheduled for the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Saturday, December 14, will now take place at the King Hussein Youth City Boxing Arena (pictured) in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, December 13.
Cage Warriors 61 will be CWFC's thirteenth and penultimate event of the year, and will see the promotion make a swift return to Amman following the enormous success of last month's sold-out CWFC Fight Night 9 at the same venue.
Several logistical issues caused CWFC officials to postpone the promotion's historic first ever event in Iraq, which it is now hoped can be scheduled instead for 2014, as Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan explains:
"My team and I worked extremely hard to make this event in Baghdad happen, but there were too many logistical barriers in our way that meant we couldn't guarantee that this event would meet CWFC's high standards of organisation and production," said Boylan.
"I'm never willing to compromise on those standards so we've taken the decision to move the event to Amman instead. This will be our sixth event there so we're familiar with the infrastructure and the challenges will subsequently be more familiar and straightforward for us to deal with in this short space of time.
"It's unfortunate that our first event in Iraq will now have to wait until next year, but the important thing is that the athletes on the Cage Warriors 61 card still have an event to prepare for. Cancelling CWFC 61 just wasn't an option."
CWFC has built a huge fanbase in Amman since staging its first event there, CWFC Fight Night 1, back in June 2011. Cage Warriors 61 is one of three CWFC events scheduled for next month, joined by Cage Warriors 62: Newcastle on December 7 and Cage Warriors 63: Dublin on New Year's Eve.
Headlined by a welterweight bout between Carvalho and Matt Inman, check out the latest fight card for Cage Warriors 61 HERE, with more bouts still to be announced.
For the latest news and updates, keep track of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Facebook and Twitter.
Update: Cage Warriors 61
Several bouts have today been confirmed for Cage Warriors 61, which is set to take place in Amman on Friday, December 13.
The event, CWFC's 13th of the year, will see the promotion return to the Jordanian capital for the second time this year.
CWFC 61 is to be headlined by a welterweight contest between Matt Inman (12-5, pictured) and Bruno Carvalho (15-7), two fighters who have had contrasting recent fortunes.
Carvalho was on the end of a first-round KO loss to Gael Grimaud at CWFC Fight Night 9 in October, but the 31-year-old Brazilian says he's keen to rebound by proving that he still figures in CWFC's welterweight picture.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity to get another great match-up on a big show," said Carvalho. "Both Matt and I are still in title contention and this fight will bring one of us closer."
Inman, meanwhile, has been in the best form of his career in 2013 having put together a run of three straight Cage Warriors victories, but a win over Carvalho would undoubtedly be his biggest to date.
The 27-year-old Englishman said: "It's great to be part of another Cage Warriors event that will be breaking ground in a new country. My opponent is very skilled and experienced but I'll be stepping my game up to another level in order to bring home the win."
Meanwhile, after his scheduled clash with bantamweight champion Brett Johns in Newcastle on December 7 fell foul of an injury to Johns, the next outing for James Brum (13-2) will now be in Baghdad seven days later against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.
Following his impressive stoppage of Vladimir Opanasenko last time out, Jack Mason (25-12) will be aiming to end the year on a high by picking up his fourth CWFC win of 2013 at the expense of French veteran Seydina Seck (15-9-1), who holds notable victories over the likes of ex-CWFC welterweight champion Gael Grimaud and three-time UFC veteran Simeon Thoresen.
In light-heavyweight action, Egyptian fan-favourite Mohamed Ali (9-5) will also be eager to clinch his third CWFC triumph of the year when he goes up against England's James Hurrell (6-3).
Elsewhere, Vincent del Guerra (20-9) and Jake Bostwick (12-8-0-1nc) will clash in a bout to be contested at a catchweight of 176lbs, and Julien Boussuge (9-3) will take on Damien Brown (10-4) in a lightweight bout.
A featherweight clash involving unbeaten Englishman Arnold Allen (5-0) and French prospect Taylor Lapilus (5-1) is scheduled to begin the Facebook prelims, followed by a flyweight tussle between Paul Marin (6-3) and Spencer Hewitt (10-6).
CAGE WARRIORS 61 (more bouts still to be announced)
Bruno Carvalho vs. Matt Inman
James Brum vs. TBA
Jack Mason vs. Seydina Seck
Mohamed Ali vs. James Hurrell
Jake Bostwick vs. Vincent del Guerra
Julien Boussuge vs. Damien Brown
Spencer Hewitt vs. Paul Marin
Arnold Allen vs. Taylor Lapilus
With more CWFC 61 bouts still to be announced, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Update: Cage Warriors 63
The bill for Cage Warriors 63 is now finalised with today's announcement of eight further bouts.
Cage Warriors 63 will happen this New Year's Eve, Tuesday, December 31, at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland. Tickets are currently on sale HERE.
An injury to Paul Redmond (8-3, pictured) put their lightweight clash at CWFC Fight Night 9 on ice, but the Irishman will be back on the hunt for his sixth consecutive Cage Warriors win when he finally goes head-to-head with hotly-tipped Polish prospect Mateusz Teodorczuk (10-2) at CWFC 63.
Also on the main card, Ireland's top female star Aisling Daly (13-5) returns from a year-long hiatus for a strawweight encounter with Venezuelan Muay Thai specialist Karla Benitez (11-5-1).
Having suffered his first career loss at the hands of Stevie Ray in the final of the CWFC lightweight title tournament last month, Englishman Sean Carter (7-1) will be keen to get back to winning ways when he goes up against Irishman Myles Price (7-4).
The first of three women's bouts on the CWFC 63 card will be a flyweight tussle involving Irish MMA debutant Amanda English (0-0) and Italian visitor Slavka Vitaly (2-0).
Meanwhile, the unstreamed portion of the night's undercard will feature some of Ireland's best up-and-coming prospects. Kieran O'Brien will face Mick Brennan at featherweight, Gavin Kelly and Dylan Sheehan will clash in a bantamweight bout, featherweights Sean Tobin and Chris Boujard will also collide, in addition to a welterweight contest between Kevin Booth and Rob Leybourne.
Stevie Ray (c) vs. Ivan Buchinger - CWFC lightweight title bout
John Maguire vs. Philip Mulpeter
Jim Alers (c) vs. Graham Turner - CWFC featherweight title bout
Paul Redmond vs. Mateusz Teodorczuk
Karla Benitez vs. Aisling Daly
Sean Carter vs. Myles Price
Catherine Costigan vs. Elodie Puget
Kieran Davern vs. John Redmond
Amanda English vs. Slavka Vitaly
Kevin Booth vs. Rob Leybourne
Chris Boujard vs. Sean Tobin
Gavin Kelly vs. Dylan Sheehan
Mick Brennan vs. Kieran O'Brien
For more Cage Warriors Fighting Championship news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Update: Cage Warriors 62
Officials have today confirmed several updates to the bill for Cage Warriors 62, including the addition of two further bouts.
Cage Warriors 62 will take place at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England, on Saturday. December 7th, and tickets are currently on sale HERE.
Unbeaten English 21-year-old Chris Fishgold (9-0, pictured) will face arguably the toughest test of his career to date when he takes on French veteran Olivier Pastor (18-14-0-1nc) in a featherweight bout.
Meanwhile, England's Richie Knox (3-0) and Northern Ireland's Karl Moore (3-0) will both be looking to keep their respective unblemished records intact when they collide in a light-heavyweight contest.
Elsewhere, after his scheduled CWFC bantamweight title shot at Cage Warriors 62 fell through due to an injury to champion Brett Johns, James Brum will now return to action instead when CWFC visits Baghdad, Iraq, seven days later.
An injury to Chris Scott has forced him out of his middleweight tussle with Steve Dinsdale, but CWFC officials are currently seeking a replacement opponent for Dinsdale.
The meeting of Tommy Quinn and Alan Johnston, which was originally booked as a welterweight bout, will now take place at a catchweight of 176lbs following a request from Johnston, who recently accepted the fight on short notice.
Neil Seery (c) vs. Ulysses Gomez - CWFC flyweight title bout
Wesley Murch vs. Curt Warburton
Chris Fishgold vs. Olivier Pastor
Jordan Desborough vs. Cory Tait
Richie Knox vs. Karl Moore
Ian Entwistle vs. Liam James
Leeroy Barnes vs. Ronan McKay
Alan Johnston vs. Tommy Quinn
Emma Delaney vs. Laura Howarth
Alex Enlund vs. Danny Lawson
Kerry Hughes vs. Agnieszka Niedzwiedz
Mark Connor vs. Shaj Haque
Paul Gregson vs. Frankie Slater
For more Cage Warriors Fighting Championship news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors snaps up flyweight pair
Damien Rooney and Marcin Lasota (pictured) are the latest additions to the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship roster.
Both fighters are set to compete exclusively under the CWFC banner for a minimum period of 18 months, after they each penned five-fight deals with the promotion in recent days.
Lasota (7-0) is an unbeaten Polish fighter who has built up a reputation as one of Europe's top prospects since making his professional debut just over two years ago.
Ranked as Poland's top bantamweight, the 24-year-old now plans to pursue his career in the flyweight division, starting with his CWFC debut in 2014.
In his most recent outing, Lasota inflicted a first loss on Tymoteusz Swiatek (12-1), submitting his Polish compatriot in the third round of their clash this past April.
"Signing with Cage Warriors is a huge step forward for my career," said Lasota. "I'll be working harder than I've ever done to win my debut and show that I belong among the very best in the flyweight division."
Rooney (9-3-1) is also preparing for a move to 125lbs and is scheduled to make his first CWFC appearance early next year.
The 29-year-old Irishman, who has taken all but one of his victories inside the distance, holds notable wins over Cage Warriors veterans Alan Philpott and Mark Connor.
Rooney said: "I'm very excited to be signing with Cage Warriors. The promotion showcases the best talent in Europe and I believe I deserve to be among that.
"I believe I'll pose a threat to anyone in the CWFC flyweight division, regardless of where the fight goes, and my plan is to go straight after that world title."
For more Cage Warriors Fighting Championship news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter.
CWFC sets sights on Scandinavia
Tue Trnka, Cage Warriors' newly-appointed Head of Operations for Scandinavia (Photo: Palle Schultz).
Scandinavia will experience live Cage Warriors Fighting Championship action for the first time next year, with officials today announcing that three events have been scheduled for the Nordic region in 2014.
The promotion is also pleased to reveal that it has signed a further 13 Nordic fighters to compete under the CWFC banner, as well as appointing Tue Trnka as its Head of Operations in Scandinavia.
Plans are already in place for Cage Warriors to host its first ever Nordic event in the first quarter of 2014, which will take place in Denmark. Sweden will be next on the agenda later in the year, while the promotion has also vowed to work to develop the MMA situation in Norway, where events are currently prohibited.
"Given the rate at which Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has grown in recent years, it was only a matter of time before we spread our wings into the Nordic region, where the appetite for live MMA is absolutely enormous," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
"People are constantly telling me that Cage Warriors is the biggest promotion in Europe and moving into a new territory like this will be further proof of that. I have very big plans for Scandinavia and fans will get a look at some of those in 2014."
Nordic-based fighters have featured prominently on CWFC cards over the last few years, with the likes of Mats Nilsson, Mohsen Bahari, Matteus Lahdesmaki and Bruno Carvalho all currently contracted exclusively to the promotion.
They'll now be joined on the roster by over a dozen new fighters operating under the guidance of Tue Trnka, including unbeaten welterweight Nicolas Dalby (11-0), light-heavyweight Joachim Christensen (8-3) and lightweight Ayub Tashkilot (11-3).
A well-known MMA coach and manager in the Nordic region, 34-year-old Trnka is a co-owner of the Rumble Sports gym in Copenhagen and has an extensive background in combat sports in Scandinavia, having also worked in media roles for the likes of Danish Eurosport.
Trnka recently met Cage Warriors officials in London to discuss the expansion into Scandinavia, after being identified by CWFC boss Graham Boylan as the ideal candidate to represent the promotion in the Nordic region.
"With all due respect to the other Scandinavian events," said Trnka, "I honestly feel Cage Warriors brings a whole different level for the fighters to perform at. You can't put a price on the attention and publicity a strong performance at a Cage Warriors event gives a fighter.
"Cage Warriors creates worldwide exposure for fighters like no other MMA event in Scandinavia, or anywhere else in Europe for that matter, and now this scene is set to open up for Nordic fighters in a big way.
"I'm really excited about this massive opportunity, both for myself and for Nordic fighters, who now get a golden chance to regularly perform on the big stage. The history of Cage Warriors, what they've done for the sport and the level of their events is really second to none in Europe.
"This is an extraordinary opportunity for me, and I especially feel very honoured to be chosen as Head of Operations for the Scandinavian arm of Cage Warriors. I'm going to do my very best to help raise the bar for Nordic MMA along with the rest of the Cage Warriors crew. This is a splendid day for Nordic MMA."
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is currently in the process of finalising a schedule of 18 events to be held across several countries worldwide next year, starting with CWFC 64 at The Forum in London on Saturday, 15 February, 2014.
The promotion will finish 2013 on the back of 14 events in seven different countries. Last year saw 12 CWFC shows staged across nine countries, bringing to 26 the total number of CWFC events that have taken place since February of last year, cementing Cage Warriors' reputation as the busiest promotion with the widest international footprint outside of the UFC.
Graham Boylan added: "Our rate of expansion recently has been satisfying, but in 2014 we'll be taking things to a whole new level. There are some very exciting times ahead for this promotion and I'm delighted to be welcoming Tue Trnka onboard to lead us into Scandinavia.
"I've also just finalised a hugely significant deal, which will allow me to widen my resources by doubling the size of my current team and bringing in industry-based staff. In 2014 we're coming out with all guns blazing."
Details of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship's Nordic debut in Denmark early in 2014 will be revealed in due course. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Aussie duo join CWFC
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has today added Benny Alloway (pictured) and Damien Brown to its ever-expanding roster of fighters.
The Australian pair, who also train under renowned coach Marc Fiore at Altitude MMA in Colorado, have each put pen-to-paper on five-fight deals, which will see them compete exclusively for CWFC over a minimum period of 18 months.
Alloway (12-5) joins Cage Warriors on the back of a three-fight stint with the UFC, which started with a 'KO of the Night' victory over Manny Rodriguez last December.
The 32-year-old, who picked up a TKO win against CWFC middleweight Valentino Petrescu last year on The Ultimate Fighter, first fought for Cage Warriors in February 2012 when he overcame Mauro Chimento via unanimous decision at CWFC Fight Night 3 in Beirut.
"I'm very grateful to Graham Boylan and the Cage Warriors family for welcoming me back to one of the most respected organisations in the world, and I'm really looking forward to stepping on their canvas again," said Alloway.
"CWFC is the best thing for my career at this stage and I don't plan to disappoint them for bringing me back. My plans for the division are simple; get back to finishing fights, one at a time, and eventually become champion."
Brown (10-4), one of Australia's top lightweights, has dropped just one loss in his last five outings, an impressive run that has seen him pick up notable wins over fellow Legend FC veterans Haotian Wu and Rob Hill.
For more CWFC news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
2013 schedule update
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is to sign off on its busiest year to date with a hectic December schedule which will feature three events in three different countries.
CWFC officials can today confirm that terms have been agreed to bring Europe's leading MMA promotion to Baghdad for a ground-breaking event on Saturday, December 14.
The Iraqi capital will play host to Cage Warriors 61 just seven days after CWFC's next scheduled event, which is set for Newcastle, England. Once again, the curtain will be brought down on the year in Dublin, Ireland, on December 31, when Cage Warriors will stage its fourteenth and final event of 2013.
However, the promotion's visit to Baghdad next month is sure to attract worldwide attention, as Cage Warriors Fighting Championship continues to expand into previously uncharted territories with a view to satisfying the enormous appetite for mixed martial arts in the region.
While some small-scale shows have taken place in Iraq in recent years, Cage Warriors 61 will mark the country's first taste of an internationally-recognised MMA event, which will feature some of the top talent on the CWFC roster.
Iraq will become the eleventh country to play host to a Cage Warriors event since the start of last year. At the outset of 2012, the promotion embarked on an ambitious international schedule, breaking new ground for the sport of mixed martial arts in countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Ukraine.
That campaign of expansion has continued in 2013, the highlight of which thus far was an extremely successful and hugely significant event – Cage Warriors 58 – in the Russian republic of Chechnya this past August.
"Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is an international promotion, the biggest and busiest outside the USA, and this announcement further enhances that fact and that reputation," said Graham Boylan, Cage Warriors CEO.
"We've shown our ambition for breaking through frontiers in the past so I'm sure it will come as no surprise to see us confirming an event in Baghdad. It has had a troubled past but we're looking forward to visiting this fantastic city and giving the people there a taste of world-class MMA.
"The event will be one of three in December, which allows us to finish this year having staged 14 shows in the space of 10 months; that's 26 in total across 11 different countries since February of last year. With 18 shows scheduled for next year, you can expect our international growth to continue at pace in 2014."
Cage Warriors 61 was originally scheduled for Dagestan on November 16, but a number of logistical issues paved the way for the change of date and venue to December 14 in Baghdad, with a strong fight-card matched for the event which will be revealed in due course.
While the chronological order of numbered events has subsequently been impacted, officials have opted to continue with the December 7 event in Newcastle being billed as Cage Warriors 62, with Cage Warriors 61 following a week later in Baghdad.
Further information regarding Cage Warriors 61 will be available soon, so keep track of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Cage Warriors 62: Newcastle, England - Saturday, December 7
Cage Warriors 61: Baghdad, Iraq - Saturday, December 14
Cage Warriors 63: Dublin, Ireland - Tuesday, December 31
Photo: Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan (Dolly Clew | CWFC)
Cage Warriors 62: Murch v Warburton
Curt Warburton will begin his CWFC career against fellow promotional debutant Wesley Murch at Cage Warriors 62.
The pair will clash in a 160lbs catchweight bout on the main card of CWFC's next scheduled event, which takes place on Saturday, December 7, at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.
Also added to the card is the meeting of Tommy Quinn and Alan Johnston at welterweight, as well as a lightweight tussle between Paul Gregson and Frankie Slater.
Warburton (12-4), a three-fight veteran of the UFC, penned an exclusive five-fight deal with Cage Warriors last week.
The 32-year-old is currently fourth in the UK's lightweight rankings and holds wins over Maciej Jewtuszko, Tim Newman and current CWFC lightweight champion Stevie Ray.
"I'm looking forward to making my Cage Warriors debut against a tough opponent. Wesley is on a bit of a win-streak at the moment but that will end in Newcastle on December 7," said Warburton.
Murch (13-6), who has also inked an exclusive five-fight CWFC deal today, comes into the bout on the back of four straight victories, the most recent of which saw him submit Alexei Roberts.
Now 9-2 in his last 11 outings, 30-year-old Murch has taken all but one of his 13 professional wins inside the distance.
He said: "It's great to be joining Cage Warriors and getting the chance to compete against the top lightweights out there. Curt is an example of that. He's a great fighter and beating him will prove that I'm among the best in Europe."
Meanwhile, both Tommy Quinn and Alan Johnston will return to fight for Cage Warriors for the first time since December 2012 when they collide in an intriguing welterweight contest.
Quinn (5-1), who emerged victorious after going the distance with Philip Mulpeter at CWFC 51 last New Year's Eve, said: "I cannot wait to fight in a city that has been my home for the past six years. All I want is to put on an exciting fight."
Having impressively seen off Aaron Wilkinson at CWFC 50, Johnston (7-2-1) will be aiming for back-to-back Cage Warriors wins. He said: "It's great to be back on the best show in the UK against a guy like Tommy Quinn. He looks to bring a fight, which is exactly what I want."
Elsewhere, in a meeting of two lightweight prospects, Frankie Slater (2-1) will take on Paul Gregson (3-1).
More Cage Warriors 62 bouts are still to be announced, so keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets, priced from £35 plus booking fee, are on sale HERE.
Photo: Little Red Creative
Cage Warriors 63: Maguire v Mulpeter
JOHN MAGUIRE'S opponent for his New Year's Eve debut for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has today been confirmed.
Maguire (pictured), who signed an exclusive five-fight deal with CWFC last week, will take on home favourite Philip Mulpeter in a 161lbs catchweight bout at Cage Warriors 63 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, on Tuesday, December 31.
The event will be co-headlined by a pair of CWFC title bouts - Stevie Ray makes his first defence of the lightweight belt against Ivan Buchinger, while Jim Alers will be aiming to retain his featherweight strap when he takes on Graham Turner - and ticket sales will open shortly.
A two-time winner in the UFC, Maguire (18-6) is currently fifth in the UK's lightweight rankings and is confident of making a successful start to his spell with Cage Warriors.
"Being the Cage Warriors champion is now my aim and this is the first step on the way to that," said the 30-year-old Englishman. "Philip Mulpeter, you called down thunder; well now you've got it."
Mulpeter (6-3), like Maguire, sees his future in the 155lbs division having previously competed at welterweight. The 24-year-old was quick to offer Maguire his CWFC debut via Twitter after the signing of the UFC veteran was announced last week, and Cage Warriors officials have duly obliged.
@LukeBarnatt @CageWarriors @MaguireTheOne I'll gladly welcome him to the promotion. Dublin new years eve #makeithappen
— philip mulpeter (@honeybadgermma) October 31, 2013
A native of Laois in Ireland, Mulpeter began his move to lightweight with a very impressive second-round TKO of Warren Kee at Cage Warriors 56 in London this past July.
Mulpeter said: "I can't wait to get back in the cage. My last fight was a good win over a tough opponent but I'm looking to improve again. I'm looking forward to getting another win, especially in my capital city."
A welterweight bout between Irish pair John Redmond and Kieran Davern will also feature on Cage Warriors 63's preliminary card.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for ticket details and more updates on Cage Warriors 63, for which more exciting bouts will be announced shortly.
Photo: MMAjunkie.com
Cage Warriors 62: Fight card update
THE BILL for Cage Warriors 62 in Newcastle is taking shape following today's addition of a further seven bouts – including two women's bantamweight contests – to the December 7 card.
However, Brett Johns' first CWFC bantamweight title defence will have to wait until 2014, with the champion forced to withdraw from his clash with James Brum at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena due to injury. A replacement opponent is now being lined up for Brum, but it's hoped that Johns will be fit to put his belt up for grabs early next year.
Cage Warriors 62 in Newcastle, which will see Neil Seery defend his CWFC flyweight strap against Ulysses Gomez, will also feature the CWFC debut of local star Curt Warburton, after it was announced yesterday that he has signed an exclusive deal with the promotion. Warburton's opponent will be revealed in due course.
Elsewhere, after his split decision loss to Brett Johns in the final of the CWFC bantamweight title tournament in Cardiff last month, 21-year-old Jordan Desborough (pictured) will return to action on December 7 to take on the highly-touted Cory Tait, who recently signed exclusively to CWFC.
In middleweight action, Leeroy Barnes will be keen to return to winning ways against Irish veteran Ronan McKay, who holds notable victories over Cathal Pendred, Lee Chadwick and Henry Fadipe. Meanwhile, Chris Scott will also go in search of his first Cage Warriors win against Steve Dinsdale, who returns to the 185lbs division after a short stint at welterweight.
An exciting featherweight bout will see Danny Lawson aim to get his Cage Warriors career off to a successful start against Alex Enlund, who impressively disposed of Sebastian Romanowski at CWFC 58 in August. That bout will be preceded by the meeting of flyweights Shaj Haque and Mark Connor, both of whom will be eager to rebound from losses in their most recent CWFC outings.
In women's bantamweight action, 18-year-old prospect Agnieszka Niedzwiedz will take on Kerry Hughes, while Commonwealth judo silver medallist Emma Delaney will face TUF 18 contestant Laura Howarth.
More Cage Warriors 62 bouts are still to be announced, so keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets, priced from £35 plus booking fee, are on sale HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors snaps up Maguire
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship is pleased to announce the addition of John 'The One' Maguire (pictured) to its roster.
The English lightweight has committed his immediate future to the promotion by penning a five-fight deal to cover a minimum period of 18 months.
Maguire (18-6) will make his CWFC debut against a soon-to-be-announced opponent on New Year's Eve at Cage Warriors 63 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland.
A native of Cambridgeshire, the 30-year-old joins Cage Warriors on the back of a five-fight stint with the UFC, during which he picked up wins over Justin Edwards and DaMarques Johnson while competing at welterweight.
Currently sixth in the UK's lightweight rankings, Maguire is promising to go all the way to the top of the Cage Warriors 155lbs division.
He said: "I'm really happy to be joining Cage Warriors. I think it's the best promotion in Europe and that's where I need to be. It has the best lightweight roster around and I'm here to clear it up.
"Make no mistake; I'm here for one reason and one reason only – to be the best. Gypsy jiu-jitsu is coming to Cage Warriors. So come on Cage Warriors lightweights, who wants the first shot at 'The One'?"
Maguire, who has been stopped just once in his career, made his professional MMA debut in April 2006 and has clocked up other notable wins over the likes of Michael Pastou, Jake Bostwick, Wayne Murrie and Dean Amasinger.
"John Maguire is a hugely talented fighter and one of the very best in Europe," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. "That's why he'll feel at home at Cage Warriors, where there'll be plenty of big fights for him to keep his career moving in the right direction."
Photo: Brian Roberts
Curt commits to Cage Warriors
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship has today welcomed Curt Warburton (pictured) to its lightweight division.
Warburton (12-4) has signed a five-fight deal with CWFC, which will commit him exclusively to the promotion for a minimum period of 18 months, starting with Cage Warriors 62 in Newcastle on December 7, when the 32-year-old will debut against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.
Hailing from Durham in the north-east of England, Warburton holds notable victories over the likes of UFC star Ross Pearson, current CWFC champion Stevie Ray, top 10-ranked UK lightweight Tim Newman and Maciej Jewtuszko, whom he defeated at UFC 127.
"Cage Warriors is growing all the time and joining them is the right move for my career," said Warburton, who's currently the highest-ranked UK lightweight outside the UFC.
"This deal guarantees me five fights over the next 18 months and the opportunity to fight at home and around the world against some of the best lightweights on the planet. I'd like to thank my management - Elite MMA Agency - and Cage Warriors for making this possible."
Warburton began his professional career in 2007 and put together a 6-1 streak that saw him snapped up by the UFC, for whom a three-fight stint ended after a loss to Joe Lauzon in June 2011.
However, he rebounded in impressive fashion with five consecutive wins to reassert himself as one of the top lightweights in Europe.
After a recent spell with another UK-based promotion, Warburton opted against renewing his deal, deciding instead to make the step-up to Cage Warriors Fighting Championship following an approach to the promotion by the fighter's management.
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said: "I'm very pleased to have Curt Warburton on the Cage Warriors roster. He's shown his ambition by making an upward move like this and I think he'll be rewarded for that as, in my opinion, his best years are still ahead."
Photo: Little Red Creative
Cage Warriors 63: Ray v Buchinger
CWFC lightweight champion Stevie Ray (pictured) is to make the first defence of his belt this coming New Year's Eve.
The Scotsman will take on Ivan Buchinger at The Helix in the Irish capital of Dublin on Tuesday, December 31, 2013. A women's atomweight bout between Catherine Costigan and Elodie Puget has also been added to the card.
Ray (14-4) captured the title after emerging victorious from CWFC's four-man lightweight tournament at Cage Warriors 60 in London earlier this month, courtesy of wins over Jason Ball and Sean Carter.
The 23-year-old joins fellow Scot and Dinky Ninjas stablemate Graham Turner on the card for the year-ending event, with Turner booked to challenge Jim Alers for the CWFC featherweight strap.
"I'm very excited to be defending my belt on New Year's Eve at what looks set to be the biggest Cage Warriors event of the year," said Ray, who has taken 11 of his 14 wins inside the distance.
"I wanted Buchinger next as he should have been in the tournament final, so I want to show everybody that the result would have been the same anyway. I respect him but the belt will be coming back to Scotland with me."
Buchinger (24-4) had been due to meet Ray in that Cage Warriors 60 tournament decider but was forced to withdraw after sustaining a rib injury during his semi-final triumph over Mick Sinclair.
The 27-year-old Slovak returns to Dublin on New Year's Eve following a 3-0 streak this year, as he rebounded impressively from his loss to Conor McGregor on the same date at The Helix in 2012.
Buchinger said: "I'm glad to be getting the shot at the belt that I earned at Cage Warriors 60 and I'm looking forward to coming back to Dublin to try to make amends for my last fight there.
"Steven Ray is a deserving champion but I am determined to take that belt from him on New Year's Eve. I'm very excited about the opportunity."
Also in Dublin on New Year's Eve, the CWFC women's 105lbs division will launch with the meeting of Irish fighter Catherine Costigan (2-0) and France's Elodie Puget (1-1), with both women aiming to make a successful start to life under the Cage Warriors banner.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for ticket details and more updates on Cage Warriors 63, for which more exciting bouts will be announced shortly.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Results: CWFC Fight Night 9
In his previous Cage Warriors appearance, Frenchman Gael Grimaud (pictured) lost a hotly-contested five-round decision to Cathal Pendred. Against Bruno Carvalho, he made sure to leave no doubt as to the victor. The bout served as the headlining contest of Cage Warriors Fight Night 9, which took place at King Hussein Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan.
A big Grimaud right hand threatened to end the fight in the opening seconds of the first, flooring Carvalho just moments after the opening bell. A gritty Carvalho crawled back to his feet and looked to answer back. But he wouldn't have the chance. Grimaud flattened him with another right hand and threatened with additional punches to a wounded Carvalho (15-7), forcing the stoppage at just 45 seconds of the opening frame. Grimaud (19-6) was awarded the knockout win and immediately called for a rematch with Pendred.
In the night's co-feature, UFC veteran Che Mills looked solid in his middleweight debut, but Faycal Hucin changed all that in one, shining moment. Mills worked an early jab and lead left hook, leading Hucin to bring the fight to the floor. However, Mills moved quickly back to his feet, where he resumed the striking attacks. A Hucin eye-poke briefly slowed things during a timeout, but Mills continued to use the lead hand as his best weapon once the action restarted. Hucin did score another takedown, but Mills was again back to his feet before his opponent could capitalize.
Hucin surprisingly continued to look for the takedown in the second. However, his best moment came when he let his hands go and landed a massive power shot that wobbled Mills and sent him to the floor. Hucin seized the moment to capitalize on his handy-work, pouncing on his opponent. Mills (15-7) slowed things down well from the bottom, but Hucin (10-3) continued to grind away with punches, eventually earning the stoppage due to an accumulation of blows. The end came with 37 seconds left in the second frame.
In a high-paced bantamweight bout, Ronnie Mann earned a solid decision win over a game Marat Pekov. The pair traded strikes on the pocket to open, but Mann found the most success with a strong counter right that scored on a few occasions. He punctuated his performance by taking the fight to the floor and scoring with strikes from the top.
Pekov threatened a guillotine choke to open the second, but it ultimately just left him again on his back. Mann tried to advance position, and Pekov took advantage of the transition by sweeping to the top. Mann remained active from his back and patiently set up a gogoplata. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the finish, and he absorbed a massive barrage of right hands from his standing opponent to finish the round.
Pekov was game to open the third, but Mann took him to the floor and set up on top. With time winding down, he turned out for an armbar and then looked to transition to the triangle choke. Pekov (10-4) survived both efforts and took top position to finish, but it was too late in the frame to truly capitalise. In the end, Mann (23-6-1) was awarded a unanimous-decision win.
In welterweight action, Jack "The Stone" Mason (25-12) overcame a reach disadvantage to earn an impressive stoppage win over Vladimir Opanasenko (11-7). Opanasenko used his lengthy frame to keep Mason at bay to open, before Mason elected to shoot in and bring the fight to the floor. He couldn't stay busy enough to keep it there, and the round finished on the feet. Mason brought the fight to the floor again in the second, and this time he didn't waste the opportunity, unloading a bruising barrage of punches and elbows that brought a halt to the fight at the 3:00 mark of the second frame.
In a light-heavyweight matchup, hard-hitting slugger Mohamed Ali (9-5) earned the first submission win of his career with a surprising guillotine-choke over Prince Aounallah (6-3). With Aounallah pressing in against the cage early in the fight, Ali latched in the hold and jumped to guard, squeezing the neck until he got the finish, even with his opponent's arm in the move. The total process took 65 seconds.
In the night's first main-card match-up, French featherweight prospect Jean N'Doye (8-1) earned his third consecutive win by stopping Ukrainian Sergey Grechka (8-4) in the third round. N'Doye set the tone from the opening bell, pushing forward as the aggressor with crisp punches and snapping kicks to the legs. As the fight wore on, Grechka looked to answer, but his reliance on single blows left him out-paced by N'Doye, who brought combinations from all angles.
The power of the leg kicks became readily apparent in the final frame, as Grechka buckled several times from the weight of the blows. N'Doye ultimately took advantage of the efforts, bringing the fight to the floor and working immediately to the back and working in a rear-naked choke with 41 seconds left in the fight.
Gael Grimaud def. Bruno Carvalho via KO - Round 1, 0:45
Faycal Hucin def. Che Mills via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 4:23
Ronnie Mann def. Marat Pekov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Jack Mason def. Vladimir Opanasenko via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 3:00
Mohamed Ali def. Prince Aounallah via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 1:05
Jean N'Doye def. Sergey Grechka via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 4:19
Lee Caers def. Piotr Ptasinski via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:48
Ryan Roddy def. Fernando Gonzalez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Paul Marin def. Shaj Haque via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Weigh-in results: CWFC Fight Night 9
An intense staredown between Marat Pekov and Ronnie Mann in Jordan today (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
All bouts are now official for CWFC Fight Night 9 tomorrow following this afternoon's weigh-ins in the Jordanian capital of Amman.
Faycal Hucin was the only one of the 18 fighters who failed to make the contracted weight, coming in at 186.6lbs for his middleweight clash with Che Mills.
Hucin opted not to avail of the extra two hours to drop the excess 0.6lb and therefore surrendered 25 percent of his purse to his opponent.
Ronnie Mann and Ryan Roddy were both slightly over their respective limits on their first attempts, but both returned on weight well within the two-hour limit.
View a gallery of images from today's CWFC Fight Night 9 weigh-ins HERE.
CWFC Fight Night 9 will be broadcast live around the world and a limited number of tickets are also still available. Click HERE for fight card, ticket and broadcast details.
Welterweight: Bruno Carvalho (170lbs) vs. Gael Grimaud (170.2lbs)
Middleweight: Faycal Hucin (186.6lbs)* vs. Che Mills (185.6lbs)
Bantamweight: Ronnie Mann (136lbs)** vs. Marat Pekov (135.6lbs)
Welterweight: Jack Mason (170.8lbs) vs. Vladimir Opanasenko (169.2lbs)
Light-heavyweight: Mohamed Ali (205lbs) vs. Prince Aounallah (204.8lbs)
Featherweight: Sergey Grechka (145.4lbs) vs. Jean N'Doye (146lbs)
Welterweight: Lee Caers (170.2lbs) vs. Piotr Ptasinski (169lbs)
Lightweight: Fernando Gonzalez (154.8lbs) vs. Ryan Roddy (156lbs)***
Flyweight: Shaj Haque (125.8lbs) vs. Paul Marin (125.4lbs)
*Failed to make weight; surrenders 25 percent of purse to opponent
**Initially weighed in at 136.2lbs
***Initially weighed in at 157.4lbs
"I'm in a good place again and my best days are ahead."
CWFC middleweight Che Mills (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
IN THE welcome refuge of his Dublin hotel room, Che Mills tried his best to remain focused on the task at hand, in spite of the events of a forgettable afternoon.
Mills spent weeks working as hard as he had ever done, preparing to grasp an opportunity that had all of a sudden vanished because of half-a-pound of excess weight. A shot at CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred was supposed to represent Mills' first step on the road back to the top, but it was an unexpected obstacle that was about to send him on a detour.
With Pendred's gold no longer there to aim for, and his body struggling to recover from an arduous weight-cut, a lethargic Che Mills under-performed and found himself at a complicated crossroads. It was the second time he'd been there in the space of just a few months.
"It was my fault at the end of the day because I was the one who missed weight, so I can't complain. I don't like to make excuses, but in the first round especially I didn't feel myself at all," he says, reflecting on that Cage Warriors 55 loss in the Irish capital back in June.
Mills, a shy and reserved character who has never been one for playing mind-games or trash-talking with his opponents, found himself playing the unfamiliar role of the pantomime villain in Dublin. Dethroning Pendred in his own backyard was already going to be a sizeable task. By missing weight, Mills had now got the fans on his back too. The 'Mentions' column on his Twitter account didn't make for pleasant reading that weekend.
"I'm not going to lie; it was stressful. I'm not really a bad guy as such, but it felt like I was because of what some people were saying. That kind of stuff does get to me sometimes, but you've just got to remember that their opinions don't really matter. The ones who matter are the people who have stuck by me through good and bad.
"But the situation did impact on my state of mind going into the fight because I was focused on winning the title. Then, all of a sudden, after all the hard work, it was a case of knowing that I wouldn't be the champion even if I won. It was very emotionally draining actually."
Mills tangles with Cathal Pendred during their CWFC 55 bout in Dublin in June (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
Missing weight and falling short against Pendred was the latest chapter in what has been Che Mills' annus horribilis. He began 2013 by trying to come to terms with the passing of his father in December. Seven weeks into the new year and he had been cut from the UFC.
Mills was scheduled to face Matt Riddle at Wembley Arena in February, but his preparations had been scuppered by his father's death. Nevertheless, he decided that withdrawing from the bout wasn't an option. But, with the benefit of hindsight, it's a decision he regrets. His body was ready but his mind was elsewhere. An off-colour Mills was outwrestled by Riddle in a split-decision defeat (which was later declared a no-contest following Riddle's failed drug test).
Eight months on from the bout, when asked if he should have pulled out, Mills says: "Yes, I think so. But I don't make excuses. At the time I thought I was ready and that everything was fine. In a strange way it kind of kept me going, but I realise now that I was focused on the wrong things."
The defeat was a setback, but worse was to follow just a week later. The UFC confirmed the release of 16 fighters on February 20. To Mills' surprise, he was one of them.
"I was a little bit shocked, if I'm honest. It was only one loss on the trot and my only other UFC loss was against Rory McDonald, who's top five in the world. I can't say I saw it coming. I thought I was close to being in the firing line but I definitely expected to get another chance."
The manner in which he learned of his dismissal didn't make things easier.
"I actually found out from Twitter and I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not. I basically woke up, checked my Twitter and thought that has to be a mistake, a misunderstanding. But a few hours later my manager phoned me and confirmed that it was true. It would have been nice to have been told before finding out from other people on the internet but, rightly or wrongly, that's obviously how it's done."
A few days of soul-searching was to follow. The Gloucester native had got a taste for life at the summit, but now it was gone. However, walking away from the sport was never really an option. Within a fortnight he penned a five-fight deal with Cage Warriors.
"I just love it too much. I'm still young enough – just about! – to carry on and be successful," he says. "It was a big setback at first, but what else was I going to do? Fighting is what I do and that's not going to change at this stage."
The first outing on his new CWFC deal didn't quite go according to plan, but according to the man himself, we'll be seeing a new and improved Che Mills when he makes the move up to middleweight to take on Faycal Hucin tomorrow evening at CWFC Fight Night 9 in Jordan. With the burden of an enormous weight-cut no longer an issue, Mills has seemed at ease throughout the week at Amman's Meridien Hotel.
Relaxing in the hotel lobby, sporting the shirt of his beloved Celtic FC just hours after watching them pick up a big Champions League victory against Ajax, Mills admits that this bout represents the start of the next stage of a professional career that began 10 years ago.
"It hasn't been the best time lately but now I'm feeling like I'm in a good place again; like I'm ready to put it all behind me and move on. I don't feel like I have to prove myself to others anymore, only to myself."
He turns 31 next week and his time with the world's largest promotion has come and gone – for now, at least – so the general consensus is that we've already seen Che Mills at his peak. But he doesn't agree. In fact, Mills is adamant that there's much better to come.
He says: "People can only form their opinions based on what they see, but they don't know what's going on behind the scenes and how hard I've been working. Personally I believe I've still got my best days ahead of me. I feel like I've been doing wonders lately in the gym and it's really boosted my confidence. I believe I've grown, but now the onus is on me to show that."
His next objective is to become Cage Warriors middleweight champion, but what's his motivation to keep going? Mills has already been at the top, with the majority of fans and pundits already writing his career's obituary. But therein lies the incentive.
"I don't like losing," Mills says. "I might not show that openly, but deep down inside me I absolutely hate losing. That's the biggest drive for me at the moment. If people think I'm past it now, that's fine with me. It's all extra motivation.
"Do I want to be this ex-UFC guy that everyone beats? I understand that people will see me as a stepping stone but I know I've got a lot to offer, so I won't be that guy. I don't want to be the guy who fought for the UFC a few times but ends up working in ASDA for the rest of his life."
When Che Mills wakes up tomorrow morning, beating Faycal Hucin won't be the first thing on his mind. He'll be phoning his family back home in England, who'll be celebrating his son's first birthday.
"I felt a bit bad when the fight was first announced but me and the missus agreed that I've got to work. At this stage a win would probably be the best birthday present I could give him."
Annus horribilis may yet have a happy ending.
Interview by Paul Dollery.
Brad on the Blog: CWFC Fight Night 9 (Part One)
When I was 13, I moved with my family to Holland. I was lucky enough to attend a private British school over there and about a month before I was due to start, we went on a tour of the place with the headmaster. As he was showing us around, he wowed me with tales of all the cool school trips I'd get to go on: Switzerland, Italy, France, Russia…not bad for a lad from Manchester who'd only been abroad twice before. It was two months in when I found out the destination of my first school trip – Poole, in Dorset, England. I'm pretty sure I swore a lot that day.
Fast forward about fifteen years; I'm on the phone with Cage Warriors' CEO Graham Boylan and he's offering me a job. I'd be joining the team for events in the UK, Europe and all over the Middle East. The prospect of soaking up some top-quality MMA and culture in all these weird and wonderful places was too good to turn down, and I was dusting off my passport before I'd even put the phone down.
"When do I start?" I asked, with a bottle of sun cream in my hand. "London", came the reply. Funny how life works out sometimes.
To be fair, though, the London show was awesome. I knew my way around as I'd spent plenty of time in the city filming an MMA TV show that year, and I'll never forget the experience of working my first CWFC show. But what happened next was truly special. So at 3am, with just an hour's sleep, I boarded a four-hour coach to Heathrow for a flight to Jordan, for what would turn out to be a remarkable five days. This week, I get to do it all over again.
Jordan really is something else. The hotel we use is probably the nicest place I've ever stayed and, in such beautiful surroundings, the sting of paying £25 for a burger and a beer is somewhat dulled. A short coach ride away is the King Hussein Youth City Boxing Arena, which firmly entrenched itself in my 'top three places to watch MMA' list, right behind the Rotterdam Ahoy and the MEN in Manchester. Imagine a mini-arena custom-built for fights, and you're half-way there.
The Jordanian fans are equally special. I popped outside about 20 minutes before showtime for some fresh air, and was stunned to see about a thousand fans queued up around the block. When the doors opened, it was all but a stampede to get in. The venue was packed and the crowd were on fire from the first bout until the last.
I'm obviously very popular in Jordan, as people were grabbing me for photographs for a full 30 minutes after the event…although this could possibly have had something to do with the fact that I was walking around with a camera pointed at me, with a big, white CWFC microphone in my hand. Who knows? Joking aside, it was cool to walk through the City Mall with commentator Josh Palmer the next day, and have a bunch of kid stop us and ask about the show. And at the end of the day, the show is what it's all about. Cage Warriors have played a blinder this year with some incredible events, and Friday's looks set to continue that trend.
Top of the bill is a mouth-watering welterweight tilt, pitting former champion Gael Grimaud against perennial top contender Bruno Carvalho. The bout is a grappling fan's dream; both men have forged a dangerous reputation on the mat. Both too have an underrated stand-up game, as well as an imposing physical presence. It's easy to break out the 'unstoppable force/immovable object' cliché, but it's difficult to pick out an area in which either Carvalho or Grimaud have a distinct advantage.
Our co-main event is another 'pick-em' fight, and poses some interesting questions. Will Che Mills be able to retain his speed and dexterity at middleweight? Will Faycal Hucin's power and aggressiveness be enough to overcome his opponent's technical edge? Where will the winner land in the middleweight title picture? For Mills, this is very much a crossroads fight. After losing in his CWFC debut earlier this year, the Trojan Free Fighters product has rolled the dice on a move up to middleweight. Another defeat would leave him in limbo, while a win throws him right back into the mix. For Hucin, it's a chance to notch his third straight win in the division and make a second run at the gold after losing out in the semi-finals of last year's middleweight tournament.
Ronnie Mann looked ferocious in his last outing for Cage Warriors, demolishing Jose Luis Zapater in a shade over three minutes. Surging Russian prospect Marat Pekov poses a different set of problems though; the 25-year-old Combat Sambo prodigy has finished eight of his 10 defeated opponents - all by submission.
Jack Mason will look to get back on track against late replacement Vladimir Opanasenko. Disappointed at letting his July clash with Ali Arish slip away from him, a refocused Mason is looking to kick-start another run at the top of CWFC's stacked - yet wide open - 170lbs division. Leg-lock specialist Opanasenko may be giving away a bit of size and weight to 'The Stone', but the Ukrainian-born fighter has a surprisingly effective submission game from the guard that will no doubt keep his English counterpart guessing.
If you're after a reason to tune in - or rather log on - to the preliminary portion of the card, then look no further than the flyweight opener between the unpredictable Paul Marin and undefeated 22-year-old Shaj Haque, a suffocating wrestler with the ability to nullify many an opponent's offensive capabilities. In Marin, however, he'll be up against a master of throws, transitions and reversals, with a wicked right hand to boot. Keep an eye on this one for a real back-and-forth chess match, which has 'Fight of the Night' written all over it.
Elsewhere on the card, the always exciting Jean N'Doye faces Combat Dobro's Sergei Grechka; Piotr Ptasinski returns to the site of his 2012 'Fight of the Year' with Mohsen Bahari when he takes on Lee Caers; and Ryan Roddy returns from a long injury lay-off to tangle with Fernando Gonzalez. And, of course, it wouldn't be a Cage Warriors show in the Middle East without hulking violence machine Mohamed Ali. The hugely popular Egyptian takes on Frenchman Prince Aounallah, a one-hit KO specialist with a penchant for wild brawls.
CWFC Fight Night 9 marks the first of four events in Cage Warriors' 2013 home stretch. Friday's card is indicative of the fact that, rather than jogging home, we'll be sprinting for the finish.
CWFC Fight Night 9: Jordan
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to the Jordanian capital of Amman on Friday evening, October 25, for CWFC Fight Night 9.
The event, which takes place at the King Hussein Boxing Arena, will feature a host of top CWFC stars, including Bruno Carvalho, Gael Grimaud, Che Mills, Faycal Hucin and Ronnie Mann.
Fans in Jordan will be treated to nine professional bouts, all of which will be broadcast live around the world. A limited number of tickets are also still available to purchase HERE.
Three prelims will be available to watch live and free of charge on Facebook at 7.45pm local time (5.45pm UK/12.45pm ET/9.45am PT), followed by the six-bout main card at 9pm local time (7pm UK/2pm ET/11am PT). Find broadcast details for your region below.
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
Setanta Africa | Africa
FightKlub | Poland
MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
Sportube.tv | Italy
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world (excluding the UK)
PremierSports.tv | United Kingdom (subscription required)
ESPN | Brazil (subscription required)
MAIN CARD - 9pm local time (7pm UK/2pm ET/11am PT)
Bruno Carvalho vs. Gael Grimaud
Faycal Hucin vs. Che Mills
Ronnie Mann vs. Marat Pekov
Jack Mason vs. Vladimir Opanasenko
Mohamed Ali vs. Prince Aounallah
Sergey Grechka vs. Jean N'Doye
FACEBOOK PRELIMS - 7.45pm local time (5.45pm UK/12.45pm ET/9.45am PT)
Lee Caers vs. Piotr Ptasinski
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Ryan Roddy
Shaj Haque vs. Paul Marin
Cage Warriors 62: Seery v Gomez
NEIL SEERY (pictured) is set to put his CWFC flyweight strap on the line at Cage Warriors 62.
The Irishman's first title defence will be against Ulysses Gomez when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship heads to Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena on Saturday, December 7, 2013.
The meeting will be one of two title bouts on the night, with CWFC bantamweight champion Brett Johns already booked for a clash with James Brum in the north-east of England.
Seery (13-9) made history at Cage Warriors 55 in his native Dublin back in June, when he submitted Mikael Silander to become CWFC's first ever flyweight champion.
The win was the 34-year-old's fourth in succession, after he previously overcame Mark Platts, Karl Harrison and Paul Marin to secure his shot at the vacant 125lbs title.
Seery said: "I'm looking forward to defending the belt against Ulysses Gomez in Newcastle. He's a high-calibre opponent with experience at the top level, but I won't give up this belt easily."
Gomez (9-4) challenges for the Cage Warriors gold following a two-fight stint with the UFC, which came to an end after a close decision loss to CWFC veteran Phil Harris in London this past February.
Hailing from California, the 30-year-old is a one-time Bellator winner and former champion for the renowned US promotion Tachi Palace Fights, who has been stopped just once - by UFC star John Moraga - during a professional career that began in March 2008.
"Fighting for the Cage Warriors belt is a huge honour. Becoming Cage Warriors champion will prove that I'm one of the best fighters in the world," said Gomez, who has taken seven of his nine victories via submission.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 62 will be on sale soon. For the latest news, updates and fight announcements, keep track of CWFC on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC and Wilkinson part company
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship can confirm that Aaron Wilkinson (11-6) is no longer contracted exclusively to the promotion.
The English welterweight has been released from a deal that was scheduled to expire in January, having fought three times for the promotion since making his CWFC debut in July of last year.
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan explained that although Wilkinson's contract is due to remain valid for another three months, the fighter is now free to pursue other options.
"Aaron is contractually committed to Cage Warriors until January 2014, but we don't have any plans for him to compete between now and then," said Boylan.
"We don't intend to offer Aaron a new deal so it makes sense for us both to part company sooner rather than later. I wish Aaron the very best with his career, which I'm sure will be a success on the back of a big win last weekend."
Wilkinson debuted for CWFC at Cage Warriors 48 in July 2012 when he submitted Leigh Cohoon in the first round of their bout at The Forum in London.
The 26-year-old Manchester native dropped a decision loss to Alan Johnston last December, but rebounded with a second-round TKO of Bola Omoyele this past Saturday.
Boylan added: "We've got four more big shows scheduled between now and the end of the year but all cards are already stacked, so unfortunately there's no room for Aaron to fight once more before his contract expires."
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC Fight Night 9: Fight card update
RONNIE MANN (pictured) will be aiming for consecutive Cage Warriors victories when he returns to action later this month.
The English bantamweight will face Russia's Marat Pekov at CWFC Fight Night 9 at the King Hussein Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, October 25.
Also added to the card is a light-heavyweight bout between Mohamed 'Felx' Ali and Prince Aounallah, while a replacement opponent has been contracted for Ryan Roddy, who'll now take on Swedish prospect Fernando Gonzalez following the withdrawal of Mario Saeed due to injury.
However, the lightweight bout between Paul Redmond and Mateusz Teodorczuk has been removed from the bill after both fighters picked up injuries in training.
Nevertheless, a stacked card remains in store for CWFC fans in Amman, as the promotion gets set to return for a fifth event in the Jordanian capital since June 2011, with the meeting of Mann and Pekov, in particular, likely to be a highlight.
Mann (22-6-1), a Bellator veteran who committed exclusively to Cage Warriors earlier this year, made his promotional debut in July, when he impressively overcame Jose Luis Zapater at CWFC 57 in Liverpool via first-round TKO.
"I'm so grateful to be fighting for Cage Warriors again so soon and I want to thank them for giving me this opportunity," said Mann, who's currently fourth in the UK's bantamweight rankings.
"I'm looking forward to this fight as my opponent is a very tough veteran in Marat Pekov, so I know we'll put on a great fight for the fans. I've also never been to Jordan before so I welcome the new experience."
Pekov (10-3), a 25-year-old Circassian, will be making his CWFC debut, as he aims to pick up a fifth consecutive victory, having not tasted defeat since August 2010.
A combat sambo fighter, Pekov has taken all but one of his 10 career wins via submission, all nine of which have come in the first round.
He said: "I'm very excited to be fighting for Cage Warriors, which is one of the best promotions in the world. This is a huge opportunity for me to display my skills to the entire world."
CWFC Fight Night 9
Bruno Carvalho vs. Gael Grimaud
Faycal Hucin vs. Che Mills
Ronnie Mann vs. Marat Pekov
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Jack Mason
Mohamed Ali vs. Prince Aounallah
Lee Caers vs. Piotr Ptasinski
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Ryan Roddy
Shaj Haque vs. Paul Marin
For more CWFC Fight Night 9 news and updates, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter.
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 60 (Part Two)
Last Saturday night's Cage Warriors 60 marked the tenth CWFC show of 2013. We've crammed all that into roughly seven months too, and with four more shows in as many different countries on the calendar before 2013 is done with, it'll be a while yet before we can catch our collective breath.
People often assume that the London shows are the easy ones compared to say, Chechnya or Jordan. In some cases that's true; the CWFC office is just around the corner and our production crew know the venue like the back of their hands.
London presents its own challenges though. In Jordan, for example, everybody is at the hotel for the majority of fight week. Whether it's arranging interviews for the broadcast, checking a fighter's weight or simply making sure everyone is in the right place at the right time, everything becomes a little more 'interesting' when less than half of the card is at the hotel 24 hours before the event takes place.
If there's one thing I always hear from staff, fighters or coaches at their first CWFC event though, it's that we run a tight ship. Everyone knows what's expected of them and the job always gets done, so whether 12 or 24 of the card's fighters are at the hotel, the biggest disaster the team usually faces is delaying our post-weigh-in Nando's while somebody cuts that final half a pound.
Last Saturday was no different; despite some complications on the scales, all 13 professional bouts were present and correct come 6:30pm on Saturday evening, and Cage Warriors once again delivered a rather spiffing evening of combat sports. The Forum was packed-out, a testament to the quality of a card that was going head-to-head with a London-based promotion just across town.
A big part of the attraction of CWFC 60 (for me, at least) was the lightweight tournament. I'd referred to one of the participants as 'The Bookies' Favourite' in part one of this blog. In truth Saturday night must not have been the most comfortable for the bookmakers who'd taken bets on the night's action, both in the tourney and elsewhere.
Mick Sinclair was an outsider, but you wouldn't have known that from the noise his fantastic fans made as he entered the cage for his scrap with Ivan Buchinger. You'd have believed it even less as the fight went on; had anyone been offering 'in-play' action, methinks the lines would have altered dramatically after the first round.
Sinclair looked like he hadn't lost a step, and to put it in its simplest terms, he beat Buchinger up for the majority of the bout. Smashing elbows in the clinch, big power punches and a couple of nice takedowns had the Brit cruising, but 'Buki' reminded everyone why he was the odds-on favourite with one of the slickest finishes in recent memory; a perfectly executed hip throw, followed by a scarf-hold armlock. Imagine pulling off an Americana using only your legs, and you're halfway there. Unfortunately a rib injury would keep Buchinger out of the finals, and while I can't read Ian Dean's mind, I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see the Slovakian challenging for the belt at some point in the future.
On the other side of the bracket, Stevie Ray was able to shut down a very game Jason Ball for two rounds. Ball made him work for it though, staying busy with submission attempts off his back, but Ray's wrestling and top game would ultimately win the day.
Sean Carter never expected to be fighting for a world title on Saturday night, but the unpredictable nature of tournaments saw him doing just that. Earlier in the night he'd put in a workmanlike performance against his most experienced opponent to date, Richard Griffin, picking up the win with a trademark submission. The ground-game of Stevie Ray proved to be a little too much for the BKK prospect on the night though.
Despite Carter landing first, it was Ray who did the damage early with his brutal ground 'n' pound attack. One rear-naked choke later, and Ray was the new Cage Warriors lightweight world champion. It was a well-deserved win for a man who'd travelled halfway across the world and back to prepare for the contest, missing his daughter's first birthday in the process. If traveling back to Scotland without that big gold belt was simply not an option for Ray, then it was most definitely a mission accomplished.
Also ruining the bookies' day was Aaron Wilkinson, who survived an early onslaught to put fellow Ultimate Fighter veteran Bola Omoyele away early in the second round. After starting on the back foot, Wilkinson took over late in the first round with a wild right hand and a takedown. For a moment it seemed like Omoyele wouldn't come out for the second stanza; once it got underway, 'The Daywalker' made him wish he hadn't.
A barrage of punches left the Team Titan man on the mat, with Wilkinson blasting away for the stoppage. The SBG fighter spent most of Sunday responding to tweets thanking him for their winning bets, and no doubt contemplating where the win leaves him in Cage Warriors' stacked welterweight division.
Also causing an upset on the main card was Kacper Karski, who flew in on the day of the weigh-ins to save Leeroy Barnes' place on the card after a series of pull-outs. The Pole wasn't there to make up the numbers though, and when Leeroy left his neck open on a takedown after a wild opening exchange, Karski showed his mastery of the front headlock position, locking up a Brabo choke, dragging his man down and flipping him over for the finish.
One of the night's most memorable performances belonged to Muay Thai world champion Amanda Kelly. The MMA debutant showed exactly why her style is known as 'The Art of Eight Limbs' as she punished Hannah Stephens for the duration of their bout. Elbows crashed into Stephens' face from all angles, while piston-like knees to the body and head took a devastating toll. A particularly hellacious knee put Stephens out with less than four minutes gone, in what was perhaps one of the strongest debut performances I've witnessed in many years.
The remainder of the card was chock-a-block with surprises and heartache. Super prospect Paddy Pimblett was choked unconscious by Cameron Else in what many will regard as a huge upset. If the old adage that you learn more from a loss than you do from a win rings true though, I feel deeply sorry for Pimblett's next opponent.
UK prospects Nad Narimani and Bryan Creighton picked up wins, while Arnold Allen maintained his perfect record against an opponent with over four times as much professional experience. While it's far too soon to be talking about title shots for the trio, it gives you a great amount of faith in the future of their respective divisions.
And when it all comes down to it, that's what I love so much about Cage Warriors cards; they're as much about the first bout on the bill as they are the last. It's a tired cliché that there are no easy fights here, but it's true. It's not just about fights that will be fun, it's about fights that make sense in the grand scheme of things. It's about keeping things interesting now, and building divisions for next year, and the year after that.
If you want to see 'knock ahhhts' there are other places you can go. If you want to see the highest level of European MMA, both present and future, we've got you covered. So while everybody else takes a couple of weeks off, the CWFC team is already back at it, putting the final pieces of the puzzle together for Fight Night 9 in Amman, Jordan. It all goes down in just over two weeks' time…sorry about the long wait.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Results: Cage Warriors 60
It was another odd single-night tournament for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, but that's what makes such things always interesting.
With the lightweight title vacated by Conor McGregor's move to the UFC earlier this year, Cage Warriors 60 in London on Saturday crowned a new 155-pound champion when Stevie Ray submitted Sean Carter in the first round of the finals of a four-man, single-night tournament.
Carter stepped in to fight Ray in the main event after semi-final winner Ivan Buchinger couldn't fight a second time due to an injury. So Carter was elevated from his win in a tournament reserve bout.
Carter took the center of the cage early, but Ray let loose with a kick to the body. The two tied up 30 seconds in. Some big shots from Ray created a solid mouse under Carter's left eye, and Ray tried to go to work on it from up top on the ground.
Ray moved to side control nicely, and then dropped a big elbow down. Carter got back to half-guard, but Ray stayed active and got to full mount with 90 seconds left. Ray just overpowered him from there and landed big left hands, then big right hands. Carter tried to recover to defend himself, but Ray took his back and locked up a body triangle. Then with just 25 seconds left in the round, he locked up a rear-naked choke and cinched it in. Carter had to tap with 20 seconds left in the first.
"It was really hard, because I had the possibility of doing eight rounds tonight," Ray said after getting his new belt strapped around his waist. "Do you pace yourself for the first fight so you have energy for the second one? It doesn't matter who I was getting. I was preparing for this moment for nine weeks. I was going to kill myself to get this belt."
Ray (14-4) went 2-0 on the card and now has won five of his past six fights. Just a decision loss to UFC vet Curt Warburton earlier this year for BAMMA stands between him and a 6-0 mark over that stretch. Carter (7-1) lost for the first time in his pro career.
In the co-main event, fans in London still may be trying to figure out just what happened with heavy favorite Bola Omoyele, who was stopped early in the second round by Aaron Wilkinson.
Omoyele pumped his jab early, but Wilkinson shot for a takedown. Omoyele, an American Top Team product, nicely shrugged him off, though. Ninety seconds in, Omoyele got the fight to the ground and forced Wilkinson to scramble away from ground-and-pound, then choke attempts.
Wilkinson got back to his feet midway through the frame, then swung wildly and missed. Waiting back, Omoyele landed a pair of big punches, but moments later, Wilkinson landed some heavy hands of his own before looking for a takedown of his own. Wilkinson did good work on the ground, and when the round ended, Omoyele looked exhausted in his corner.
There was some confusion before the second round started, as referee Marc Goddard twice asked if Omoyele could continue and urged his cornermen to leave the cage. Eventually, Omoyele made it known he would still fight, but Wilkinson certainly saw something was amiss and knew to try to take advantage.
Wilkinson came forward quickly, and when the fight hit the ground he sank in an easy choke. Omoyele fended it off, but it wasn't long before Wilkinson started teeing off on him. Omoyele was given several warnings from Goddard to improve his position, and he never did.
Wilkinson (11-6), a one-fight UFC veteran, got back in the win column after a loss at Cage Warriors 50 this past December. Omoyele (7-2) had his six-fight win streak – all stoppages – snapped with the loss. The main card was filled with stoppages beyond Wilkinson's shocker in the co-main event.
To open the main card, Arnold Allen (5-0) used a Superman punch to set up a takedown and tried to go to work on the ground. Declan Williams (8-7-3) was able to turn things around late in the round, but probably too little, too late. In the second, Allen went after a kimura, but Williams survived it on his back. He had to eat some elbows afterward, though. Allen went after a guillotine late in the frame, then adjusted and got a triangle choke near the end of the frame that forced Williams to tap.
Amanda Kelly (1-0) and Hannah Stephens (2-2) swung early, but it was Kelly who put on a striking clinic. The fight briefly had to be stopped for Kelly to be warned for 12-to-6 elbows. But late in the round, she landed a giant right knee to the head that quickly floored Stephens for the stoppage.
Spencer Hewitt (10-6) looked to be doing well early, but on a takedown, Bryan Creighton (5-1) reversed things and locked in a guillotine choke, all in one roll. It was an impressive and sudden turnaround for the Liverpudlian, who got the tap at the 2:48 mark of the first.
Leeroy Barnes (12-12) landed a good combination early, but Kacper Karski (5-1) had some nice knees in response. With the fight on the ground, he went after a guillotine and didn't let up on it. He had to transition several times with the choke close, using several grips. When Barnes got back to his feet, he maintained his grip, and then dragged things back to the ground to get the finish with a D'Arce choke just 95 seconds into the fight.
In the lightweight tournament semifinals, Ivan Buchiger (24-4) was in all kinds of trouble against Mick Sinclair (12-4) early in their fight. Kicks from Sinclair forced Buchinger to tie him up. Sinclair got double underhooks and dragged Buchinger to the ground. He landed an elbow, and when Buchinger got back up, he landed another takedown. A final takedown late in the round may have been most important as it appeared to injure Buchinger near his right ribs.
Sinclair didn't help matters for Buchinger in the second by picking him up and slamming him again. But 90 seconds in, Buchinger reversed things and managed to throw Sinclair to the ground. In side control, Buchinger locked onto Sinclair's right arm and shoulder and with an arm triangle choke also available, he torqued and forced the Brit to tap from the armbar.
But despite the win, it was revealed later that Buchinger would not be able to compete in the finals due to the injury. Instead, Sean Carter, who submitted Richard Griffin (5-10) in a tournament reserve bout, moved up to meet Steven Ray in the finals.
Three minutes into the second semifinal fight, Ray got a good single-leg takedown against Jason Ball (20-13), and then took Ball's back. With plenty of time left, Ball had to focus in on choke defense. But throughout the two rounds (there was a third "overtime" round set up in case of a tie on the scorecards), Ray dominated to take a 20-18 sweep into the final.
Stevie Ray def. Sean Carter via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:40 - lightweight tourney final
Aaron Wilkinson def. Bola Omoyele via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 1:08
Kacper Karski def. Leeroy Barnes via submission (D'Arce choke) - Round 1, 1:35
Bryan Creighton def. Spencer Hewitt via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 2:48
Amanda Kelly def. Hannah Stephens via KO (knee) - Round 1, 3:40
Arnold Allen def. Declan Williams via submission (triangle choke) - Round 2, 4:50
Nad Narimani def. Athinodoros Michailidis via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:42
Stevie Ray def. Jason Ball via unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) - lightweight tourney opening round
Ivan Buchinger def. Mick Sinclair via submission (Americana) - Round 2, 1;59 - lightweight tourney opening round
Aaron Blackwell def. Kris Edwards via split decision
Sean Carter def. Richard Griffin via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 4:38 - lightweight tourney reserve bout
Charlie Watts def. Ben Constantine via split decision
Cameron Else def. Paddy Pimblett via submission (D'Arce choke) - Round 1, 0:35
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 60 (Part One)
Cage Warriors tournaments are, it seems, like buses; you wait for ages for one, then two come along at once. Not even a calendar month removed from Cardiff's epic 135lbs one-nighter, we're back to slake your lust for tournament action as four lightweights - and, as Cardiff taught us, two alternates - vie for the right to be called the CWFC lightweight world champion.
If Cardiff's field was wide open, then London's is a pick 'em. Jason Ball (20-12), Ivan Buchinger (23-4), Stevie Ray (12-4) and Mick Sinclair (12-3) all have a very real chance of walking out of London with a few pounds of shiny metal holding their trousers up. Let's take a look at Cage Warriors 60's unusual suspects…
The Comeback Kid: Mick Sinclair
For Burnley's Mick Sinclair, Cage Warriors 60 sees a career that started back in 2006 come full circle. It was a very different CWFC back then, but nonetheless a 24-year-old Sinclair laced 'em up an let 'em go, stopping his opponent in the first round and earning the first of his 12 professional wins. Finishing was a habit that would stick with 'The English Bull Terrier', as he proved time and time again that his moniker was earned, not chosen.
That Sinclair is competing in the tournament at all will go down as a small victory for an industry that had seemingly lost him nearly two years ago. Back then, he was adamant that his time in the sport was up. The fun had been sucked out of fighting by outside pressures, and if it wasn't fun, then what was the point?
Thankfully the itch has returned. Sinclair, married with a young family, is not here to fight for fame or notoriety, but because he loves it. It's why he got into the sport in the first place, and what makes him so dangerous.
The Prospect: Stevie Ray
Just three years into his MMA career, Scotland's Stevie 'Braveheart' Ray has been racking up the accolades. Once dubbed Scotland's top welterweight, Ray dropped to 155lbs to win a British title and is currently ranked 13th in the division. For a 23-year-old, Ray has already tousled with some fearsome opposition; losses to the likes of Curt Warburton and Assan Njie are nothing to be ashamed of, and served as a valuable learning curve for the young Scot.
Speaking of learning, there are few places better to learn your trade in the MMA game than Montreal's Tristar Gym. The facility has a reputation that precedes it, and rightly so. It has been in Montreal, far away from the distractions of home, that Ray has sharpened his mind and body ahead of Saturday's tournament, alongside his preparation with Scotland's Dinky Ninjas. The payoff? A spot in the UK's top ten, and what he hopes will be the first of many big gold belts.
The Bookmakers' Favourite: Ivan Buchinger
If you're perusing the odds for tonight's tournament, don't be surprised to see Slovakia's Ivan Buchinger as a slight favourite. The 27-year-old has ample big-fight experience, and has clocked up a jaw-dropping 23-4 record in a little over five years. Crucially, he's a proven finisher, with only three of his wins being awarded by judges. If there is a cookie cutter template for success in tournaments it's to get in, get the job done and get out as quickly as possible. 'Buki' has that down pat.
Odds aside, Buchinger is still perhaps the man with the most to prove. MMA is often a cruel mistress, and one man's fortune can be the albatross around another's neck. The clip of his KO loss to Conor McGregor became a YouTube sensation, and for many casual fans of the sport it was their first look at Buchinger. Tonight he'll be fighting not only for the CWFC world title, but to prove that his career will not be defined by that one moment.
The Wildcard: Jason Ball
Jason Ball is that type of fighter that will beat you on his best day. On his worst day, he'll make you fight tooth and nail for every precious second if you want to snatch a victory from him. The most experienced fighter in the bracket in terms of both his years in the game and the fights on his ledger, there's little that will surprise Ball when the cage door locks.. And that's not just some tired cliché; Ball has alredy gone three rounds with both Sinclair and Buchinger.
Some might see that fact as cause to lower Ball's standing in the tournament pecking order (he came out on the wrong end of both decisions), the more cautious may surmise that his experience only makes him more dangerous should he make the final round; after all, the weight of expectation won't be on his shoulders. Style is everything in the tournament format, and Ball's mixture of high-percentage striking and suffocating grappling could well punch his ticket to championship gold.
But that's not all…
Once again, with a bracket so colourful, it's easy to overlook the rest of what has shaped up to be a very intriguing CWFC 60 card. The evening's non-tournament main event is a good old-fashioned domestic welterweight clash (there's been a few of them on CWFC over the years, don't you know) between Aaron Wilkinson and Bola Omoyele.
Omoyele exploded onto the Cage Warriors scene after a stint on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. His debut was ferocious and unforgettable, and showed a much more aggressive, advanced and improved Bola than the one who stepped on to that plane to Australia last year. Omoyele will be looking to keep that momentum going as he climbs the ladder towards the CWFC 170lbs title.
Vying for the same rung is Irlam's Aaron Wilkinson. A fellow TUF veteran, Wilkinson has gone 4-2 since his time on the show, including a split pair of bouts on Cage Warriors. What Bola has in sheer athleticism and aggressiveness, Wilkinson will balance with technique and experience. Again, like the vast majority of Cage Warriors fights, it's very, very difficult to separate the pair. I'll leave that to the men themselves.
Elsewhere on the bill from London's Kentish Town Forum, Leeroy Barnes sneaks onto the card at the eleventh hour against Polish prospect Kacper Karski. Leeroy has made no secret of the fact that he was unhappy with the outcome of his CWFC 57 bout against Norman Paraisy in July, and has vowed to give Karski (and the judges) an early night.
Also tonight, Muay Thai world champion Amanda Kelly makes her pro MMA debut against Hannah Stephens, while unbeaten prospects Arnold Allen and Athinodoros Michailidis put their records on the line against Declan Williams and Nad Narimani respectively. Flyweight veteran Spencer Hewitt takes on up-and-comer Bryan Creighton in the evening's other televised main-card bout, while those of you lucky enough to have a ticket will see the likes of Paddy Pimblett, Sean Carter and Kris Edwards in preliminary action.
There are other places to go, people to see and things to do on Saturday night. But all the cool kids will be right here at Cage Warriors 60, and you'd be rather silly not to join them.
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 60
From left to right; Ivan Buchinger, Mick Sinclair, Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan, Jason Ball and Stevie Ray (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
TOMORROW night's CWFC lightweight title tournament is set following this afternoon's Cage Warriors 60 weigh-ins in London.
Cage Warriors 60, which takes place at The Forum in Kentish Town, will be headlined by the four-man tournament which will determine the promotion's next lightweight champion, who'll succeed previous title-holder Conor McGrgeor.
Jason Ball, Ivan Buchinger, Stevie Ray and Mick Sinclair all came in under the 155lbs limit, as did Sean Carter and Richard Griffin, who'll collide in a tournament reserve bout.
Elsewhere, three fighters came in overweight and were fined accordingly. Aaron Blackwell surrendered 25 percent of his purse to Kris Edwards, while Hannah Stephens and Bryan Creighton pass 40 percent of their purses to respective opponents Amanda Kelly and Spencer Hewitt.
Creighton weighed in 4.7lbs above the limit for his flyweight clash with Spencer Hewitt, who has agreed to the bout going ahead on the condition that Creighton does not weigh over 135lbs at 4pm local time tomorrow.
View a gallery of images from today's Cage Warriors 60 weigh-ins HERE.
Cage Warriors 60 will be broadcast live around the world and a limited number of tickets are also still available. Click HERE for fight card, ticket and broadcast details.
Headlined by the CWFC lightweight tournament final
Welterweight: Bola Omoyele* (169.7lbs) vs. Aaron Wilkinson (170.3lbs)
Middleweight: Leeroy Barnes (184.3lbs) vs. Kacper Karski (183.7lbs)
Flyweight: Bryan Creighton** (130.7lbs) vs. Spencer Hewitt*** (126lbs)
Bantamweight: Amanda Kelly (133.5lbs) vs. Hannah Stephens**** (138.9lbs)
Featherweight: Arnold Allen (145.6lbs) vs. Dec Williams (144.3lbs)
Featherweight: Athinodoros Michailidis (144.8lbs) vs. Nad Narimani (145.7lbs)
Tournament semi-final: Jason Ball (154.5lbs) vs. Stevie Ray (154.5lbs)
Tournament semi-final: Ivan Buchinger (154.1lbs) vs. Mick Sinclair (154.7lbs)
Bantamweight: Aaron Blackwell***** (137.5lbs) vs. Kris Edwards****** (136lbs)
Tournament reserve bout: Sean Carter (154.6lbs) vs. Richard Griffin (153.9lbs)
Welterweight: Ben Constantine (169lbs) vs. Charlie Watts (170.1lbs)
Bantamweight: Cameron Else (136lbs) vs. Paddy Pimblett******* (136lbs)
* Omoyele weighed in at 171.7lbs on his first attempt
** Creighton failed to make weight and surrenders 40 percent of his purse to Hewitt; fight goes ahead on the condition that Creighton weighs no more than 135lbs at 4pm local time tomorrow
*** Hewitt weighed in at 126.4lbs on his first attempt
**** Stephens failed to make weight; surrenders 40 percent of her purse to Kelly
***** Blackwell failed to make weight; surrenders 25 percent of his purse to Edwards
****** Edwards weighed in at 136.6lbs on his first attempt
******* Pimblett weighed in at 138.5lbs on his first attempt
Cage Warriors 60: London
CAGE WARRIORS 60 takes place this Saturday, October 5, at The Forum in Kentish Town, London.
CWFC fans in the English capital will see a new lightweight champion crowned, as Cage Warriors looks to find a successor to Conor McGregor via another four-man tournament, which comes just three weeks after its bantamweight equivalent at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff.
This coming Saturday, English pair Mick Sinclair and Jason Ball will be joined in the hunt for Cage Warriors gold by Scotland's Stevie Ray and Slovakian Ivan Buchinger. The semi-finals will feature on the Facebook prelim card, with the final rounding off the night's action as the main event.
There'll be 13 professional bouts in total for fans to enjoy, and tickets are still available to purchase HERE. Doors at The Forum open at 5.45pm, with the first fight of the evening scheduled for 6.30pm (subject to change). Tickets will be available on the night subject to availability.
Three prelims - including the lightweight tournament semi-finals - will be available to watch live around the world and free of charge on Facebook at 7.45pm local time, followed by the six-bout main card at 9pm local time. Find broadcast details for your region below.
Fans can also follow live updates throughout the night on Twitter and with Brad Wharton on the play-by-play liveblog HERE.
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
Setanta Africa | Africa
FightKlub | Poland
MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
Sportube.tv | Italy
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world (excluding the UK)
PremierSports.tv | United Kingdom (subscription required)
ESPN | Brazil (subscription required)
MAIN CARD - 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT)
Jason Ball or Stevie Ray vs. Ivan Buchinger or Mick Sinclair - lightweight title tournament final
Bola Omoyele vs. Aaron Wilkinson
Leeroy Barnes vs. Kacper Karski
Bryan Creighton vs. Spencer Hewitt
Amanda Kelly vs. Hannah Stephens
Arnold Allen vs. Dec Williams
FACEBOOK PRELIMS - 7.45pm local time (2.45pm ET/11.45am PT)
Athinodoros Michailidis vs. Nad Narimani
Jason Ball vs. Stevie Ray - lightweight title tournament semi-final
Ivan Buchinger vs. Mick Sinclair - lightweight title tournament semi-final
UNSTREAMED PRELIMS - 6.20pm local time
Aaron Blackwell vs. Kris Edwards
Sean Carter vs. Richard Griffin - lightweight title tournament reserve bout
Ben Constantine vs. Charlie Watts
Cameron Else vs. Paddy Pimblett
CWFC takes flight with Royal Jordanian
AHEAD of the promotion's fifth visit to Jordan later this month, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has inked an exciting new deal with the country's national airline.
CWFC officials are extremely pleased to announce a partnership with Royal Jordanian Airlines, which will begin when the promotion returns to Amman for CWFC Fight Night 9 on Friday, October 25.
One of the world's most highly-regarded airlines, Royal Jordanian is a member of the OneWorld Alliance and operates over 500 flights per week to 60 different destinations.
Strategically located in Amman, Royal Jordanian's central hub provides the ideal location through which Europe, Asia, Africa and anywhere in the Middle East can be easily reached.
"I'm delighted to welcome Royal Jordanian as our latest sponsor and it's an absolute privilege to have such a prestigious and successful airline involved," said Cage Warriors Fighting Championship CEO Graham Boylan.
"This sponsorship will begin as we return to the beautiful country of Jordan in a few weeks' time and I have no doubt that it will be start of a great relationship between both parties."
For more information on Royal Jordanian Airlines, click HERE.
Cage Warriors 60: Barnes v Karski
CWFC middleweight Leeroy Barnes (pictured) will return to action at Cage Warriors 60.
He'll take on highly-touted Polish prospect Kacper Karski on the main card of this Saturday's event at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, England.
Despite the late announcement of the bout, Barnes had been scheduled to feature at CWFC 60 as far back as six weeks ago, but the withdrawal of three verbally-agreed opponents left the 29-year-old Englishman without a contracted bout until the eleventh hour, as Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan explains.
"Leeroy was on this card from day-one but unfortunately each opponent we had lined up for him fell through," said Boylan. "But due to the hard work of our matchmaker Ian Dean, we've managed to find a good opponent for Leeroy. Better late than never, and I'm expecting this to be a very interesting fight."
Barnes (12-11-0-1nc), who has taken all 12 of his wins inside the distance – 10 of which have come via submission – signed exclusively with CWFC earlier this year and had his first outing on his new contract against Norman Paraisy.
In spite of an impressive display, Barnes just came up short, finding himself on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against the veteran Frenchman at Cage Warriors 57 in Liverpool in July.
"I've had to deal with a few opponents pulling out on me for this show but Cage Warriors have worked hard to find me a high-level opponent, to keep me active and getting paid. I'm looking forward to putting on an exciting fight for the fans in London," said Barnes.
Karski (4-1), a team-mate of CWFC veteran and recently-signed UFC lightweight Piotr Hallmann, has built up a good reputation on the continent since making his professional debut just two-and-a-half years ago, submitting three of his four defeated opponents.
The well-rounded 24-year-old's only loss to date came against Mateusz Ostrowski in May of last year, but Karski avenged that defeat this past April with an impressive display in a unanimous decision triumph over Ostrowski.
Karski said: "I'm looking forward to fighting on Cage Warriors against an experienced opponent. It will be a good challenge but it's one I'm excited about."
Tickets for Cage Warriors 60 this Saturday are still available. Click HERE for event information.
Photo: Gavin Morris | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 63: Alers v Turner
CWFC featherweight champion Jim Alers (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)
JIM ALERS will put his featherweight belt up for grabs on New Year's Eve in Dublin, Ireland.
In his second defence of the gold, the CWFC champion will take on Graham Turner when the promotion returns to The Helix on Tuesday, December 31, for Cage Warriors 63.
Alers (11-1), who'll be searching for his seventh consecutive Cage Warriors victory, was crowned CWFC featherweight kingpin back in April when he submitted Joni Salovaara in the fourth round of the Cage Warriors 53 main event in Glasgow to clinch a title that had been vacated by Conor McGregor.
A 26-year-old native of Florida, Alers impressively overcame Martin Svensson by unanimous decision in his debut title defence at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff earlier this month.
Having taken all 10 of his previous victories inside the distance - eight via submission - Alers also holds notable wins over Matteus Lahdesmaki, Marcio Cesar and Freddy Assuncao.
"I'm excited go give the Cage Warriors fans the match-up they wanted to see," said Alers. "I want to fight the best fighters in my division and I feel Graham Turner is the top guy at the moment.
"Turner is a great guy, I like him a lot, but I'm not going to let that get in the way of me beating him up a bit and keeping my belt wrapped around my waist."
Turner (23-7), a 25-year-old Scotsman with a kickboxing background, holds a 5-1 record under the Cage Warriors banner and - with the exception of Alers - currently holds more CWFC wins than any other featherweight.
145lbs title challenger Graham Turner (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)
A member of Scotland's renowned Dinky Ninjas camp, Turner has dropped just two losses in his last 17 outings - to the UFC's Akira Corassani and top CWFC featherweight Matteus Lahdesmaki.
Since the defeat to Lahdesmaki in February 2012, Turner has rebounded in emphatic fashion, with five straight wins, the most recent of which came at the expense of the previously unbeaten Nad Narimani at Cage Warriors 56 in London this past July.
Turner counts 16 stoppage wins on his record - 14 via (T)KO - and has seen off the likes of Ashleigh Grimshaw, Olivier Pastor and Nathan Beer since making his professional debut in 2005.
He said: "This is going to be a very tough fight; I'm pretty sure it'll be my hardest to date. I'm excited about the challenge and I feel very honoured to be given this opportunity by Cage Warriors.
"I'd love to get my hands on the Cage Warriors world title. I have the utmost respect for Jim as a fighter and I can't wait for this challenge. I'm also really looking forward to my first visit to Ireland."
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for ticket details and more updates on Cage Warriors 63, for which more exciting bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
New deal for Inman
CAGE WARRIORS welterweight Matt Inman (12-5) has signed a new five-fight contract, which will commit him exclusively to the promotion for the next 18 months.
Following Inman's four bouts under the CWFC banner this year, both parties have agreed to an extension of his contract, which supersedes the five-fight deal signed back in January.
The 27-year-old, who's set to have one more outing before the end of 2013, is currently on a three-fight win-streak which has seen him rise from 19th to 10th in the UK's welterweight rankings.
"I'm very happy to have signed a new deal with Cage Warriors," said Inman, who fights out of the SBG camp in Manchester, England.
"I feel to date I've been in some exciting fights, as well as growing as a fighter. Hopefully this new deal will give me the opportunity to keep moving forward and be involved in more good fights."
With all 12 of his victories thus far coming inside the distance, Inman's most recent triumph came last month at Cage Warriors 58 in Chechnya when he stopped Bagautdin Sharaputdinov by second-round KO, which was preceded by impressive wins against Mohsen Bahari and Leon Kenge.
Cage Warriors matchmaker Ian Dean said: "I've been really impressed by how Matt has turned things around this year with three impressive victories and I'm delighted he's committed to another five fights with us. I think he has the ability to be a title contender in one of our most stacked divisions."
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 62: Johns v Brum
CWFC bantamweight champion Brett Johns (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)
NEWLY-CROWNED Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Brett Johns has put pen to paper for his first title defence, just over a week after clinching the gold.
Johns (9-0) will put his belt on the line against James Brum on Saturday, December 7, 2013, when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship travels to the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England, for what's currently scheduled as CWFC 62.
Undefeated Johns climbed to the summit of the CWFC bantamweight division at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff on September 14, when he overcame both David Haggstrom and Jordan Desborough in the same evening to win the promotion's four-man 135lbs title tournament.
Despite enduring a gruelling eight rounds on the night en route to winning the title, the 21-year-old Welshman has wasted no time in scheduling his next outing, with a mouthwatering clash against Brum booked for CWFC's first ever show at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena.
A judo black belt, Johns debuted for Cage Warriors last October as a featherweight, when he impressively overcame Sam Gilbert by unanimous decision. His next CWFC win came via second-round TKO at the expense of James MacAlister at Cage Warriors 54 in May.
"James Brum has been at the top of this division for a while, he's someone I've watched over and over again," said Johns. "He's a sound guy too and a win over him would be huge for me. That's exactly why I wanted to fight Brum. I can't wait already."
Brum (13-2) earns his shot at the CWFC bantamweight title after putting together a 6-0 streak under the Cage Warriors banner since making his debut for the promotion in February 2012.
Bantamweight title challenger James Brum (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)
A 26-year-old native of Portsmouth, England, Brum is the highest-ranked European bantamweight outside the UFC and hasn't tasted defeat since facing current UFC star Erik Perez back in September 2011.
Brum was named CWFC Fighter of the Year for 2012, courtesy of victories over Leandro Gontijo, Thomas Back, James Saville and Moktar Benkaci, before continuing his winning streak this year against Olivier Pastor and - most recently, at Cage Warriors 58 in Chechnya last month - Ruslan Abiltarov.
Brum said: "Brett Johns deserved to win the title at Cage Warriors 59, but now he's in with the sharks and I'm the biggest shark in the division. After six fights abroad for Cage Warriors, I'm excited by the prospect of returning to the UK to fight for what I believe is my title.
"For me, this has 'Fight of the Year' written all over it. I guarantee that on December 7 in Newcastle, I'll be walking into that cage the challenger and walking out the new Cage Warriors bantamweight champion of the world."
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for ticket details and more updates on what's set to be an unmissable event in Newcastle, for which more exciting bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
CWFC Fight Night 9: Magomedov v Mason, Caers v Ptasinski
A PAIR of welterweight bouts have been added to the card for CWFC Fight Night 9, which takes place at the King Hussein Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, 25 October, 2013.
Ten-fight Cage Warriors veteran Jack Mason (pictured) will clash with CWFC debutant Abusupiyan Magomedov, while a third Cage Warriors career victory will be the aim for both Piotr Ptasinski and Lee Caers when they lock horns.
Mason (24-12) will be keen to return to the win column after dropping a narrow decision loss to Ali Arish on his most recent outing at Cage Warriors 57 in Liverpool back in July, a defeat which snapped a four-fight win-streak.
The 31-year-old Englishman said: "I'm really excited to be fighting in the Middle East again and I'm itching to get back in the cage after my last fight. I'm going to put on a good performance and get another victory against a top European fighter in Abusupiyan Magomedov.
Magomedov (9-2), a 23-year-old fighter from Dagestan who's currently based in Germany, has built up a big reputation on the continent since making his professional debut in February 2010, and has already taken two first-round TKO wins in 2013.
"To fight for an organisation as big as Cage Warriors is a dream come true for me and I hope to make the most of this opportunity," said Magomedov.
Meanwhile, Piotr Ptasinski will join Trojan Freefighters team-mate Che Mills on the CWFC Fight Night 9 card for what's likely to be an exciting tussle with Lee Caers.
After suffering defeats to CWFC pair Mohsen Bahari and Ashley Beaumont in the second half of last year, Ptasinski (5-3) rebounded with a second-round submission of John Redmond at Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin this past June.
"I'm really happy to be fighting for Cage Warriors again and as always you can expect me to be involved in an exciting and entertaining fight," said Polish-born 29-year-old Ptasinski.
Caers (9-3) returns to action in search of his third consecutive CWFC win, having recently seen off the challenge of Aaron Thomas via first-round submission at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff.
The 29-year-old Englishman, who has tasted defeat just once in his last seven outings, said: "This is a good match-up and it'll be a test for me, but it's a test that I'll pass. Like my nine wins so far, I expect to finish the fight."
With more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest CWFC Fight Night 9 news and updates, and see the latest card below:
Bruno Carvalho vs. Gael Grimaud
Faycal Hucin vs. Che Mills
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Jack Mason
Paul Redmond vs. Mateusz Teodorczuk
Lee Caers vs. Piotr Ptasinski
Ryan Roddy vs. TBA
Shaj Haque vs. Paul Marin
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC Fight Night 9 switches to Jordan
CWFC Fight Night 9, which is set for Friday, 25 October 2013, will now take place at the King Hussein Boxing Arena (pictured above) in Amman, Jordan.
The event had originally been scheduled for Isa Town in Bahrain on the same date, but several logistical issues have caused CWFC officials to decide on a change of destination for the promotion's eleventh event of 2013.
"We were extremely excited about bringing Cage Warriors back to Bahrain again but a few logistical problems have unfortunately arisen, which meant that staging the event to Cage Warriors' usual high standards wasn't going to be possible," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
"As a result, rather than cancelling the event entirely and leaving our athletes on the card without fights to prepare for, we've been able to organise - despite the short notice - for CWFC Fight Night 9 to take place in Jordan instead.
"We've had some fantastic shows there already and this one will be no different. I want to offer my apologies to the Cage Warriors fans in Bahrain but we'll do everything we can to get back there as early as possible in 2014."
CWFC Fight Night 9 will be Cage Warriors Fighting Championship's fifth event in Amman, the first of which was back in June 2011.
The promotion's most recent event in the Jordanian capital, CWFC Fight Night 7 in September of last year, saw Chris Fields defeat Pavel Kusch in the final of CWFC middleweight title tournament, as well as victories for CWFC featherweight champion Jim Alers and current UFC star Leo Santos.
Next month's event will feature a host of Cage Warriors' top names, such as Bruno Carvalho, Gael Grimaud, Che Mills, Faycal Hucin, Paul Redmond and many more.
Meanwhile, Ryan Roddy will be re-matched for his outing at CWFC Fight Night 9 after opponent Mario Saeed (pictured below) suffered an injury in training over the weekend.
Mario sustained a broken neck but, in spite of the serious nature of the injury, the Bristol native and his camp are confident that he'll make a return to action after what's expected to be a lengthy lay-off.
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship would like to wish Mario a very speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him make his CWFC debut in 2014.
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest CWFC Fight Night 9 news and updates.
Samsung links up with CWFC
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship is pleased to announce that it has agreed an exciting new partnership with Samsung.
The deal will see all Cage Warriors video content made available on demand via Samsung's new SportsFlow application, which is currently available across South-East Asia.
Over 25 million Samsung mobile devices are in operation in the region, which covers Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand.
By downloading the SportsFlow app, Samsung customers in these territories will be able to access a whole host of CWFC video content via their mobile device, including features, interviews, promos and an extensive archive of Cage Warriors bouts.
"This content distribution partnership with a company of Samsung's stature is further evidence of how rapidly Cage Warriors Fighting Championship continues to progress, and I'm looking forward to seeing this partnership flourish," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
"I'd like to thank Maurizio Barbieri, Samsung's Head of Sports, for his help in putting this deal in place, and also for thinking outside the box and embracing mixed martial arts.
"I'm currently in the process of finalising two very significant deals, which will ensure that 2014 will be the biggest year in the history of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship. Fighters will no longer need to look to the USA to carve out successful careers."
According to Samsung, SportsFlow aggregates content from the most respected sports sources in the world, providing users with the chance to stay up to date with what is going on in one single glance.
As a SportsFlow user, you can personalise your experience, arranging content according to your own preferences. Content is easy to share, so friends will know what you're commenting on or bragging about. Optimised for tablets, SportsFlow is the perfect companion if you want to catch up on the latest news or check the latest scores.
Having just recently launched SportsFlow, the app is currently available exclusively to Samsung mobile device users in the aforementioned South-East Asian territories, but the company aims to eventually launch SportsFlow as its official sports service across the globe.
For more information, check out the Samsung SportsFlow website HERE.
Cage Warriors 60: Allen v Williams, Blackwell v Edwards
A FURTHER two bouts have been added to the card for Cage Warriors 60, which takes place at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, England, on Saturday, October 5, 2013.
Arnold Allen (pictured) will be aiming to maintain his unbeaten record in a featherweight bout against Declan Williams, while Kris Edwards makes a swift return to action for a bantamweight clash with Aaron Blackwell.
Allen (4-0), who turned 19 earlier this year, recently signed exclusively with CWFC after impressively disposing of Andy Green via first-round submission on his promotional debut at Cage Warriors 56 in July.
The more experienced Williams (8-6-3) will be appearing on a CWFC bill for the first time since November 2010. The 29-year-old Englishman holds notable wins over CWFC veterans Mark Platts and Niko Gjoka.
Meanwhile, having lost out to James Pennington in the semi-final of Saturday's CWFC bantamweight title tournament at CWFC 59 in Cardiff, Kris Edwards (8-6) will be looking to return to winning ways against Aaron Blackwell (11-9-1).
The pair had been scheduled to collide in a reserve bout on last weekend's bill, but Edwards was promoted to the tournament proper following an injury to Martin McDonough.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest CWFC 60 news and updates.
Click HERE to purchase tickets, priced from just £25, and to view the fight card.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC Fight Night 9: Hucin v Mills
A MIDDLEWEIGHT bout between Che Mills (pictured) and Faycal Hucin will be contested at CWFC Fight Night 9.
The event, which will be Cage Warriors Fighting Championship's eleventh of 2013, is set to take place at Khalifa Sports City in Bahrain on Friday, 25 October.
Mills (15-6-0-2) will be fighting at middleweight for the first time since falling short against CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred at Cage Warriors 55 back in June.
Having later announced his intention to switch to the 185lbs division, Mills was then scheduled to face Valentino Petrescu last weekend at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff, but the bout was pulled after both fighters took ill.
A native of Gloucester in England, 30-year-old Mills signed exclusively for Cage Warriors earlier this year, following a four-fight stint with the UFC.
"I can't wait to get back in the cage and entertain the fans," Mills said. "My opponent is well-rounded and I expect an explosive match. I'm also looking forward to visiting Bahrain and I thank Cage Warriors for the opportunity."
Hucin (9-3) will be keen to stake a claim for a shot at the vacant CWFC middleweight title as he goes in search of his fourth Cage Warriors win in five outings.
The 25-year-old missed out on a shot at the belt last year after a unanimous-decision loss to Victor Cheng in the semi-finals of Cage Warriors' title tournament, which was Hucin's only defeat in his last eight bouts. He booked his semi-final spot after a first-round KO of recent Bellator 'Fight Master' contestant Gareth Joseph.
The Frenchman returned to winning ways by overcoming John Michael Sheil last October, before most recently submitting former KSW champion AntonI Chmielewski at CWFC Fight Night 8 this past May.
The charismatic Parisian said: "I'm in great shape for this fight because I've been working hard. I'm looking forward to dancing in the sunshine and putting on a good show."
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest CWFC Fight Night 9 news and updates, and see the latest card below:
Bruno Carvalho vs. Gael Grimaud
Faycal Hucin vs. Che Mills
Paul Redmond vs. Mateusz Teodorczuk
Ryan Roddy vs. Mario Saeed
Shaj Haque vs. Paul Marin
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 59 (Part Two)
CWFC featherweight title-holder Jim Alers and newly-crowned bantamweight champion Brett Johns celebrate their wins at the Motorpoint Arena on Saturday (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
UFC 3 was my introduction to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. I'd seen some very primitive European MMA a couple of months before, but when the video shop guy (who was a combat sports enthusiast) told me that he had a few UFC tapes in his back-room, it changed everything. The glossy production, the colourful characters and, most of all, the tournaments.
UFC 3 was notable for many things. It had what I believe to be the biggest size differential ever in a UFC bout, when the near 600lb Manny Yarborough took on the 190lb soaking wet Keith Hackney. It was the first time Royce Gracie was made to look human in a fight. It was most notable, however, for who won it. Steve 'Supercop' Jennum was a police officer from Omaha, Nebraska, who would go down in history as the only man to win a UFC tournament after competing just a single time.
Ken Shamrock was through to the finals after mowing down two overmatched opponents. His opposite number, Harold Howard, (he of "If you're coming on…come on!" fame) was fresher, having effectively been given a bye in the semis after Royce Gracie quit in the cage before the bout had officially started. Still, the karate-brawler was no match for the ahead-of-his-time Shamrock, and it seemed as though the American poster child of the UFC was a lock to pick up his first tournament title.
It was not to be. Shamrock pulled out, citing a broken hand. His adoptive father Bob later revealed that he'd simply lost the will to fight after Gracie withdrew, as revenge against the Brazilian was his sole reason for turning up. It would create a rift between father and son that lasted on and off for many years. As for the tournament, Steve Jennum, an alternate who'd been waiting patiently all night on the off-chance that someone would get hurt, stepped into the finals and won it all.
At Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff last Saturday evening, as soon as James Pennington exited the cage after his semi-final win over Kris Edwards, we at cage-side knew something wasn't right. A quick doctor's check confirmed that 'The Power Weasel' would be unable to continue. A 21-year-old kid called Jordan Desborough, a relative unknown who'd picked up a win in the night's reserve bout, would be thrust into the international spotlight in the tournament's live final.
Desborough was unable to replicate the Steve Jennum story, but what transpired was something far more dramatic. He and fellow finalist Brett Johns went at it for five gruelling rounds, trading strikes, takedowns and transitions in a rollercoaster ride of a bout. The pace, while not frantic, was torrid; a real hark back to the classic tournament days.
There was little to separate the two by the bout's end, with even the judges split on the outcome. Johns had taken the first two rounds by virtue of his relentless takedowns and top-control game; Desbrough nabbed the third and fifth on all scorecards with some takedowns of his own and sharp, accurate striking; the fourth was the closest, and could have gone either way. One judge saw it for Desborough, two for Johns.
And with that, the CWFC bantamweight title cancelled its travel plans. It would be staying in Wales, and there perhaps was not a more deserving winner than Brett Johns. Over a post-weigh-in meal the day before, the 21-year-old's confidence was noted by all. To say that his moxy at the weigh-ins translated to the cage would be an understatement. The Swansea native came out for both of his bouts stomping, screaming and riling up his supporters, feeding off the electric energy that crackled through the Motorpoint.
Nobody told David Haggstrom the script though. The savage Swede had no intentions of giving the Welshman an easy night, and when Johns was given respite by the bell after a brutal body shot at the end of the first, it was looking like a bad night for the home fighters. Johns was not to be denied though, using his Judo base to dictate the pace, tossing his opponent to the mat with impunity and grinding out a decision victory after three hard fought rounds. His war with Desborough took his total for the evening to eight, or forty minutes of fighting.
The toll was emotional as well as physical. In all my years of being around MMA, I don't think I've seen a young kid as elated with a title win as Brett Johns was that night. It was tough to see if it was just sweat or tears of joy streaking down his face as he hugged friends, family and teammates following the win, but I'll never forget the raw emotion of what happened next.
Turning to walk into the back, Johns came face to face with CWFC matchmaker Ian Dean. He half went to hug him, half shake his hand. Then instead, he took the slightest of steps back, and bowed. "Thank you," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "You don't know what this means to me". Johns is a legitimate prospect, and a worthy champion. He's got all the tools to go all the way, and the scariest part is that he's just 21-years-old. With his charisma and ability, perhaps in a few years' time, Johns could do for the popularity of Welsh MMA what Conor McGregor is doing for Irish.
Credit too to Desborough, who went from an unaired prelim to headlining an internationally televised card for a world title in just a few hours. The future is bright for the pair, and indeed the rest of the CWFC 135lbs division, which with the likes of Pennington, Haggstrom, Edwards, Brum, Mann and more, may just be the promotion's new shark tank.
With all the drama of the tournament, we shouldn't forget some other stand-out performances on Saturday night. Dave Hill returned after a year off to go three tough rounds with Brian Moore in a fight that really has to be seen to do it justice. Hill is right back in the hunt with this win, and will no doubt be looking for another crack at the gold within the next 12 months.
Tommy Maguire finally made his CWFC debut and, much to the chagrin of the Welsh crowd, had all the answers for Lew Long. Racking up points with a nice jab and some digging hooks to the body in the early going, Maguire escaped a brief triangle attempt and locked up an arm-in guillotine for the tap. The winner of next month's 155lbs tournament may well find themselves facing down '2 Gunz' at some point in 2014.
Mats Nilsson made a huge statement against grizzled veteran Denniston Sutherland, surviving an early salvo to rock and eventually TKO his opponent in the second round. The win allowed vaunted grappler Nilsson to show off an extra dimension of his game, one which will no doubt put the middleweight division on high alert.
In his first ever title defence, Jim 'The Beast' Alers almost had Martin Svensson out of there in the first, hopping onto his back to latch on a tight rear-naked choke. The impossibly awkward Swede survived, though, and while the scorecards were lopsided, he had his moments and fought Alers every step of the way. For the affable American, fatherhood beckons. If Alers' career trajectory continues as-is, then in five years' time the inevitable playground argument of "My Dad could beat up your Dad" should have a foregone conclusion for the baby 'Beast'.
Cardiff is quickly becoming my favourite Cage Warriors destination. The people, the city and the fights are inevitably top-notch every time we roll into town, and I look forward to returning in 2013. Next on the agenda is London, and a big domestic welterweight tilt as North takes on South in the form of Aaron Wilkinson versus Bola Omoyele. Oh, and another one of those tournaments we've been hearing so much about. And in case you hadn't realised…
Tournaments are awesome.
CWFC Fight Night 9: Redmond vs. Teodorczuk, Roddy vs. Saeed, Haque vs. Marin
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship returns to Bahrain next month for a card which is taking shape following the addition of three exciting bouts today.
CWFC Fight Night 9, the promotion's first event in Bahrain since May 2012, will take place at Khalifa Sports City on Friday, October 25.
The bill will feature a return to action for top Irish lightweight Paul Redmond (pictured), who'll aim to continue his hot streak against Polish rising star Mateusz Teodorczuk.
Redmond (8-3) has taken five CWFC wins on the trot since making his promotional debut in June of last year, a run that has seen him stop the likes of Lew Long, Alexei Roberts and - most recently - Marc Allen.
"I'm really grateful for another opportunity to fight for Cage Warriors. I think this is a great match-up for the fans. I feel I've progressed even further in my skills since my last fight and I'm looking forward to showcasing them," said the 26-year-old Dubliner.
While Redmond has taken all eight of his wins inside the distance, Teodorczuk (10-2) hasn't been stopped since being submitted by veteran German middleweight Gregor Herb three years ago.
The 28-year-old, who's currently on an eight-fight win-streak, said: "I'm very happy to be displaying my skills on the top European promotion. I'm looking forward to continuing my good run and I expect Paul and myself to put on a memorable fight.
Also in lightweight action, Ryan Roddy will return to the cage for the first time since losing to Paul Redmond at Cage Warriors 51 when he clashes with CWFC debutant Mario Saeed.
Roddy (5-1) has been sidelined due to injury since that New Year's Eve loss, which came via toe-hold, and saw the 23-year-old Irishman beaten for the first time in his career.
"I can't wait to put on a show for the people in Bahrain," Roddy said. "It's going to be exciting to get back into the mix in the Cage Warriors lightweight division."
Saeed (5-1), who'll be looking for his fifth successive win, signed exclusively for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship earlier this year, having impressed on the domestic scene in the UK.
A 25-year-old native of Bristol, Saeed said: "I'm really looking forward to finally making my debut for Europe's biggest promotion and I plan on putting on a show for the fans."
Meanwhile, a flyweight bout has also been signed for the CWFC Fight Night 9 bill, with Shaj Haque and Paul Marin both returning for their third CWFC appearances of 2013.
Haque (3-0), a 22-year-old Englishman, was snapped up by CWFC following a very impressive upset win at the expense of Kris Edwards at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff back in May.
"Fighting abroad is a first for me so I'm very excited," said Haque. "It's a highly-respectable opponent who has fought some top-ranked fighters, but I see this as another step towards the flyweight title."
Looking to return to winning ways in Bahrain on October 25, Marin (5-3) was last in action at Cage Warriors 53 back in April when he was bested by current CWFC flyweight champion Neil Seery.
The 28-year-old Romanian said: "I'm training really hard with a lot of motivation for this and I'm grateful to Cage Warriors for giving me another opportunity. I can't wait for this fight."
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest CWFC Fight Night 9 news and updates, and see the latest card below:
Bruno Carvalho vs. Gael Grimaud
Paul Redmond vs. Mateusz Teodorczuk
Ryan Roddy vs. Mario Saeed
Shaj Haque vs. Paul Marin
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Lightweight tournament pairings set; Kelly vs. Stephens also added
A FOUR-MAN tournament will take place at Cage Warriors 60 to determine a new CWFC lightweight champion, and today officials have revealed details of the semi-final pairings.
Cage Warriors 60 will take place at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, on Saturday, 5 October. Tickets, priced from just £25, are currently on sale HERE.
To be contested on the night, the lightweight tournament will feature Jason Ball (pictured), Ivan Buchinger, Stevie Ray and Mick Sinclair, all of whom will be aiming to pick up the two wins required to clinch a belt that was vacated by Conor McGregor earlier this year.
Buchinger (23-4) will face Sinclair (12-3) in one semi-final, while on the other side of the draw, Ball (20-12) and Ray (12-4) will also clash for a coveted place in the decider.
Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final.
The semi-finals will feature on the CWFC 60 preliminary card, with the final scheduled to conclude the night's action as the main event.
In order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals, the previously-announced meeting of Sean Carter and Richard Griffin will act as a reserve bout.
Meanwhile, a women's bout has also been added to the CWFC 60 card, which will be the promotion's 10th of 2013.
Former Muay Thai world champion Amanda Kelly (0-0) will make her professional MMA debut in a bantamweight bout against fellow Brit and Muay Thai practicioner Hannah Stephens (2-1).
With more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 60 news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Results: Cage Warriors 59
Fighting for the second time on the night, undefeated bantamweight Brett Johns (9-0, pictured) kept his perfect record intact with a gutsy five-round decision win over a hard-working Jordan Desborough (7-3), who refused to go away.
The four-man tournament final bout served as the headlining fight of Saturday's Cage Warriors 59 event, which took place at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. Johns walked away with the promotion's vacant bantamweight title with the win.
Johns was able to bring the fight to the floor early in the opening round, but Desborough defended well underneath. Johns eventually turned out and looked to attack the leg, but that allowed Desborough to pull free and work himself to top position. Johns refused to stay there, reversing positions once again and finishing the round in the dominant spot.
Johns again controlled the positioning to open the second, bringing the fight to the floor early on and working from the top. The pace remained high with both fighters, though Johns seemed to get the better position more often than not.
In the third, Desborough was given some time to work from top position. Johns was active on his back looking for options, but Desborough was scoring points from the top. Johns eventually realized he needed to get out from underneath, but he had given up some time in the process. In the fourth, it was a similar back-and-forth feel. Johns was the one on top early, but Desborough reversed the position later in the round, keeping true to the back-and-forth nature of the contest.
In the fifth, the two opened with a spirited exchange on the feet, but Johns eventually ducked under and brought the action again to the canvas. A game Desborough refused to stay there and again reversed to top position. And the two, despite fighting for the second time in the evening, kept the pace high until the final bell. In the end, it was Johns who was awarded the razor-thin split-decision win, 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47.
In the night's co-feature, Cage Warriors featherweight champ Jim Alers (11-1) retained his belt with an impressive decision win against a tough challenger in the 6-foot-1 Martin Svensson (12-4).
Alers pushed the taller Svensson to the floor and stayed tight to the body as his opponent crawled back to his feet. Alers deftly snuck around to the back and looked to have a rear-naked choke almost guaranteed, but Svensson showed incredible will by surviving the move and eventually creating room to breathe. Alers remained in control and turned for an armbar later in the frame, but Svensson again survived the attack and offered a wild flurry in the closing seconds of the round.
Alers kept the pressure high in the second, looking to work in close against a taller foe. Svensson landed an illegal low blow, which caused a brief stop. On the restart, Alers brought the fight immediately to the floor and looked to strike. Alers continued the approach in the third, sprinting forward at the bell and taking the action to the floor. Svensson was able to crawl up to his feet in escape, and he eventually scored a takedown of his own very late in the round. However, he wasn't able to capitalize much with the minimal time on top.
In the championship rounds, Svensson picked up where he left off in the third. While he wasn't able to do much damage, he stayed on top for the first half of the round. Alers eventually scrambled to the top, but Svensson was there to slow things down and earn a reset. Alers took advantage of it, scoring a stunning side kick at the bell that saw Svensson double over in pain.
As the final round started, Svensson slipped on a kick. and Alers rushed to get top position. He swarmed with punches and elbows, but Svensson again showed heart, slowing things down underneath and refusing to quit. Alers tried again for a finish with an earnest north-south choke attempt, but he couldn't finish the squeeze and had to settle for a decision win.
In a key lightweight fight, Tommy Maguire (15-5) overcame a slow start to score a third-round submission win over Lewis Long (7-3). The pair went back and forth in the clinch to start, but neither could take full control. A Long eyepoke briefly slowed Maguire, but the action resumed quickly. The fight remained moderate and pace, and neither put a real stamp on the round. Maguire did score a late takedown but couldn't truly capitalize.
In the second, Long picked up the pace with his striking, scoring well with his hands as he stayed at range. Maguire quickly adjusted and started to dig at the body, finding some success with peppering the torso. The action remained tight, as both had moments of success. With scores anything but certain in the third, Long was the busier fighter to open. Maguire countered by taking the fight to the floor, and after having to defend a submission attempt from his opponent, he transitioned quickly to an arm-in guillotine choke, earning the tap at the 2:56 mark.
In a middleweight contest, Swedish fighter Mats Nilsson (11-2-1) outgrappled English striker Denniston Sutherland (20-12) before stopping him with strikes in the second round. Grappling specialist Nilsson walked through a few punches to score an early takedown and moved quickly to mount. Sutherland worked his hips underneath but was absolutely stuck on his back. Nilsson didn't find any immediate submission opportunities, but he stayed busy by adjusting his positioning and alternating between knees and elbows to his grounded foe.
Nilsson worked quickly into a clinch again in the second, but Sutherland was able to remain upright and look to strike. However, as he opened up, Nilsson slipped under and brought the fight again to the floor. Sutherland rolled to expose his back, and Nilsson unloaded with punches to the face. Referee Marc Goddard gave a quick warning, and with Sutherland stuck, he called an end to the fight at the 2:40 mark of the second frame.
In early featherweight action, English fighter Dave Hill (11-3) outworked tough Irishman Brian Moore (7-3) en route to a decision win. Hill scored an early takedown, but he wasn't able to control the action there, and Moore eventually reversed the position. With Hill active from his back, Moore withdrew to his feet, where they reset. Moore bloodied Hill's right eye in some initial exchanges, and the pair exchanged takedowns to close the round. Hill nearly locked in a guillotine in the closing seconds, but Moore pulled free.
Hill again looked for a takedown to open the second, but Moore was up to the challenge, and the pair settled in for some exchanges on the feet. Moore scored a quick trip takedown, but Hill immediately worked back to his feet. Moore took it to the ground again, but Hill reversed the position and worked to his opponent's back. Moore tried to defend as Hill unleashed punches from the dominant position. Moore turned and rolled and survived, but he endured a lot of punishment in the process.
Hill continued to keep the pressure high in the third. Again taking the fight to the floor, Hill controlled the positioning throughout the frame and Moore was forced to absorb more damage. With time winding down, Moore did his best to steal a win, moving to his opponent's back and looking to work in a rear-naked choke. He ran out of time before he could lock in the submission, and Hill was awarded a unanimous-decision win, with scores of 30-28, 30-27 and 29-28.
The evening's first main-card match-up saw welterweight Lee Caers (9-3) survive early trouble to rebound for a submission win over Aaron Thomas in a one-round thriller. Thomas rushed in for an immediate takedown, and while Caers was able to crawl back to his feet, he was immediately slammed to the floor again. Thomas stayed busy on top, drawing blood with some early ground and pound and eventually moving to mount. Thomas picked up the pace and looked close to ending the fight with massive punches until an ill-advised armbar changed everything.
Caers pulled free from the hold and immediately established himself in top position. He advanced quickly to mount, and as Thomas looked to scramble free, Caers moved to the back and locked in a rear-naked choke that ended the fight in come-from-behind fashion with just 29 seconds left in the first frame.
James Pennington (9-1) was dominant in his unanimous decision win over Kris Edwards (8-6) in the bantamweight tournament's opening round – but it apparently was Edwards who did the most damage. An injury suffered by Pennington in the fight kept him from moving on to the tournament finals. Instead, early prelim winner Jordan Desborough (7-2), who stopped Timur Mercanoglu (3-1) in the second round of a reserve fight, took his place in the co-main event to fight Brett Johns.
Pennington kicked early, then landed a knee that forced Edwards to go after a takedown. On a second takedown attempt, Pennington instead powered him to the floor, where he started working ground-and-pound from half-guard. Although Edwards had a couple moments in the round, Pennington was in control. That continued in the second frame, as well. Edwards got the fight to the ground and went to work in side control, but Pennington squirmed his way out. The two traded position on the ground, even enduring a standup from the referee. But Pennington was in control throughout and took the decision – even though he found out 30 minutes later he couldn't continue.
Brett Johns (7-0) and David Haggstrom were cautious early, but midway through the first round, Johns worked for a takedown. He appeared to be on his way to a win in the round, but as the clock ticked down, a big Haggstrom body kick hurt him and Haggstrom landed big blows just before the horn. Haggstrom's kicks found their way through in the second, but Johns put him on the ground again. Although the activity wasn't fast and fierce, Johns did enough to win the round – but that was only enough to push things to a third frame after a pair of draws through the first two rounds.
A minute into the third, Johns got a takedown to give himself the advantage in the third. Then he was able to cut Haggstrom open on top with elbows. From there, it was smooth sailing to the unanimous decision. He learned later he would be fighting Desborough instead of Pennington.
Complete Cage Warriors 59 results include:
Brett Johns def. Jordan Desborough via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) - bantamweight tourney final
Jim Alers def. Martin Svensson via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) - for featherweight title
Tommy Maguire def. Lewis Long via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 3, 2:56
Mats Nilsson def. Denniston Sutherland TKO (punches) - Round 2, 2:40
Dave Hill def. Brian Moore via unanimous decision (30-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Lee Caers def. Aaron Thomas via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:31
Sam Gilbert def. Jamie Rogers via submission (triangle choke) - Round 2, 1:52
Brett Johns def. David Haggstrom via unanimous decision - bantamweight tourney opening round (two-round fight with overtime round)
James Pennington def. Kris Edwards via unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) - bantamweight tourney opening round (two-round fight)
Jordan Desborough def. Timur Mercanoglu via TKO (elbows) - Round 2, 2:20 - bantamweight tourney reserve bout
Brett Caswell def. Paul Rogers via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 59 (Part One)
Tournaments are awesome.
I think the concept of the tournament was first introduced to me as a kid watching WWF wrestling's King of the Ring. The trouble with wrestling was that it always left you wanting more – that was sort of the point. But with King of the Ring, there was a degree of finality. There was something enthralling about the cast of colourful characters fighting, not just once, but multiple times on the same evening until there was no doubt as to who the better man was.
Later in life (but probably a few years too early) I came across a copy of Bloodsport. The not exactly true story of Frank Dux, a former soldier who fought in a mysterious tournament called the Kumite, it starred Jean-Claude Van Damme and inspired a generation of martial artists. But who would win a fight between Van Damme and Jackie Chan? What if Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris were thrown in the mix?
Little did I know, this theory was currently being tested on the other side of the pond. Soon after, I was introduced to mixed martial arts (or NHB – No Holds Barred - as it was then known) and my life was changed forever. In the NHB days, the tournament was king. Not just in the UFC and later Pride, but the legendary Russian/Ukrainian one-nighters that gave birth to the likes of tournament specialist Igov Vovchanchyn, my all-time favourite fighter. Records vary, but there are seven confirmed one-night tournament wins on his ledger, three in a 60-day period, mostly bare knuckle.
MMA has evolved almost beyond recognition since those days, and rightly so. Now it's more sport than spectacle, but for many fans the mere mention of a tournament brings a glint to the eye and butterflies to the stomach. For me, as much as I love what MMA has become, a one-night tournament is still the absolute way of deciding who the best man is.
And here we are. This year, Cage Warriors is bringing back the tournament format. First up are the bantamweights; James Pennington, Brett Johns, Kris Edwards and David Haggstrom will vie for the promotion's vacant 135lbs title. In order to take it home, they'll have to fight (and win) not once, but twice tonight at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff.
Perhaps the biggest physical threat in the tourney, Gym01's James 'Power Weasel' Pennington rides a wave of momentum into his semi-final bout. The Portsmouth native has won two on the bounce, capturing the Shock 'n' Awe title in the process, and hopes to add another belt to his collection. With teammates Phil Harris and James Brum riding high in the UFC and Cage Warriors respectively, Pennington's confidence will be at an all-time high. Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for his opponents, he's got the physical tools and skillset to go with it.
One man not appearing in the tournament is local favourite Martin 'Mr Pink' McDonough. An injury ruled the Tillery Combat fighter out of his semi-final match with Pennington last week. Stepping in at the 11th hour is teammate Kris Edwards. Having flitted between 125 and 135lbs of late, Edwards had settled on a full-time bantamweight return and was set to compete in an alternate bout. Circumstances have now conspired to give the 23-year-old submission specialist a chance to enter the tournament proper, and with a partisan crowd behind him, Edwards will be looking to shock the world.
On the other side of the bracket, Sweden's David Haggstrom is looking to upset the applecart and take the 135lbs title out of the UK. A savagely efficient striker, the 27-year-old was last seen laying waste to 24-fight veteran Artemij Sitenkov. While his mind will be focused on getting the wins and acquiring the gold, Haggstrom may have an ulterior motive; his lone career defeat came at the hands of a Welshman. Will Saturday night bring him a measure of redemption, as well as a big shiny belt?
Rounding out the bracket is the tournament's dark horse. Coming in as an undefeated prospect, Brett Johns ticks all the boxes. A great base and arsenal of throws from his judo background make him a nightmare to take down, while competent hands and submission skills give him plenty of offensive options. Tactics will be key for the Chris Rees Academy youngster; while an all-out war with Haggstrom would no doubt light up the Welsh crowd, the home favourite will need to consider the realities of fighting a second time while he's drawing up his game plan.
'Back in the day', tournament fighters would trudge back out to the cage with twisted knees, broken bones and all manner of cuts and bruises. Fortunately, that's one aspect of tournament fighting that has been left behind. Should one of our winning semi-finalists be deemed unfit to continue after his post-fight medical, the winner of our reserve bout will get the nod. SBG Mainline's Jordan Desborough never takes his foot off the gas, while the slightly less experienced (but no less dangerous) Timur Mercanoglu is just about as game as they come. If you needed an excuse to buy a ticket, this unaired preliminary bout is it.
With all this talk of tournaments it's easy to forget the CWFC 59 undercard, which is more stacked than a Scooby Doo sandwich. Jim 'The Beast' Alers (pictured) is amongst the world's top unsigned featherweights, and a win in his first title defence could see him breach the tipping point. A consummate all-rounder, Alers will defend his strap against one of the game's most physically imposing featherweights.
Coming in at over six feet tall, Martin Svensson is an awkward fight for any 145lb'er based on his dimensions alone. Add to that a spider web like guard, a tricky submission game and a solid ranged striking attack, and you've got an opponent who isn't here to make up the numbers. Both men pose interesting problems for the other, and we may see a departure from their usual game plans tonight.
Elsewhere on the bill, Tommy Maguire makes his long awaited CWFC debut against local favourite Lew Long. Judo stylist Long showed off his striking last time out against Mark Glover, but Maguire, one of the best grinders on the domestic scene, will be an altogether different puzzle.
UK MMA's elder statesman Deniston Sutherland continues to defy the years, taking on all comers in the middleweight division. It's tough to decide whether his experience or his heavy mitts are his best weapon; when used in tandem, they're a dangerous combination. Trying his luck (and considerable skill) against 'Mad Max' will be Sweden's Matts Nilsson. A vastly experienced submission grappler, Nilsson will be looking to tie his opponent in knots, preferably before the big Jamaican can fire off too many of his famed hurting bombs.
Dave Hill returns, reinvigorated after his loss to Conor McGregor last year and ready for another crack at the featherweight division. Hoping to continue Hill's run of bad luck against SBGi fighters is Brian Moore. Rounding out the televised bill is a scrap between local lad Aaron Thomas and England's Lee Caers. No guesses as to who the Motorpoint Arena crowd will be backing in that one.
So there you have it. A top-notch fight card highlighted by an MMA staple; the one-night tournament. If you're relatively new to the spot and this is your first live tourney, enjoy the experience. If you're a grizzled veteran of the scene that remembers the likes of Coleman, Vovchanchyn and Gracie dominating the one-nighters, enjoy the nostalgia.
Whoever you are, enjoy the fights. And may the best man win.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 59
THERE were no Friday the 13th scares for any of the Cage Warriors 59 fighters as all made weight this afternoon in Cardiff ahead of tomorrow's event in the heart of the Welsh capital.
CWFC featherweight champion Jim Alers and challenger Martin Svensson (pictured above) both came in under 145lbs, while bantamweight title tournament participants Kris Edwards, Brett Johns, David Haggstrom and James Pennington all stayed below their 135lbs limit.
Cage Warriors 59 will be broadcast live around the world tomorrow from the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. Click HERE for all the details of how and when to watch the action in your region.
View a gallery of images from today's Cage Warriors 59 weigh-ins HERE.
Headlined by the CWFC bantamweight tournament final
Featherweight title bout: Jim Alers (144.6lbs) vs. Martin Svensson (143.6lbs)
Lightweight: Lew Long (154.6lbs) vs. Tommy Maguire (155.9lbs)
Middleweight: Mats Nilsson (185.1lbs) vs. Denniston Sutherland (186lbs)
Featherweight: Dave Hill (145.4lbs) vs. Brian Moore (145.5lbs)
Welterweight: Lee Caers (170.6lbs) vs. Aaron Thomas (169.2lbs)
Lightweight: Sam Gilbert (155.3lbs) vs. Jamie Rogers (154.9lbs)
Tournament semi-final: David Haggstrom (134.5lbs) vs. Brett Johns (145lbs)
Tournament semi-final: Kris Edwards (134.9lbs) vs. James Pennington (134.9lbs)
Tournament reserve bout: Jordan Desborough (135.1lbs)* vs. Timur Mercanoglu (134.7lbs)
Flyweight: Brett Caswell (125.9lbs) vs. Paul Rogers (125.2lbs)
*Initially weighed in at 135.1lbs but returned on weight within the two-hour limit.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 59: Cardiff
CAGE WARRIORS 59 takes place this Saturday, September 14, at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales.
Welsh fans are in for a treat as their capital city will play host to a four-man tournament to be contested on the night in order to crown a new CWFC bantamweight champion.
Home favourites Kris Edwards and Brett Johns are joined in the tournament by Englishman James Pennington and Swede David Haggstrom, with each fighter going in search of the two wins required to take home the Cage Warriors gold.
Also topping the bill as the night's co-main event, Jim Alers puts his CWFC featherweight strap on the line for the first time when he takes on Martin Svensson.
Tickets, priced from just £25 (plus booking fee) can be purchased HERE, while a limited number - subject to availability - will be available at the Motorpoint Arena on the night. Doors open at 5.30pm, with the first of two amateur undercard fights scheduled for 6.20pm
Three prelims - including the bantamweight tournament semi-finals - will be available to watch live around the world and free of charge on Facebook at 7.45pm local time, followed by the six-bout main card at 9pm local time. Find broadcast details for your region below.
Fans can also follow live updates throughout the night on Twitter and with Brad Wharton on the play-by-play liveblog HERE.
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
Setanta Africa | Africa
FightKlub | Poland
MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
Sportube.tv | Italy
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world (excluding the UK)
PremierSports.tv | United Kingdom (subscription required)
ESPN | Brazil (subscription required)
MAIN CARD - 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT)
Edwards/Pennington vs. Haggstrom/Johns (Bantamweight tournament final)
Jim Alers (champion) vs. Martin Svensson (Featherweight title bout)
Mats Nilsson vs. Denniston Sutherland
Lew Long vs. Tommy Maguire
Dave Hill vs. Brian Moore
Lee Caers vs. Aaron Thomas
FACEBOOK PRELIMS - 7.45pm local time (2.45pm ET/11.45am PT)
Sam Gilbert vs. Jamie Rogers
David Haggstrom vs. Brett Johns (Bantamweight tournament semi-final)
Kris Edwards vs. James Pennington (Bantamweight tournament semi-final)
NON-STREAMED PRELIMS - 7pm
Jordan Desborough vs. Timur Mercanoglu
Brett Caswell vs. Paul Rogers
McDonough forced out of title tilt
MARTIN McDONOUGH'S hopes of being crowned CWFC bantamweight champion in Wales a week on Saturday have unfortunately been dashed, after the Welshman sustained a hand injury during a sparring session yesterday.
An initial medical examination has revealed that McDonough (11-4) suffered a fracture which will rule him out of Cage Warriors 59's four-man bantamweight grand prix, which is now just nine days away.
The 24-year-old, who has clocked up a 3-0 Cage Warriors record since making his promotional debut last year, is due to undergo an MRI scan shortly, so an accurate time-frame for his return to action has yet to be given.
McDonough's place in the CWFC bantamweight tournament, which is set for Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, September 14, will now be taken by his Tillery Combat team-mate Kris Edwards (pictured).
Edwards (8-5) was scheduled to face Aaron Blackwell in a tournament alternate bout at Cage Warriors 59, but the 23-year-old has now been promoted to fill the void and face James Pennington in the semi-finals, with Brett Johns and David Haggstrom still set to clash on the other side of the draw.
Cage Warriors officials hope to re-match Blackwell on an upcoming card, while the winner of the Cage Warriors 59 prelim between Timur Mercanoglu and Jordan Desborough will be placed on standby should a vacancy arise in the tournament on the night.
Edwards recently made the decision to return to the bantamweight division following a disappointing stint at flyweight, during which he suffered back-to-back losses in his two most recent bouts.
After signing an exclusive contract with the promotion, the Abertillery native made his CWFC debut with an impressive win over Janne Elonen-Kulmala at CWFC Fight Night 5 in Jordan in April of last year, after which he opted to make the move to 125lbs.
Life in his new weight class began well for Edwards, as he submitted Brian Hyslop in the second round of their meeting at Cage Warriors 48 in London in July 2012, a win that saw him jump straight into the top-three in the UK's flyweight rankings, having previously occupied fifth spot at bantamweight.
Next up for Edwards was Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff last October, but an injury picked up by opponent Mark Platts just a week out from the fight saw Alan Philpott called in as a replacement, with the bout being contested at 135lbs due to the late notice. But it was Philpott who emerged victorious, as Edwards dropped a loss for the first time since July 2011.
Edwards, who holds wins over CWFC's James Brum and Spencer Hewitt, returned to action back in May at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff, but again he was forced to deal with a late change of opponent, with Shaj Haque drafted in at the eleventh hour to replace the injured Karl Harrison.
After enduring a difficult weight-cut which saw him miss the mark by 0.7lb, an uncharacteristically languid Edwards was edged out by Haque via split decision, leaving him with consecutive defeats for the first time in his career.
As Edwards returns to the bantamweight division a week on Saturday, the Welshman says he's keen to return to top-form by putting in the type of performance which saw him regarded as one of the top young prospects in Europe last year.
"I'm absolutely gutted for Martin," said Edwards. "I've seen first-hand how hard he's prepared for this tournament and he's devastated to have picked up an injury. But I'm thrilled with the chance to replace him and I'll do my best to bring that title back to Tillery Combat."
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan added: "Everyone involved with Cage Warriors is extremely disappointed for Martin McDonough. He deserves his place in the tournament but I'm sure he'll come back stronger and earn another title shot in the near future. I wish him well in his recovery.
"I want to say best of luck to Kris Edwards in the tournament. I know he's been disappointed with his last couple of performances, but were it not for a difficult cut to flyweight, he probably would have been in contention for this anyway. It's all set up for a very exciting tournament in Cardiff next week."
Meanwhile, Owain Parry has also sustained an injury which has ruled him out of his CWFC 59 lightweight prelim against Jamie Rogers, so 21-year-old Englishman Sam Gilbert has been called in as a replacement.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 59 at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, September 14, are available HERE, priced from just £25.
Edwards/Pennington vs. Haggstrom/Johns (Bantamweight tournament final)
Jim Alers (champion) vs. Martin Svensson (Featherweight title bout)
Mats Nilsson vs. Denniston Sutherland
Lew Long vs. Tommy Maguire
Dave Hill vs. Brian Moore
Lee Caers vs. Aaron Thomas
Sam Gilbert vs. Jamie Rogers
David Haggstrom vs. Brett Johns (Bantamweight tournament semi-final)
Kris Edwards vs. James Pennington (Bantamweight tournament semi-final)
Jordan Desborough vs. Timur Mercanoglu
Brett Caswell vs. Paul Rogers
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC 60: Lightweight title tournament
A FOUR-MAN tournament will be contested at Cage Warriors 60 to determine a new CWFC lightweight champion.
The title, which was vacated by Conor McGregor earlier this year, will be up for grabs when Cage Warriors returns to The Forum in London on Saturday, 5 October, 2013.
Scotland's Stevie Ray, Slovakian Ivan Buchinger and English pair Mick Sinclair and Jason Ball will battle it out in pursuit of the promotion's lightweight crown.
The victorious fighter will need to overcome two opponents in one night for the right to be crowned Cage Warriors' 155lbs champion, with semi-final pairings to be announced in due course.
Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final.
The semi-finals will feature on the night's preliminary card, with the final concluding the Cage Warriors 60 bill as the main event. A reserve bout will also be added to the card in order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals.
JASON BALL (20-12) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
The most experienced participant in the tournament, Jason Ball will be competing for Cage Warriors for the fifth time in his career and the third time in 2013.
The 29-year-old is a well-rounded fighter, taking nine (T)KO and nine submission wins since making his professional debut in January 2005.
Ball is likely to be on a revenge mission on October 5, having previously suffered decision losses to two of his three tournament rivals - Mick Sinclair and Ivan Buchinger.
The Doncaster native hasn't been stopped in his last 14 outings, with his most recent stoppage defeat coming via submission against UFC veteran Paul Sass in November 2008.
"This opportunity has been my target since returning to Cage Warriors," said Ball. "I said then that I wanted to be the champion and this is my chance to get the belt.
"The tournament format adds an extra challenge and excitement. Four tough guys will be aiming to win the belt but I plan on putting on a show and bringing it back to Doncaster."
IVAN BUCHINGER (23-4) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
Ranked as one of Europe's top lightweights, Ivan Buchinger gets his second shot at the CWFC lightweight title on October 5 in London.
Defeated by Conor McGregor in the main event at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin last New Year's Eve, the Slovakian has rebounded in impressive fashion in 2013.
Buchinger edged out Jason Ball by unanimous decision at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff back in May, before submitting Jamal Magomedov last month at Cage Warriors 58 in Chechnya.
Still just 27, Buchinger has notched 20 career wins inside the distance and counts Diego Gonzalez, Jarkko Latomaki and Bellator tournament winner Magomedrasul Khasbulaev among his notable victories.
Three of Buchinger's four losses have come at the hands of UFC veterans, in Conor McGregor, Akira Corassani and Anton Kuivanen.
He said: "I'm very happy to have another chance to fight for this title. I have worked hard to get it and I'm very determined to make the most of this chance."
STEVIE RAY (12-4) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
A member of Scotland's renowned Dinky Ninjas camp, Stevie Ray is the tournament's youngest participant at 23 years of age.
Three of Ray's four career losses came at welterweight, with his only defeat at 155lbs coming via decision against three-time UFC veteran Curt Warburton.
Holding wins over CWFC veterans Dale Hardiman, Merv Mulholland and Vincent del Guerra, Ray has taken 10 of his 12 victories by stoppage - six via submission, four by (T)KO.
"I'm really excited and grateful to Cage Warriors for giving me the chance to fight for their lightweight title in London on October 5," said Ray.
"I believe I'm better than I've ever been right now, I'll be ready for whoever is in front of me and I'm determined to bring that belt back to Scotland."
MICK SINCLAIR (12-3) | Photo: MMAPics.com
The tournament's elder statesman at 31, Englishman Mick Sinclair will be competing for Cage Warriors for the fourth time in his career.
The younger brother of Bellator lightweight Rob Sinclair, Mick holds wins over fellow CWFC veterans Jason Ball, Oriol Gaset and Ashleigh Grimshaw.
With 10 of his 12 victories coming inside the distance, Mick Sinclair was signed to an exclusive Cage Warriors contract earlier this year.
"I'm delighted Cage Warriors have given me this chance and I'm really looking forward to getting in there on October 5," he said.
"I'm in there with three other top fighters who'll also be looking to put on a show. This is a very exciting challenge and it's one I can't wait for."
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 60 news and updates.
CWFC snaps up Cory Tait
CORY TAIT (7-2) has committed his immediate future to Cage Warriors Fighting Championship.
Currently on a three-fight win-streak, the highly-rated English bantamweight has signed a deal to compete exclusively under the CWFC banner for his next five fights.
Tait becomes part of a bantamweight roster that already includes the likes of James Brum, Ronnie Mann, Martin McDonough, James Pennington and Brett Johns.
"I'm excited to be signing with Cage Warriors," said Tait. "Like myself, the promotion has come a long way in the last few years. I think this is the perfect time for me to show what I'm capable of and for Cage Warriors to have me."
A 25-year-old with a kickboxing background, Tait has taken all seven of his professional wins by stoppage, with four (T)KOs and three submissions on his record.
The 25-year-old, who holds notable wins over Spencer Hewitt, Nathan Beer and Dino Gambatesa, is a former bantamweight and featherweight champion for UK promotion UCMMA.
Photo: Fight Agents
Four Dublin dates confirmed
THE HELIX has penned a deal with Cage Warriors Fighting Championship to host the promotion's next quartet of Dublin events.
The deal will see Cage Warriors hit Ireland's capital on four occasions between 31 December, 2013, and the corresponding date in 2014, giving Dublin three consecutive New Year's Eve events following the enormous success of last December's Cage Warriors 51.
In addition to the New Year's Eve events of 2013 and 2014, The Helix will also play host to Cage Warriors on Saturday, March 8, and Saturday, July 26, next year.
"We're delighted to be making such a strong commitment to the Irish market over a 12-month period, particularly at a such a fantastic venue," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
"After selling out our previous shows there, the huge demand and interest from the Irish fans could have convinced us to choose a bigger venue, but the intimate nature of The Helix has contributed to making our previous Dublin shows so special.
"We've had some very memorable Cage Warriors moments at The Helix already and I'm looking forward to seeing more of those with this next batch of events, starting with CWFC 63 this New Year's Eve."
Cage Warriors' dates for The Helix, Dublin:
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Saturday, 8 March, 2014
Saturday, 26 July, 2014
Wednesday, 31 December, 2014
CWFC first came to The Helix in June of last year when Conor McGregor defeated Dave Hill to capture the promotion's vacant featherweight title at Cage Warriors 47.
McGregor stole the show again last New Year's Eve at CWFC 51, when a first-round KO of Ivan Buchinger saw the Irishman become the first fighter to simultaneously hold CWFC titles in two unified weight classes.
More history was made when CWFC most recently visited The Helix for Cage Warriors 55 this past June, when Dublin's own Neil Seery submitted Mikael Silander to become the first ever CWFC flyweight champion.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 63 this New Year's Eve will go on sale shortly. For fight announcements and ticket news, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo: Conor McGregor with the CWFC featherweight and lightweight belts in the aftermath of his historic win over Ivan Buchinger at The Helix last December (Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 58 (Part Two)
By BRAD WHARTON
"Welcome to my city!"
The man's voice came from the rolled-down window of a car that had pulled over alongside some of the CWFC crew, for the sole purpose of greeting a bunch of strangers. He wasn't the only one either; city-wide, the team received friendly waves and 'peace' signs from the locals whenever we ventured outside of the palatial Grozny City Hotel.
With time to kill on Sunday following the show, some of the staff had stopped for coffee at a local café. They were brought a selection of pastries by the proprietor, who refused to accept any payment, insisting that the food and drinks were a gift. Grozny doesn't have the best international reputation as a place to visit, but the hospitality and friendship of the locals during our stay changed a lot of our preconceptions.
If you stop to think about where Grozny was just 10 years ago, the advances the city has made are incredible on all levels. Chechnya is embracing change, and last Saturday night, it embraced Cage Warriors.
With any first-time show, there are always going to be challenges. Working with a local crew who have never attempted anything even remotely on the scale of a CWFC production is tough enough in and of itself; add in a particularly challenging language barrier and the pressure of knowing that the President of Chechnya would be taking in the event from cage-side, and you have a melting pot of stresses, strains and obstacles to overcome. Thankfully, team Cage Warriors specialises in 'getting it done'.
And get it done we did. Saturday's show was spectacular by any standards. The location and time-frame only served to make the feat more impressive. As show-time crept ever closer, everything fell into place. My last memory before the action got underway was a conversation with play-by-play announcer John Gooden. "I hope the crowd are good…" he said, as the arena rapidly filled. "It'll be a nightmare if they're quiet". As any commentator will tell you, a good atmosphere adds so much to the final product. As we were about to find out, the Chechens had it covered.
From the very first fight, the crowd were in fine form. They exploded as soon as one of their local heroes stepped onto the ramp, again when they walked to the cage, and yet again as their names were announced, both in English and Russian. Once the bell had sounded, every punch, kick, takedown and submission attempt had them roaring with approval. I'm almost certain I didn't hear a single 'boo' all night, even when Matt Inman beat Bagautdin Sharaputdinov from neighbouring Dagestan.
Speaking of Inman, his Cage Warriors streak continues. The SBG fighter took a few dings early in his contest against Sharaputdinov - getting cut badly in the process - but was able to come back with a resounding TKO win in the second. Since making his CWFC debut in March, Inman has fought four times in five months. It remains to be seen whether he'll step back into the cage before the year is out, but when the time comes, his latest win will have set him up for a run at the top of the stacked welterweight division.
Another man to get a bit of a scare on Saturday was former lightweight title challenger Ivan Buchinger. It quickly became apparent that Jamal Magomedov was not there to make up the numbers, as he brought the fight to the Slovakian for the duration. A series of hard shots in the clinch forced Magomedov to shoot for a desperation takedown in the third. Perhaps he was hurt or fatigued, perhaps it was a lack of experience; either way, he walked right into to a triangle, which Buchinger deftly sealed off, before switching to the armbar to finish the fight.
Beslan Isaev got by far the biggest reaction of the night, from a crowd that seemed unable to burn itself out. A legitimate Chechen hero, Isaev looked clinical in the clinch, delivering digging knees to the body, chest and head of the game Victor Halmi. Isaev bossed the fight in all areas, but everything he threw served to get him back in the clinch position. Eventually a series of hard knees forced Halmi to change levels, where he quickly found himself on the wrong end of an air-tight guillotine choke. Too say that the crowd went home happy was an understatement.
Chris Scott came within a whisker of upsetting Pavel Kusch in their middleweight contest, bundling him to the mat and looking for the rear-naked choke. But the Ukrainian's grappling savvy saw him though, and it wasn't long before he'd locked up a trademark heel-hook for the win.
Alex Enlund returned to the featherweight division with a bang, expertly passing the guard of Sebastian Romanowski before taking the back and securing the choke in one fluid motion. Azerbaijani tank Bakhtiyar Abbasov went three hard rounds with Charles Andrade, battering him with looping right hands and a steady stream of ground-and-pound to earn the nod from all three judges.
James Brum had promised a finish going into his bout with European standout Ruslan Abiltarov. After calmly dealing with an early takedown, Brum found himself on Abiltarov's back after a scramble. A body triangle controlled the Ukrainian, and the choke soon followed. The win is Brum's seventh straight, his sixth in CWFC, against highly-regarded European talent. Fans are already calling for a UK bantamweight dream fight with Ronnie Mann; whatever Brum's next move is, it'll likely be a big one.
Ion Cutelaba and Michal Andryszak started their heavyweight contest at a fast and furious pace. The big Polish man took it to the hyped prospect from the off, bulldozing him to the fence and hoisting him up for a big slam. Cutelaba, dubbed by some as 'The Next Fedor', reversed things before long and had his man reeling with a torrent of blows. Unfortunately some of them strayed to the back of Andryszak's head; after a doctor's check, it was deemed unsafe for the fight to continue and the Moldovan was disqualified. We'll have to wait a little longer to see if the hype is justified.
Mohsen Bahari returned with a consummate performance against Alexander Voitenko, getting back on track after his first career loss and displaying some solid grappling in the process. Liam James endured a broken foot early in the second round to comfortably outpoint Akhad Mammadov. Local fighter Khusein Khaliev barely broke a sweat finishing Mihail Serdyuk with a modified head and arm choke, while Chechen prospect Zubair Tuhugov fought tooth and nail to take a decision victory over the very game Denys Pidnebesnyi.
And just like that, Cage Warriors' first visit to Grozny was done. It was surreal, and very cool, to see the show being recapped as a major story on the Chechen national news just a couple of hours later, as the team enjoyed a well-deserved post-event buffet and a cold beer. A near 24-hour trip home followed, but perhaps more than any other, this mammoth journey was worth it. The show that they said couldn't be done, was done, and it was amazing.
I usually try to end these blogs with some kind of deep and meaningful reflection on the show, but I can't really sum it up better than SBG Mainline coach Karl Tanswell, who posted the following on Facebook.
"Cage Warriors has become a magnet for quality, not simply as a fight show, but a place where the cool people like to go for a day's work. The work ethic, team spirit and skill-set I have witnessed over the last few days has been inspirational; be it the logistics guys, picture-takers, yay/nay-sayers, bill-payers, hand-wrappers, cage-side ten-seconds clappers, cutmen, judges or referees. Not many people will ever venture to Chechnya; no one will ever repeat what was accomplished this weekend."
Eight shows down in 2013, at least six more to go. We'll see you in Cardiff!
Photo: Bakhtiyar Abbasov makes his way to the cage ahead of a unanimous decision win over Charles Andrade at Cage Warriors 58 (Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
CWFC set for Newcastle
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship will hit Newcastle, England, in December for the promotion's penultimate event of the year.
Officials can today confirm that Saturday, December 7, will see the city's Metro Radio Arena will play host to CWFC's eighth UK show of 2013, which is currently scheduled as Cage Warriors 62.
The venue, which can cater for up to 11,000 fans, will open ticket sales shortly for an event that's set to attract huge attention in the north-east of England.
Cage Warriors 62 will be the first CWFC event to be held in the region since November 2003, when Cage Warriors 5 took place in nearby South Shields.
"The Cage Warriors fans in the north-east have been begging me to bring the show up there for a long time so we're delighted to be doing that on December 7," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
"Based on the number of requests I've had, we've obviously got a huge following in Newcastle and the surrounding area, so I think this has the potential to be our biggest event of the year.
"We've got some excellent local talent on our roster, such as Alex Enlund, Liam James, Shaj Haque and Chris Scott, and I'm sure they - along with the big national and international names we'll bring in - will be keen to put on a show.
"We've had successful arena shows in Cardiff and Liverpool already this year, but I'm really looking forward to this one. I think Cage Warriors in Newcastle will be something special."
Cage Warriors 62 will be the first of two CWFC events in the month of December, with another visit to The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, booked for New Year's Eve.
For Cage Warriors 62 ticket news and fight announcements, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter.
CWFC Fight Night 9: Carvalho v Grimaud
TWO of the top welterweights on the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship roster will collide when the promotion makes its return to Bahrain later this year.
Khalifa Sports City will play host to the meeting of Bruno Carvalho and former CWFC welterweight champion Gael Grimaud (pictured) on Friday, October 25, at CWFC Fight Night 9, which will be the promotion's 11th event of 2013.
Carvalho (15-6) will be aiming for his second successive CWFC win, having overcome Steve Dinsdale - who was a late replacement for the injured Mohsen Bahari - at Cage Warriors 52 in March.
That victory saw the 31-year-old BJJ black belt rebound from a narrow decision loss to current CWFC welterweight title-holder Cathal Pendred last October at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff.
A Brazilian currently based in Sweden, Carvalho holds victories over former KSW middleweight champion Vitor Nobrega, Dream veteran Tatsuya Mizuno, former Pride middleweight Jean-Francois Lenogue and The Ultimate Fighter 11 contestant Kyacey Uscola.
Grimaud (17-6) also returns to Cage Warriors action for the first time since last March's CWFC 52, when he relinquished the welterweight title via a unanimous decision defeat to Cathal Pendred.
The 33-year-old Frenchman was victorious when Cage Warriors last visited Bahrain, submitting Jesse Taylor to retain the belt in the third round of the CWFC Fight Night 6 headliner in May of last year.
Grimaud, who has 13 stoppage wins - 11 by submission - on his record, was crowned CWFC welterweight champion in September 2011 thanks to a second-round TKO triumph against Arni Isaksson at CWFC Fight Night 2 in Jordan.
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest CWFC Fight Night 9 news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Results: Cage Warriors 58
Beslan Isaev (24-6) wowed a crowd of his countrymen, dominating Hungarian opponent Viktor Halmi (14-6) en route to a first-round submission win. The welterweight bout served as the main event of Saturday's Cage Warriors 58 event, which took place at Olympisk Arena in Grozny, Chechnya.
Isaev was in control from the start, claiming the center of the cage and delivering straight punches from the outside and powerful knees in the clinch. Halmi looked to move, reset and offer a counter plan, but his efforts fell short, and he absorbed a series of damaging blows. Looking to turn the tide, Halmi drove inside, but Isaev calmly locked in a guillotine choke, fell to his back and scored a tapout finish at the 3:27 mark of the first round.
The night's co-feature highlighted a pair of heavyweight prospects in 19-year-old Ion Cutelaba (4-1) and 21-year-old Michal Andryszak (10-3-1), but the contest ended in disappointing fashion.
Andryszak pushed through a few early punches and took the fight to the floor to start. From there, Andryszak stood and drove in right hands until Cutelaba eventually escaped to his feet. The tide turned from that point, as it was Cuteleba who scrambled to top position in a grappling exchange. Unfortunately, as he unleashed punches to a downed Andryszak, he landed several illegal blows to the back of the head.
The referee stepped in to halt the action with 53 seconds left in the first, and when Andryszak was unable to stand, much less continue fighting, Cuteleba was disqualified.
In a bantamweight feature, Englishman James Brum (13-2) earned his seventh straight win with a first-round stoppage win over Ukraine's Ruslan Abiltarov (10-4).
Abiltarov scored an early takedown as he looked to upset Brum, but it was not to be. As the pair scrambled back to the feet, Brum slipped to the back and brought the action back to the floor. Abiltarov covered and tried to defend, but Brum locked in a body triangle and slowly flattened out his opponent, worked in the rear-naked choke and earned a first-round tapout.
In middleweight action, Azerbaijan's Bakhtiyar Abbasov (9-2) avoided the submission attacks of Brazilian Charles Andrade (24-13) en route to claiming a unanimous-decision win.
It was Andrade who looked dangerous early, working the fight to the floor and looking for submission opportunities. But as he slowed over time, the explosive Abbasov threw massive haymakers while repeatedly powering his way to top position. In the end, the control was enough to earn a decision win, 30-27 on all three cards.
Slovakian lightweight Ivan Buchinger (23-4) was floored twice in his bout with Jamal Magomedov (5-2) but still managed to pull off a third-round victory. It wasn't the highest-paced affair, but the action was tightly contested throughout, especially after Magomedov was deducted a point in the opening round for grabbing the fence.
But with time winding down in the final round and the scores anything but certain, "Buki" Buchinger latched on to a triangle choke. While Magomedov sensed it coming, he was unable to create space for himself. Buchinger turned slightly and switched to an armbar, earning the tap at the 1:42 mark.
Ukrainian submission master Pavel Kusch (14-4) earned the 14th tapout win of his career, attacking the legs of Chris Scott (6-3) and locking in a heel hook at the 2:59 mark of the opening round.
Kusch took the fight to the floor early but was unable to keep Scott on the floor. However, a second trip to the canvas saw Kusch willingly fall to his back, turning quickly for the legs and locking in the slick submission that earned an immediate tap.
In the night's first main-card matchup, Bagautdin Sharaputdinov (7-3) used a brutal ground-and-pound attack to slice open opponent Matt Inman (12-5) in the opening round, setting the tone for what looked like it might be a one-sided matchup. It wasn't.
In the second, Inman was again taken to the floor but deftly swept to the top in a beautiful scrambling transition, and unleashed a barrage of punches. A stunned Sharaputdinov was unable to recover, and the bout was waved off at the 2:31 mark of the second frame.
On the preliminary card, Alex Enlund (8-2) used some slick takedowns to get Sebastian Romanowski (7-2) to the floor, and once there he worked his way to a rear-naked choke that led to a win at the 3:44 mark of the fight. Right after that, Mohsen Bahari (6-1) one-upped Enlund by tapping Alexander Voitenko (9-4) with a rear-naked choke at the 3:21 mark of the first round.
Grozny hometown fan favorite Khusein Khaliev (6-1) made easy work of Mihail Serdyuk (6-2). Khaliev took the fight to the ground quickly, bloodied Serdyuk up with ground-and-pound, went after a couple submissions, then mounted to land more punches, ultimately jumping to side control for an arm-triangle choke to the delight of the crowd.
The final prelim didn't have the excitement of the first three bouts, but England's Liam James (8-5) won his second straight for Cage Warriors with a unanimous decision victory over Akhad Mammadov (5-2).
Beslan Isaev def. Viktor Halmi via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 3:27
Michal Andryszak def. Ion Cutelaba via disqualification (illegal punches) - Round 1, 4:07
James Brum def. Ruslan Abiltarov via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:05
Bakhtiyar Abbasov def. Charles Andrade via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ivan Buchinger def. Jamal Magomedov via submission (armbar) - Round 3, 1:42
Pavel Kusch def. Chris Scott via submission (heel hook) - Round 1, 2:59
Matt Inman def. Bagautdin Sharaputdinov via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 2:31
Liam James def. Akhad Mammadov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Khusein Khaliev def. Mihail Serdyuk via submission (arm-triangle choke) - Round 1, 3:43
Mohsen Bahari def. Alexander Voitenko via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:21
Alex Enlund def. Sebastian Romanowski via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:44
Zubair Tuhugov def. Denys Pidnebesnyi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Aslambek Musaev def. Zubair Kamamyan via KO (punch) - Round 1, 3:41
Abdul-Kerim Edilov def. Radjabov Sohib via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 0:45.
Photo: Beslan Isaev following his win over Viktor Halmi in the main event at Cage Warriors 58 (Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 58 (Part One)
By BRAD WHARTON
With the last lingering buzz of Cage Warriors' unforgettable arena show in Liverpool still fresh in our minds, the CWFC team are mounting our final preparations for a very different animal of an event.
This week we've headed to Grozny, Chechnya, and, with the support of President Ramzan Kadyrov, we're all set for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship's first show in the Russian republic.
In MMA terms, Chechnya has gradually increased its presence on the international radar over the past few years. Mahmed Khalidov, although currently a citizen of Poland, first put the republic on the map with his exploits in Japan and beyond. More recently, Adlan Amagov has compiled a 4-1 record in Strikeforce and the UFC.
Elsewhere in the region, the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Aslambek Saidov, Adam Khaliev and Beslan Isaev are making national heroes of themselves, plying their national trades of wrestling, sambo, boxing and karate. In Both Chechnya and Dagestan (where CWFC will visit later in the year) MMA is on the up.
The republic is occasionally referred to by locals as Ichkeria; The Land of Minerals. This evening, we'll see which of the region's combatants has the minerals to take the fight to some of Cage Warriors' finest. Growing up in this part of the world breeds, and requires, a certain kind of toughness. In recognition of this, CWFC has assembled a cast of characters fitting the bill, all more than ready to step into enemy territory and test the locals' mettle.
James Brum must be feeling that it's his time to shine. To say that he's one of the hardest-working men in UK MMA wouldn't nearly be doing the Gym 01 fighter justice. Currently on a six-fight winning-streak, with five of those in Cage Warriors, Brum has faced a murderer's row of opponents in the past two years. Almost everyone ends up with a pudding or two on their ledger, but the man known as 'Job Done' has been earning his nickname against some of the most awkward and unforgiving opponents in Europe.
This next test will be no different. Ukrainian Ruslan 'The Predator' Abiltarov is an MMA prodigy. With a strong grappling base, the 21-year-old has racked up 10 wins in 13 professional outings. Incredibly, he'll be getting his ninth run out of the year against Brum. Abiltarov is 6-2 so far in 2013, including a one-night tournament run that saw him put away three men in just three minutes and thirty-three seconds.
Brum's mix of physical tools and one of the more rounded skill-sets in the division presents all kinds of problems to his opponents, and if there is one thing 'The Predator' is lacking, it's the big-game experience of the Portsmouth fighter. Can Abiltarov shock the world, or will Brum add yet another scalp to his growing collection of European trophies?
Speaking of trophies, Pavel Kusch collects limbs like kids collect football stickers. Every single one of his 14 victories has come by way of submission, including two unique finishes in Cage Warriors last year that landed him in the final of the CWFC middleweight title tournament, at the expense of less than a minute's work.
Things did not go to plan for the stoic Ukrainian though; he admitted after his three-round drubbing at the hands of Chris Fields that he'd massively underestimated his competition and, following another loss outside the promotion, it's a mistake he simply cannot afford to make again.
Hoping to punch Kusch's ticket home (quite literally) is affable Englishman Chris Scott. A prospect on the UK scene, Scott stepped up to the plate against one of European MMA's best pure grapplers, Mats Nilsson, at CWFC 53 last April. He may have come up short on the night, but Scott went all three rounds and had success late in the fight with some sharp boxing combinations.
Not only will his performance against Nilsson have given him confidence in his ability to hang with high-level Europeans, Scott's ability to hit hard, fast and with accuracy late in a fight makes him a nightmare opponent for Kusch. The Ukrainian's vulnerabilities are tailor-made for his British counterpart to exploit, but Scott must not make Kusch's past mistake of complacency.
Meanwhile, Grozny native Beslan Isaev (mentioned in the opening of this blog as one of the region's foremost MMA exponents) will feature in this evening's headliner. Outside of Khalidov and those contracted to US organisations, Isaev is considered to be the region's best hope of international MMA superstardom and it's not hard to see why.
A finishing machine, Isaev has submitted 11 and (T)KO'd 10 of his 23 wins. Already a bona fide Eastern-European hero following his regular appearances on the Pro FC circuit, Isaev will seek international recognition against Hungarian submission wizard Viktor Halmi.
Of all the mantles to have to live up to, 'The Next Fedor' is possibly the most intimidating. Ion Cutelaba will be hoping that comparison is more a blessing than a curse when he faces rising Polish all-rounder Michal Andryszak. Moldova's Cutelaba, at 230lbs and just 19-years-old, certainly possesses a wealth of Fedor-like traits. Arching overhand punches, terrifying ground and pound and an other-worldly speed and power for a man of his physique, he'll face his toughest test yet in Andryszak, a man with over three times his cage experience.
Matt Inman and Mohsen Bahari are both making a quick turnaround, having competed against each other at Cage Warriors 57 last month. They say that anything can happen in this crazy sport; still, few expected the bout between fearsome brawler Bahari and technical kickboxer Inman to end in a 44-second submission.
Coming out on the wrong end of said submission, Bahari was adamant on getting back in the cage at the first opportunity. I'd asked him how his knee was following the painful heel-hook, and was told in no uncertain terms that only his pride was hurt, and he wanted to put things right in short order. He'll get the chance against Combat Dobro's Alexander Voitenko, who returns to CWFC for the second time after big win over Dan Hope last year.
Matt Inman faces Dagestani submission specialist Bagautdin Sharaputdinov. After falling short in his first CWFC outing against Jack Mason, Inman will be looking for his third successive win, and perhaps to display yet another facet of his ever-expanding toolkit.
A torrid cut to bantamweight caused Alex Enlund to rethink and refocus his sights on the 145lbs division. He'll make his return to featherweight against Poland's Sebastian Romanowski, a hard-hitting all-rounder on a five-fight winning-streak. Speaking of moves back to featherweight, Liam James has looked reinvigorated since his. Now training at Ireland's Straight Blast Gym, James' belly is full of fire as he mounts an assault on the 145lbs division. He's set his sights on another couple of wins this year, but first he'll need to navigate the challenge of grinding Azerbaijani Akhad Mammadov.
Chechnya is a place crying out for positive global recognition. Combat sports are in the blood of the people that call this part of the world home. At Cage Warriors 58, they'll get the chance to see where they stand on the biggest stage they've ever had.
The world will be watching.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 58: Grozny
CAGE WARRIORS 58 takes place this evening - Saturday, August 24 - at Olympisk Arena in Grozny, Chechnya.
The event will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Viktor Halmi and Chechnya's own Beslan Isaev, while the show will also feature top CWFC veterans such as James Brum, Matt Inman and former title challengers Ivan Buchinger and Pavel Kusch.
As well as being broadcast live by CWFC's TV partners, the action will be streamed - free of charge - to every corner of the world. The Facebook prelims begin at 7.45pm local time (4.45pm UK, 11.45am ET, 8.45am PT), followed by the main card at 9pm local time (6pm UK, 1pm ET, 10am PT).
You can also follow live play-by-play text updates throughout the event HERE.
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
ESPN | Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, Pacific Rim
MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world
The main card will be preceded by the Facebook prelims - which can be viewed live HERE - at 7.45pm local time (4.45pm UK, 11.45am ET, 8.45am PT).
Viktor Halmi v Beslan Isaev
Michal Andryszak v Ion Cutelaba
Ruslan Abiltarov v James Brum
Bakhtiyar Abbasov v Charles Andrade
Ivan Buchinger v Jamal Magomedov
Chris Scott v Pavel Kusch
Matt Inman v Bagautdin Sharaputdinov>
Mohsen Bahari v Alexander Voitenko
Liam James v Akhad Mammadov
Khusein Khaliev v Mihail Serdyuk
Alex Enlund v Sebastian Romanowski
Denys Pidnebesnyi v Zubair Tuhugov
Aslambek Musaev v Zubair Kamamyan
Radjabov Sohib v Abdul-Kerim Edilov
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 58
All fighters are on weight and ready for action at Cage Warriors 58 tomorrow at Olympisk Arena in Grozny, Chechnya.
Weigh-ins for the event took place this afternoon at the Grozny City Hotel in the heart of the Russian republic's capital.
Cage Warriors 58 will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Viktor Halmi and Chechnya's own Beslan Isaev, while the show will also feature top CWFC veterans such as James Brum, Matt Inman and former title challengers Ivan Buchinger and Pavel Kusch.
The only fighter who initially came in overweight today was Akhad Mammadov, who's scheduled to take on Liam James in a featherweight bout.
Mammadov tipped the scales at 0.3lb above the 146lbs limit, but returned well within the two-hour extension period at a weight of 145.7lbs.
View a gallery of images from today's CWFC 58 weigh-ins HERE or click HERE to find viewing details for the event, which will be broadcast live and free of charge to the entire world.
Welterweight: Viktor Halmi (170lbs) v Beslan Isaev (168.8lbs)
Heavyweight: Michal Andryszak (249.3lbs) v Ion Cutelaba (228lbs)
Bantamweight: James Brum (135.6lbs) v Ruslan Abiltarov (135.5lbs)
Middleweight: Charles Andrade (184.7lbs) v Bakhtiyar Abbasov (185.9lbs)
Lightweight: Ivan Buchinger (155.1lbs) v Jamal Magomedov (155.7lbs)
Middleweight: Chris Scott (185.3lbs) v Pavel Kusch (185.5lbs)
Welterweight: Matt Inman (170.3lbs) v Bagautdin Sharaputdinov (170.3lbs)
Featherweight: Liam James (145.8lbs) v Akhad Mammadov (145.7lbs)*
Welterweight: Mihail Serdyuk (170.8lbs) v Khusein Khaliev (170.4lbs)
Welterweight: Mohsen Bahari (170.5lbs) v Alexander Voitenko (168.2lbs)
Featherweight: Alex Enlund (145.8lbs) v Sebastian Romanowski (145.5lbs)
158lbs catchweight: Denys Pidnebesnyi (155.2lbs) v Zubair Tuhugov (157lbs)
210lbs catchweight: Aslambek Musaev (210.6lbs) v Zubair Kamamyan (195.6lbs)
210lbs catchweight: Radjabov Sohib (208.6lbs) v Abdul-Kerim Edilov (210.6lbs)
*Initially weighed in at 146.3lbs but made the contracted weight within the two-hour limit
Photo: Headliners Beslan Isaev and Viktor Halmi face off at the Cage Warriors 58 weigh-ins (Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)
Preview: Cage Warriors 58
SET to take place in the Russian republic of Chechnya this Saturday, Cage Warriors 58 is to be headlined by the meeting of Chechen star Beslan Isaev (pictured) and Viktor Halmi.
Cage Warriors 58 will mark the promotion's inaugural visit to Chechnya, with the action scheduled for the Olympisk Arena in the capital city of Grozny.
Isaev (23-6), a Grozny native, is one of Europe's most highly-regarded welterweights and will be fighting for the 30th time in his professional career.
The 29-year-old has taken all but two of his 23 victories by stoppage - 11 submissions, 10 (T)KOs - and holds notable wins over UFC veteran Xavier Foupa-Pokam and CWFC middleweights Pavel Kusch and Valentino Petrescu.
Halmi (14-5), a 28-year-old Hungarian, also boasts an impressive record which includes 11 submission finishes from 14 career wins.
Elsewhere on the bill for CWFC 58, heavyweight prospects Ion Cutelaba and Michal Andryszak will collide following the clash of rising Ukrainian star Ruslan Abiltarov and top English bantamweight James Brum.
That's just a small taste of some of the action scheduled for this Saturday's bill. View the full fight card below.
The Cage Warriors 58 main card will be broadcast live all over the world at 9pm local time (6pm UK, 1pm ET, 10am PT) via the following partners:
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
ESPN | Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, Pacific Rim
MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world
The main card will be preceded by the Facebook prelims - which can be viewed live HERE - at 7.45pm local time (4.45pm UK, 11.45am ET, 8.45am PT).
Viktor Halmi v Beslan Isaev
Michal Andryszak v Ion Cutelaba
Ruslan Abiltarov v James Brum
Bakhtiyar Abbasov v Charles Andrade
Ivan Buchinger v Jamal Magomedov
Chris Scott v Pavel Kusch
Matt Inman v Bagautdin Sharaputdinov (replaces the injured Eldar Eldarov)
Mohsen Bahari v Alexander Voitenko
Liam James v Akhad Mammadov
Khusein Khaliev v Mihail Serdyuk
Alex Enlund v Sebastian Romanowski
For the latest Cage Warriors 58 news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter.
Narimani joins Cage Warriors
NAD NARIMANI has put pen to paper on a multi-fight contract with Cage Warriors Fighting Championship.
The deal will see Narimani (5-1) compete under the CWFC banner for his next five fights, as he aims to continue to assert himself as one of the top featherweights in the UK.
The 26-year-old Englishman performed extremely impressively when he put his unbeaten record on the line in his CWFC debut last month against fourth-ranked UK featherweight Graham Turner at Cage Warriors 56 in London.
After the bout went the distance, Turner snatched a split decision win but, in spite of the loss, it only served to enhance Narimani's reputation as one of the most promising prospects in the UK.
Prior to his Cage Warriors debut, Narimani picked up notable wins over Marcin Wrzosek and TUF alumni Karsten Lenjoint.
"I can't wait to get back in there for Cage Warriors to make a statement," said Narimani. "I'm really happy to have signed with such a good show."
Cage Warriors 59: Blackwell v Edwards
KRIS EDWARDS (pictured) will return to bantamweight to face Aaron Blackwell at Cage Warriors 59 at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 14 September, 2013.
The fight, which is to be contested over two five-minute rounds - with an additional overtime round in the event of a draw - on the preliminary card, will serve as an alternate bout for the CWFC bantamweight title tournament, which is scheduled for the same night.
Martin McDonough, Brett Johns, James Pennington and David Haggstrom will compete in the four-man event, with the victor clinching the vacant 135lbs belt.
The winner of the Blackwell-Edwards clash will be put on standby to enter the tournament if a vacancy arises due to one of the participants being deemed unable to continue because of injury or not receiving medical clearance.
Fighting in his native Wales, Edwards (8-5) will be making his fifth CWFC appearance and returns to the 135lbs division following a flyweight loss to Shaj Haque at Cage Warriors 54 in May, a bout for which he was unable to make weight.
The 23-year-old, who holds wins over James Brum and Brian Hyslop, said: "I'm over the moon to have the chance to fight in Cardiff again and I'm hoping to make it third-time-lucky. Cutting to 125lbs was too much for me so I'm hoping to put on my best performance yet and to get a chance to re-sign with Cage Warriors."
Blackwell (11-9-1), a 28-year-old Englishman who's unbeaten in his last four outings, returns to fight for Cage Warriors for the first time since at 2007 victory against Ashley Smith.
"Kris Edwards is a ranked UK fighter so this is a big opportunity for me," said Blackwell. "Fighting on Cage Warriors is a great chance that I welcome and I'm excited about. Kris is skilled and well-rounded, I respect his abilities and I'm looking forward to stepping in there with him."
Tickets for Cage Warriors 59, priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), are available to purchase HERE.
With more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 59 news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 60: Omoyele v Wilkinson
CAGE WARRIORS 60 is to play host to an exciting welterweight contest between Bola Omoyele (pictured) and Aaron Wilkinson.
The TUF veterans will meet when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to The Forum in Kentish Town, London, on Saturday, 5 October, 2013.
Omoyele (7-1) will be fighting for CWFC for the second time since signing an exclusive multi-fight deal with the promotion, having made an impressive debut at Cage Warriors 56 last month when he overcame Vincent del Guerra via first-round TKO.
That victory was the 31-year-old's sixth successive first-round stoppage, in what was his first outing since appearing on the 'Smashes' series of The Ultimate Fighter last year.
"I'm looking forward to being back in the cage again to show what I can do," said Omoyele. "This is a tough fight but that's how I like my fights to be. I'll be ready for it."
Wilkinson (10-6) returns to action for the first time since last December when he dropped a unanimous decision loss to Alan Johnston at Cage Warriors 50, which snapped a three-fight win-streak.
The 26-year-old, who has taken seven of his 10 wins by submission, featured on the finale of season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010 and inked an exclusive multi-fight deal with Cage Warriors last year.
Wilkinson said: "Bola's a great fighter and this is a good fight; one that has definite Fight of the Night potential. But I firmly believe I can put in a strong performance and get the win."
Tickets for Cage Warriors 60, priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), are available to purchase HERE.
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 60 news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 59: Mills v Petrescu, Long v Maguire
CHE MILLS (pictured) and Valentino Petrescu will clash in a middleweight contest when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to Cardiff next month.
A lightweight tussle between Tommy Maguire and home favourite Lewis Long will also feature on the Cage Warriors 59 bill, while a further two bouts have been added to the event's preliminary card.
Cage Warriors 59, which will also see the CWFC bantamweight and featherweight titles up for grabs, is set to take place at the Welsh capital's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 14 September, 2013.
Mills (15-6-0-2) makes the move to middleweight following a loss to CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred at Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin this past June.
The 30-year-old, who holds notable wins over the likes of Marius Zaromskis, Chris Cope and Jake Hecht, signed exclusively for Cage Warriors earlier this year after a four-fight stint with the UFC.
"Cardiff is one of my favourite places so I can't wait to fight there," said Mills. "After my last performance, I'll be looking to prove a point by putting on a show."
Petrescu (12-3), who also recently signed an exclusive CWFC deal, featured as a welterweight on 'The Smashes' series of The Ultimate Fighter last year.
The 32-year-old has picked up seven of his 12 wins via first-round stoppage, with his only losses coming at the hands of highly-regarded opposition in the shape of Jimi Manuwa, Beslan Isaev and Lee Chadwick.
Petrescu said: "This one will make for an exciting fight because myself and Mills are both fighters who bring it. The fans in Cardiff will definitely be getting their money's worth."
Meanwhile, with their respective injury troubles out of the way, Lewis Long and Tommy Maguire will square off in a meeting of two of the UK's most exciting lightweights.
After an impressive win against Mark Glover at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff back in May, an injury forced Long (7-2) to withdraw from a scheduled meeting with Saul Rogers at Liverpool's Cage Warriors 57 last month.
Maguire (14-5), who appeared on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter, had to postpone his CWFC debut against Merv Mulholland at Cage Warriors 52 in London last March after he also sustained an injury.
Elsewhere at Cage Warriors 59, Welsh pair Jamie Rogers (9-6) and Owain Parry (3-1) will face off in a lightweight bout, while bantamweights Timur Mercanoglu (3-0) and Jordan Desborough (6-2) will also collide.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 59, priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), are available to purchase HERE.
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 59 news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Bantamweight tournament pairings set
A FOUR-MAN tournament will take place at Cage Warriors 59 to determine a new CWFC bantamweight champion, and officials have today revealed details of the semi-final pairings.
Cage Warriors 59, which will also see Jim Alers defend his featherweight title against Martin Svensson, is set for Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 14 September, 2013.
To be contested on the night, the bantamweight tournament will feature David Haggstrom, Brett Johns, Martin McDonough and James Pennington (pictured), all of whom will be aiming to pick up the two wins required to clinch the vacant title.
Fighting in their native Wales, Johns and McDonough will feature in separate semi-finals, meaning an all-Welsh final is a distinct possibility. However, Sweden's Haggstrom and Englishman Pennington will have other ideas.
Johns (7-0) will face Haggstrom (7-1-1) in one semi-final, an intriguing bout given that Haggstrom's only professional loss came at the hands of Johns' team-mate Dino Gambatesa back in July 2011.
In the other semi-final, two of the UK's top-10 bantamweights will collide when McDonough (11-4) takes on Pennington (8-1), a meeting which will also carry added interest in the context that McDonough last tasted defeat in October 2011 against James Brum, a team-mate of Pennington's.
Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final.
The semi-finals will feature on the night's preliminary card, with the final forming part of the co-main event. A reserve bout will also be added to the card in order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 59, priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), are available to purchase HERE.
With many more fights still to be announced, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 59 news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 58: Fight card update
THE bill for Cage Warriors 58 has today been boosted by four additional bouts, including the first CWFC heavyweight fight of 2013.
Cage Warriors 58, which is set for Saturday, August 24, will take place at the Olympisk Arena in Grozny, Chechnya.
A meeting of two exciting heavyweight prospects will feature, with Ion Cutelaba (pictured) and Michal Andryszak set to clash.
Following their recent meeting at Cage Warriors 57 in Liverpool, both Matt Inman and Mohsen Bahari will make swift returns to action, while the card will also include the featherweight comeback of Alex Enlund.
Cutelaba (4-1) has attracted much attention in Europe since making his professional debut last year at the age of 18.
With a background in judo and combat sambo, the Moldovan youngster has taken three of his four wins in less than a minute, while his only loss came via a controversial TKO stoppage.
"I'm really happy to be competing for such a prestigious organisation as Cage Warriors," said Cutelaba. "This will be the biggest test of my career but I will look to put on a big performance."
Andryszak (9-3-0-1), a 21-year-old Pole, comes with a similarly impressive reputation having taken all nine of his wins by stoppage, eight of which came inside the first round.
He said: "This is between two young guns and I think we'll put on an entertaining fight because my opponent is a tough fighter, like me. Fighting on Cage Warriors is a big opportunity for me and a great honour. I really want to take this chance."
Elsewhere, having submitted Mohsen Bahari via heel-hook after just 44 seconds of their CWFC 57 meeting, Matt Inman (11-5) will aim for his third consecutive Cage Warriors win when he takes on Russian 22-year-old Eldar Eldarov (4-1), whose only loss to date came at the hands of unbeaten UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Bahari (5-1), who saw his undefeated streak ended by Inman, will be keen to returning to winning ways against Alexander Voitenko (9-3), a 26-year-old welterweight from Ukraine who disposed of Dan Hope by third-round TKO at Cage Warriors 46.
Meanwhile, following a bantamweight defeat to CWFC title challenger Martin McDonough at Cage Warriors 52, Alex Enlund (7-2-0-1) returns to the 145lbs division for a meeting with 23-year-old Polish prospect Sebastian Romanowski (7-1).
More fights are still to be announced for CWFC 58. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Cage Warriors makes six additions
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship has added to its roster of fighters with the signings of Saul Rogers (pictured), Arnold Allen, Danny Lawson, Paddy Pimblett, Sean Carter and Fabio Ferrari.
All six UK-based fighters have inked contracts which will see them compete exclusively for Cage Warriors for their next five bouts.
Rogers (7-1) puts pen to paper having made an impressive CWFC debut in Liverpool last weekend when he submitted Jason Cooledge in the first round of their bout at Cage Warriors 57.
The 23-year-old lightweight said: "I'm delighted to have signed with Cage Warriors and I really appreciate the opportunity I've been given. I'm stoked about the whole thing. I couldn't be happier.
"Neither Cage Warriors nor MMA fans will ever be disappointed by my performances. I can promise that all my fights will be well worth watching."
Allen (4-0), a 19-year-old featherweight, joins the CWFC ranks after he also won by first-round submission in his promotional debut earlier this month against Andy Green at Cage Warriors 56.
Lawson (8-3), a 24-year-old featherweight who'll soon make his Cage Warriors debut, has taken all but one of his wins by stoppage and is currently on a six-fight win-streak.
Pimblett (4-0), an 18-year-old bantamweight, took his first three professional wins by first-round stoppage before earning an impressive unanimous-decision win over Florian Calin at Cage Warriors 56.
Carter (6-0) is now 2-0 with CWFC thanks to wins this year against Matt Hughes and Adam Boussif, which saw the 28-year-old lightweight keep his unbeaten record intact.
Ferrari (6-2-1), a 27-year-old Brazilian-born middleweight, overcame Brett Sizeland at Cage Warriors 56 and also holds a notable win over CWFC veteran Henry Fadipe.
"I'm very happy with this latest batch of signings," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. "They're six guys with excellent records and their best years still ahead of them. I look forward to seeing them develop with Cage Warriors."
For more Cage Warriors news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo: Gavin Morris | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 58: Abiltarov v Brum
JAMES BRUM (pictured) will aim for his sixth consecutive CWFC win when he takes on Ruslan Abiltarov at Cage Warriors 58.
The event, which is set for the Olympisk Arena in Grozny, Chechnya, on Saturday, August 24, will see Europe's fourth-ranked bantamweight face the highly-rated Ukrainian prospect on the main card.
Brum (12-2) is currently on a six-fight win-streak, which began in October 2011 when he rebounded from a loss to current UFC star Erik Perez to defeat Martin McDonough.
The 26-year-old Englishman, who has since remained unbeaten, made his Cage Warriors debut last year before going on to pick up wins over Leandro Gontijo, Thomas Back, James Saville, Moktar Benkaci and Olivier Pastor.
"I'm really looking forward to fighting for Cage Warriors for the sixth time in my career and I'll be looking to entertain the Chechen fans. I'm excited about fighting overseas again," said Brum.
"My opponent is young, hungry and very confident, which makes him extremely dangerous. But he's never been in the cage with an opponent of my calibre."
Abiltarov (10-1) has been building a big reputation in eastern Europe since making his professional debut just last year and will be looking for his fifth win on the trot when he clashes with Brum.
The 21-year-old has taken six of his 10 victories inside the first round and has competed for the M-1 and Pro FC promotions.
He said: "I'm very thankful and excited to be competing for Cage Warriors. It will be an honour to fight at such a high level.
"I've been training hard and I'll give everything I have to win this fight. I'll be looking to impress Cage Warriors and the fans on the night."
More fights are still to be announced for CWFC 58. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 57 (Part Two)
By BRAD WHARTON
Putting together a Cage Warriors event is no small task. From the embryonic stages, where dates are considered and new venues scouted, to the complexities of matching a high-level card and the execution of fight-week itself; a walk in the park it is not.
There's always beauty to be found at around 6pm on event night, though, as the fruits of the hard work are borne. That's not to say, however, that from the time of the first bell it's all plain-sailing. If you've watched a Cage Warriors show before, you don't need telling that the event production is top-notch, or that the cards flow as smooth as silk. Making that happen takes a gargantuan effort, but thankfully our crew is up to the task. Saturday was a little different from most other shows, though.
I first realised it at around 1pm, as the team did a walk-through of the venue. It was the first time I'd seen the set-up, and to say that the crew and I were taken aback was a massive understatement. Later, talking to fans, friends and media who filled the arena, their reaction was the same as ours; stunned silence, interspersed with the occasional 'wow'.
Such was the hype and the quality of the set-up, when bell-time came around there was more than just the usual anticipation in the air. In the MMA business, you learn to accept that no matter how good your card is, sometimes you get a dud. Conversely, a card you're not entirely happy with can end up producing magic. Well this card was good, and at 6pm, the magic happened.
It's customary to review fight-cards from the top down, but doing so for Cage Warriors 57 would do a disservice to the way the evening's action built, crescendo-like, from the first amateur bout to the main event.
It's sometimes said that Cage Warriors cards of late have lacked highlight-reel KOs. Dean Reilly corrected that in the evening's opening professional bout, flipping Liverpool's Mick Kay's off-switch with a jaw-jarring right hook. The Scot was booed on his way in; not so much on his way out.
The locals were soon given something to cheer about though, as Mick Gerrard deftly submitted Leon Pierre in under three minutes. By the time Bryan Creighton made it 2-1 to the home team with an impressive victory over Mark Connor, the unaired prelims were over, and the tone for the evening had been set.
As the action went live, Steve Dinsdale and Dan Rushworth turned it up a notch. The all-Liverpool clash divided the crowd and The Echo crackled with the kind of electric atmosphere normally reserved for local football derby games. Dinsdale did his best work up close and early on, but a late rally from Rushworth kept the fans guessing before the former got the judges' nod.
Saul Rogers made light work of late replacement Jason Cooledge, securing the tap in under a minute and a half. Speaking of quick submissions, the predicted stand-up war between Matt Inman and Mohsen Bahari ended in just 44 seconds, after Inman snatched a lightning-fast heel-hook.
As the main card started, the buzz around the arena was unmistakable. The 'This Is Cage Warriors' video took things up to fever pitch, and by the time local favourite Chris Fishgold's pre-fight interview had hit the big screen, the crowd noise was already drowning out the PA. After a performance that saw him boss the fight in all areas ahead of a second-round TKO stoppage of Marcin Wrzosek, 'Fishy's Liverpool faithful were raising the roof.
Perhaps the fighting Gods mercifully decided to give the crowd a breather, as the action in the second main-card bout was less 'fast and furious' and more 'calm and calculated'. Nonetheless, the welterweight bout between Ali Arish and Jack Mason proved to be an intriguing affair. Arish wasn't the takedown machine he sometimes can be, as Mason's defence and jabs foiled him repeatedly in the first and second round. Still, the wrestling stylist landed some solid shots on the feet, as 'The Stone' looked to stifle him and return fire. Finally able to dump Mason on the canvas in the third frame, Arish was able to do enough for the upset, and perhaps throw a spanner in the CWFC welterweight division to boot.
While not strictly a Liverpool native, Leeroy Barnes had the crowd on his side against Norman Paraisy. Barnes' boxing looked vastly improved over previous contests, his hand speed now surely up there with the best in the division. But Paraisy played the game well, securing takedowns and exerting control for long periods, despite a notable lack of attempts to finish. Barnes may have walked away without a scratch in comparison to the battered and bloody Paraisy, but the Frenchman did enough to have his hand raised.
Ronnie Mann's return to the UK was a short and sweet ballet of violence. Jose Luis Zapater was game from the off, but Mann's clean, powerful strikes had him reeling at every turn. A powerful knee sealed the deal, and signalled a return to form for one of the UK's finest lighter-weight warriors.
Just when things seemed like they couldn't get any better, it was time for a genuine fairytale to take place on this hot summer's night. Henry Fadipe was a late replacement for local hero Danny Roberts, taking the fight on just two days' notice and traveling for 16 hours to make the fight. This was Roberts' moment, a coming-out party in front of his friends and family in his hometown. Nobody told Fadipe, however.
'Hot Chocolate' edged the first, but Fadipe didn't make it easy for him on the feet or the ground, swarming after Roberts slipped and reversing a north/south choke to close the frame out. Things went off-script in the second, as the Ireland-based brawler carved open Roberts' forehead with a knee. There was more red on view than in the Kop at Anfield on a Saturday afternoon, and Fadipe pounced, locking up a guillotine choke. Roberts reversed, slamming and pounding his way back into the fight. And boy, was this a fight.
As the third started, it was anyone's game. The Liverpool lad was in desperation mode, realising that the cut could end his night at a moment's notice. Fadipe continued to use his power to fight Roberts every inch of the way, but with just a minute and a half left to play with, a rear-naked choke rounded off the fairytale comeback. Without even realising, I was on my feet applauding what was one of the best Cage Warriors bouts I've ever seen. I chanced a look behind me to see a couple of thousand others doing the exact same thing.
Paul Daley put the exclamation mark on the evening's action, as if it were needed. A true icon of UK MMA, the crowd - bolstered by coach-loads of Daley's Nottingham faithful - dug deep and found a last bit of shout in their lungs to give 'Semtex' a rousing ovation. Lukasz Chlewicki wasn't there to make up the numbers, but this was a must-win fight for the Brit, and nobody was going to stand in his way.
Daley's Muay Thai skills of old were on display from the off, and despite a strong start from the Polish fighter, it was 'Semtex' landing his trademark hooks, elbows and knees. As his supporters rallied behind him, Daley turned up the heat in the clinch, slicing the scalp of Chlewicki with a nasty elbow that would put paid to the contest between rounds. The crowd cheered both men for an intense five minutes, and 'oooohed' in unison as a close-up of the canyon-like gash on Chlewicki's head hit the big screen.
And just like that, it was over. Cage Warriors 57 was undoubtedly the UK MMA card of the year thus far, delivering as promised from bell-to-bell. It'd be easy to rest on those laurels for the remainder of 2013, but we have the small matter of at least seven more shows to get though before the year is out.
And therein, perhaps, lies the difference between CWFC and other promotions. While some would take the attitude of 'nothing is beating that', CWFC is using Cage Warriors 57 as the benchmark for the rest of the year. It was a big show, but this isn't just about putting on big shows; it's about building a sport, and leaving a legacy.
Photo: Paul Daley on his way to victory over Lukasz Chlewicki in the main event at Cage Warriors 57 (Gavin Morris | Cage Warriors)
Plans unveiled for women's divisions
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship has begun the process of rejuvenating its women's divisions by securing the signatures of 18 female fighters across four different weight classes.
CWFC is pleased to reveal details of its plans to establish itself as the epicentre of women's MMA in Europe, with agreements also already in place with several other female fighters to sign exclusive five-fight deals with the promotion.
More signings will be announced shortly, but those who have already put pen to paper range from experienced stars like Spanish-based veteran Karla Benitez (10-4) to unbeaten English prospect Laura Howarth (3-0).
Cage Warriors has consistently supported women's MMA in recent years, helping some of the sport's top fighters to showcase their talents, including Rosi Sexton, Sheila Gaff, Joanne Calderwood, Katja Kankaanpaa and Aisling Daly.
The promotion will now take that to the next level, with women's MMA bouts to become a regular feature on CWFC cards as the next wave of female stars are provided with the global platform they deserve.
"This is a hugely significant development for CWFC but it's by no means new territory for the promotion," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. "With the exception of the UFC, Cage Warriors is now not only the busiest promotion in MMA, but it's also the place to be for female fighters outside the USA.
"The women we've signed are now with a promotion that's broadcast live on TV into 150 million homes around the globe, as well as being streamed live worldwide. We'll be bringing a lot of exposure their way and helping them to make names for themselves, as we've done in the past with the likes of Conor McGregor and many others.
"Cage Warriors invests from £25,000 to £50,000 in each fighter over the terms of their contracts, so you can rest assured that their stock will rise rapidly as their time with us continues and develops. We reward fighters' commitment to us by investing in them like this.
"I'd like to thank Rosi Sexton for her assistance and advice in putting these plans in place. Her knowledge and experience helped me to make the decisions I needed to make."
Sexton, a former CWFC champion, clocked up a 6-0 Cage Warriors record during her career before recently making history by becoming the first female fighter in the UK to compete in the UFC.
She said: "Cage Warriors have supported me throughout my career and gave me the opportunities which have led to where I am today. I'm very excited to see them making this huge commitment to developing women's MMA, which will give many more up-and-coming female fighters a chance to show what they can do.
"For a long time Europe has been in need of a really strong women's division within a single promotion, to give the female fighters the opportunity to fight regularly against good opponents on top quality shows. It gives all the female fighters out there something to aim towards. This is just the first step and I can't wait to see how it develops."
Fighters have been signed in the women's atomweight, strawweight, flyweight and bantamweight divisions, with Cage Warriors also keen to develop a featherweight division in due course. See below for details of the 18 fighters who have signed exclusive five-fight contracts:
Division: Atomweight
Record: 2-0
Age: 33
Country: Ireland
Division: Atomweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 25
Country: Germany
Division: Atomweight
Record: 0-1
Age: 32
Country: Spain
KARLA BENITEZ (pictured)
Division: Strawweight
Record: 10-4-0-1nc
Age: 34
Country: Spain
Division: Strawweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 20
Country: Spain
Division: Strawweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 36
Country: Spain
Division: Flyweight
Record: 1-3-0-1nc
Age: 24
Country: England
Division: Flyweight
Record: 4-2
Age: 26
Country: England
Division: Flyweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 25
Country: England
Division: Flyweight
Record: 2-0
Age: 38
Country: Italy
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 29
Country: England
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 31
Country: England
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 3-0
Age: 26
Country: England
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 28
Country: England
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 31
Country: England
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 3-0
Age: 18
Country: Poland
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 2-0
Age: 31
Country: Finland
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 22
Country: England
Results: Cage Warriors 57
Paul Daley looked as sharp as ever in a first-round stoppage of Polish contender Lukasz Chlewicki (10-3-1) tonight at Cage Warriors 57. The bout served as the show's main event, which took place at Echo Arena at Liverpool, England.
Daley (33-12-2) took the center of the cage early, but Chlewicki showed no signs of fear, as he fired off punches from the outside. Daley countered with powerful kicks to the legs and body and successfully defended a takedown when he missed on a high kick.
Daley continued to press as the pair moved into the clinch, and powerful punches and knees to the body saw Chlewicki reel from the pain. Elbows inside opened up a cut on Chlewicki's head, and he proceeded to absorbed blow after blow while somehow lasting until the bell. Unfortunately for him, it wouldn't matter, as the fight was waved off by the doctor from the nasty gash.
In the night's co-feature, England's Danny Roberts (9-1) earned a third-round submission win over gritty Irishman Henry Fadipe (5-6-1), who took the fight on just two-days' notice.
Roberts opened with snapping leg kicks as the southpaws felt out the range. A patient Fadipe just walked forward to start but proved his danger when he finally came out of his shell late in the frame. Roberts answered with a powerful takedown, setting the tone for what would prove his best offense.
In the second round, Roberts ducked into an early knee, opening up a huge gash on his forehead. With blood pouring out of Roberts' head, he drove in for a takedown. Fadipe looked for a guillotine choke but eventually just let go, perhaps realising it wasn't going to come.
After an intense scramble, the two returned to the feet, even as blood continued to freely flow. Roberts shot in for a takedown, and he pounded away for the remainder of the frame, even as Fadipe looked for options from his back.
Roberts scored another takedown to open the third, but Fadipe first tried a head-and-arm choke before rolling to a leg. Roberts survived them both and scrambled to mount. He moved to the back on a smooth transition and locked in a rear-naked choke. With blood streaming down his face, he squeezed hard, and Fadipe was forced to tap.
Following a six-fight stint in Bellator that netted mixed results, bantamweight Ronnie Mann (22-6-1) returned to England in impressive fashion with a first-round stoppage of Jose Luis Zapater (17-10).
Mann looked sharp from the start, scoring with sharp counterstrikes and frustrating his smaller foe. As his comfort level grew, Mann began to mix in powerful knee strikes, as well, and they began to take their toll. Rocked by such a blow, Zapater crumpled to the floor, and Mann pounced with strikes until he earned the finish at the 3:19 mark of the first frame.
Frenchman Norman Paraisy (12-3-2) bounced back from a June draw against Chris Fields with an effective approach to controlling a game Leeroy Barnes (12-11). Barnes was the aggressor to open, taking the center and staying the busier man. Paraisy responded by taking the fight to the floor and dominating positioning for the remainder of the frame.
In the second, the pace was again high, and Barnes actually threatened with a guillotine choke. When Paraisy popped his head out, the match was stopped to check some blood on his face. The fight carried on, and the two immediately went back to work. Barnes again impressed with his aggression, but Paraisy again took the fight to the floor. Play was halted for him to be warned for both raking his fingers across his opponent's face, as well as illegally head-butting while on the floor.
The pattern continued in the third, with Paraisy taking the fight to the floor after an initial scramble and controlling the positioning for the remainder of the frame. He avoided any point deductions and was awarded the unanimous-decision win, 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
In a 174-pound catchweight contest, wrestling specialist Ali Arish (20-2) – who took the fight on just one week's notice – struggled to take Jack Mason (24-12) to the floor, leading to a rather moderate pace on the feet. Arish kept his hands low in a traditional wrestling stance but still found opportunities to land powerful punches. Meanwhile, Mason did his best sprawl-and-brawl work while defending takedowns and looking to rattle off strikes.
In the end, the fight went the full 15 minutes and remained very tight throughout. A few late takedowns proved key for Arish, and he was awarded a unanimous-decision win.
In the night's first main-card contest, unbeaten featherweight Chris Fishgold (9-0) kept his perfect mark intact with an impressive win over Polish prospect Marcin Wrzosek (6-2). After some back-and-forth action in the opening frame, Fishgold took the action to the floor quickly in the second, established dominant positioning and pounded out his opponent for the TKO finish at the 3:31 mark of the second.
Paul Daley def. Lukasz Chlewicki via TKO (doctor's stoppage) - Round 1, 5:00
Danny Roberts def. Henry Fadipe via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 3:34
Ronnie Mann def. Jose Luis Zapater via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:19
Norman Paraisy def. Leeroy Barnes via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ali Arish def. Jack Mason via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Chris Fishgold def. Marcin Wrzosek via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 3:31
Matt Inman def. Mohsen Bahari via submission (heel hook) - Round 1, 0:44
Saul Rogers def. Jason Cooledge via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:23
Steve Dinsdale def. Dan Rushworth via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bryan Creighton def. Mark Connor via submission (D'arce choke) - Round 2, 3:20
Mick Gerrard def. Leon Pierre via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:55
Dean Reilly def. Mick Kay via knockout (strikes) - Round 1, 0:22
Photo: Danny Roberts and Henry Fadipe in action (Gavin Morris/Cage Warriors)
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 57
HEADLINERS Paul Daley and Lukasz Chlewicki are both on weight for tomorrow night's Cage Warriors 57 main event at the Echo Arena.
The pair came in under the welterweight limit at today's weigh-ins in Liverpool, as did all other participants on the main card.
Jason Cooledge and Bryan Creighton were both unable to make the contracted weight for their respective bouts against Saul Rogers and Mark Connor.
Welterweight: Lukasz Chlewicki (169.2lbs) v Paul Daley (169.5lbs)
180lbs catchweight: Danny Roberts (179.1lbs) v Henry Fadipe (181lbs)
Bantamweight: Jose Luis Zapater (135.1lbs) v Ronnie Mann (135.4lbs)
Middleweight: Norman Paraisy (185.8lbs) v Leeroy Barnes (180.9lbs)
174lbs catchweight: Jack Mason (174.9lbs) v Ali Arish (171.7lbs)
Featherweight: Marcin Wrzosek (145.1lbs) v Chris Fishgold (145.4lbs)
Welterweight: Mohsen Bahari (170.7lbs) v Matt Inman (170.2lbs)
Lightweight: Jason Cooledge (160.1lbs)* v Saul Rogers (155.3lbs)
Welterweight: Dan Rushworth (169.6lbs) v Steve Dinsdale (169.9lbs)
Flyweight: Mark Connor (126lbs) v Bryan Creighton (128.4lbs)**
Flyweight: Leon Pierre (125.9lbs) v Mick Gerrard (125.9lbs)
Featherweight: Dean Reilly (145.9lbs) v Mick Kay (144.6lbs)
*Missed weight by 4.1lbs; surrenders 40 percent of purse to Rogers
**Was 5lbs overweight at first attempt, 2.4lbs over at the second; surrenders 40 percent of purse to Connor
Click HERE for broadcast details for Cage Warriors 57, which is available to watch live around the world. Doors at the Echo Arena open at 5.30pm, with the first fight beginning at 6pm. A limited number of tickets available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Gavin Morris | Cage Warriors
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 57 (Part One)
"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it" - Moliere
By BRAD WHARTON
On 31 March, 2013, some interesting news filtered through the blogosphere: Cage Warriors had answered the prayers of Liverpudlian MMA fans. Ever since the UFC returned to these shores in 2007, residents of 'The Pool' have been crying out for a big fight card. They'll have one this weekend in the shape of Cage Warriors 57.
It was clear from the outset that this couldn't, and wouldn't, be just another card, even by Cage Warriors' high standards. Liverpool is a city with a rich history of trend-setting. It is England's most successful city in footballing terms, and holds the record for being home to the most artists to score number one singles in the UK. This one had to be special.
The anticipation for the region's first arena MMA show is such that it presented a significant obstacle for the promotion; get it wrong on such a grand stage, in front of such passionate fans, and you'll never live it down. But as Moliere inferred in the above soundbite, to pull it off would be glorious. And by Jove, I think they've done it.
Paul Daley's return to Cage Warriors may be fleeting, but that doesn't dampen its significance. 'Semtex' cut his teeth on the CWFC of old, and it was one of his final stops before heading stateside in 2008. Now, with a return to Bellator imminent, Daley will once again make a flying visit to the promotion where he started to build his reputation as one of the sport's most fearsome strikers.
Don't write off Poland's Lukasz Chlewicki as a parting gift for Daley though. It's an oft-heard refrain that there are no easy fights on Cage Warriors, and the 34-year-old Krakow native is no exception. A powerhouse welterweight, Chlewicki has tasted defeat only twice. One of those was a submission loss to Demian Maia; hardly the most embarrassing blot to have on your copy book.
While some shows may have been content to hand UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator veteran Daley a walking punchbag, Cage Warriors matchmaker Ian Dean put it best: "I had to find an opponent that I felt good about putting in there with him".
Still, public opinion drastically favours Nottingham's Daley. In a way, that's what makes this such a huge fight for 'Semtex'; it's an old cliché, but there's no opponent more dangerous than the one with nothing to lose. Thankfully for all involved, Daley has never taken a fight lightly, even when he's been heavily tipped to have his hand raised. All the components are there for a spectacular main event.
Another international-level fighter returning to these shores on Saturday is Ronnie Mann. A 10-year veteran with 28-fights to his name, Mann is no stranger to the spotlight. After earning his reputation on the UK circuit, Mann packed his bags in search of pastures new. A brief stop-off in Japan followed, before Mann ended up in Bellator, splitting six contests during his stay.
With fight opportunities not exactly flowing like water in Bellator, Cage Warriors stepped in to buy out Mann's contract and allow him to return to his old stomping ground. The Thai-born, Cheltenham-raised scrapper now begins his phase two: an all-out assault on the Cage Warriors bantamweight division.
Thirty-six-year-old Catalonian Jose Luis 'Titin' Zapater has the unenviable task of welcoming Mann back to the UK. A 28-fight veteran himself, Zapater has the tools to test Mann in all areas. While many will see the bout as Mann's homecoming, if 'Titin' were to upset the applecart it would truly turn heads on the European stage.
Jack Mason has been on a tear – I've written that line about the BKK Fighters product before and I'll no doubt do it again, as he streaks towards title contention. Originally set for what would have been the most high-profile clash of his career against Bruno Carvalho, 'The Stone' now faces a very different, yet equally dangerous foe in Ali Arish.
Arish is arguably the best pure wrestler in UK MMA today. That's not to say that he's a one-trick pony, but if he were it wouldn't matter; his 'one trick' is just about as good as they come. If there's anything Arish's 19-2 record lacks, it's big shows, and big names. On Saturday night, when he faces down Jack Mason in the Echo Arena, he'll have the opportunity to put that right.
Cage Warriors couldn't hold a card in Liverpool without some local talent, and CWFC 57 does not disappoint. Danny Roberts has transcended the 'prospect' tag to become a legitimate welterweight threat. While few would have blamed 'Hot Chocolate' for walking away from the card after a series of late pull-outs, Roberts has shown his dedication, taking a last-minute 180lb catchweight tilt against the hard-hitting Henry Fadipe.
Coming up right behind Roberts is the undefeated UKMMA prospect of the moment, Chris Fishgold. Follow Fishgold on social media and it won't be long before you come across the hashtag #NeverLostARound. It's true, and the 20-year-old will be looking to use it long after Saturday's featherweight tussle with fellow up-and-comer Marcin Wrzosek.
Another fighter competing relatively close to home is Leeroy Barnes, although – truth be told – the enigmatic Blackpool-based brawler is well-supported wherever he goes. Returning to the CWFC fold for the first time since his professional debut, Leeroy is adamant that his time to shine is now, and he's been vocal – as usual – in his dissatisfaction with those who have suggested that Frenchman Norman Paraisy is too much for him to handle.
In the pick of the Facebook prelims, Matt Inman tangles with the returning Mohsen Bahari. Bahari's heavy hands and rock-em-sock-em style is a contrast to the clinical Muay Thai game of Inman, who is renowned for working his opponents from head-to-toe with speed and precision. If you're looking for a 'Fight of the Night' contender, this could well be it.
Also on Facebook, Liverpool's Steve Dinsdale looks to bounce back from a tough last-minute bout with Bruno Carvalho as he takes on Dan Rushworth, while Jason Cooledge steps up on just a few days' notice to challenge Manchester's Saul 'Tha Hangman' Rogers.
Rounding out the card, Scottish pair Dean Reilly and Mark Connor take on local lads Mick Kay and Bryan Creighton respectively, while Trojan Free Fighters' Leon Pierre tussles with another Scouser in Mick Gerrard in unaired prelims. If you're still looking for a reason to buy a ticket, hotly-touted amateur prospect Callum Gaghan faces Jordan (younger brother of CWFC's Aaron) Wilkinson, while the undefeated Andy Clamp clashes with the monstrous Luke 'The Animal' Taylor as part of our four-fight amateur appetiser.
The hype surrounding the card harks back to classic Cage Warriors events of old, when domestic tussles like Hardy versus Thorpe were the talk of the town. Add in a sprinkling of well-loved UKMMA faces like Daley and Mann, a dash of up-and-coming domestic talent, a twist of CWFC's modern-day international flavour and cook for three five-minute rounds.
It's taken a titanic effort and there have been plenty of obstacles to overcome, but all the ingredients are there for a glorious night of mixed martial arts this Saturday.
Roll up, roll up…this is the big one.
Cage Warriors 57: Liverpool
THE ECHO ARENA in Liverpool plays host to Cage Warriors 57 this Saturday, 20 July, 2013.
Headlined by a welterweight tussle between Paul 'Semtex' Daley and Poland's Lukasz Chlewicki, the bill for CWFC 57 will also feature the likes of Ronnie Mann, Danny Roberts, Norman Paraisy and many more of the biggest names in European MMA.
As always, the main card will be broadcast live around the world at 9pm local time, following three preliminary bouts which will be streamed live, worldwide and free of charge on Facebook.
You can also follow live play-by-play updates throughout the evening HERE.
Tickets for the event can still be purchased HERE and doors at the Echo Arena will open at 5.30pm ahead of the first of four amateur undercard bouts, which is scheduled to begin at 6pm.
MAIN CARD - 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT)
Lukasz Chlewicki v Paul Daley
Henry Fadipe v Danny Roberts
Ronnie Mann v Jose Luis Zapater
Leeroy Barnes v Norman Paraisy
Ali Arish v Jack Mason
Chris Fishgold v Marcin Wrzosek
FACEBOOK PRELIMS - 8pm local time (3pm ET/12pm PT) | Watch live HERE.
Mohsen Bahari v Matt Inman
Jason Cooledge v Saul Rogers
Steve Dinsdale v Dan Rushworth
Mark Connor v Bryan Creighton
Mick Gerrard v Leon Pierre
Mick Kay v Dean Reilly
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
ESPN | Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, Pacific Rim
MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world (excluding the UK)
PremierSports.tv | United Kingdom (subscription required)
ESPN | Brazil (subscription required)
Cage Warriors 59: Alers v Svensson, Hill v Moore
A PAIR of featherweight bouts have been booked for Cage Warriors 59, including an inaugural CWFC title defence for Jim Alers (pictured).
Cage Warriors 59, which will also feature a four-man bantamweight title tournament, is set to take place at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 14 September, 2013.
Having clinched the vacant featherweight title by submitting Joni Salovaara at Cage Warriors 53, Alers will put the belt on the line against Martin Svensson, while former 145lbs title challenger Dave Hill returns to action to take on CWFC debutant Brian Moore.
Alers (10-1) is unbeaten in his five outings under the Cage Warriors banner and is currently on a six-fight win streak in total following his victory over Salovaara.
The 26-year-old American, who also holds notable CWFC wins over Marcio Cesar and Matteus Lahdesmaki, has taken eight of his 10 victories via submission.
"I'm really excited about this fight as I'm looking forward to showing the world exactly why I'm the Cage Warriors champion," said Alers. "I respect all of my opponents but in this fight I'll be out to make a statement."
Svensson (12-3) is a fellow submission specialist who hails from Malmo in Sweden and has defeated the likes of Paul Reed, James Saville and John Cullen during his five-year professional career.
The 28-year-old, who has dropped just one loss in his last eight bouts, said: "It's a great honour to be fighting for the Cage Warriors belt and I'll be bringing it home to Malmo. This is going to be a great fight but I'm going to put on a show."
Elsewhere, Dave Hill fights for the first time since June of last year when he was submitted by Conor McGregor in a bout for the CWFC featherweight belt at Cage Warriors 47.
His next opponent, Brian Moore, is an SBG team-mate of McGregor's so Hill will be keen to return to winning ways against the Irishman, particularly given that his previous loss came at the hands of Artem Lobov, another SBG product.
Hill (10-3), a 27-year-old Englishman, said: "I'm really looking forward to showcasing my skills on a stage as big as Cage Warriors again as the professionalism and quality of the production is second to none that I've experienced. Coming off a loss for the title, I've taken some time off to reflect and rebuild so this is a huge fight for me."
Moore (7-2) is a highly-rated Irish prospect who, similar to Hill, recently signed an exclusive CWFC contract. Both of the 25-year-old's losses thus far have come via decision, one of which was at the hands of the UFC's Mike Wilkinson.
"I've wanted to fight on Cage Warriors for a long time so I'm very excited and motivated for this fight," said Moore. "A win here would put me in among the best in the division. My goal is to be the CWFC champion but I'm taking it one step at a time."
More fights are still to be announced for CWFC 59. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 58: James v Mammadov
ANOTHER bout has been added to the card for Cage Warriors 58, with Liam James (pictured) and Akhad Mammadov set to collide.
Cage Warriors 58 will take place at Olympisk Arena in Grozny, Chechnya, on Saturday, 24 August, 2013.
James (7-5), a 29-year-old Englishman, will be competing for Cage Warriors for the fifth time in his career.
Now fighting out of SBG Ireland, he enjoyed an impressive debut win over Jean N'Doye last year before dropping to bantamweight and suffering losses to Olivier Pastor and Alan Philpott.
After abandoning the cut to the 135lbs division, James returned to winning ways courtesy of a unanimous decision victory against Stephen Coll at Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin last month.
"I can't wait for this fight. I'm now training at the best gym in Europe and everything is going well. I'm coming for the belt and this next opponent is just another obstacle that I'll get over," said James.
Mammadov (5-1) is a 27-year-old former lightweight with a background in boxing. A native of Baku in Azerbaijan, Mammadov will be making his Cage Warriors debut.
He said: "I'm looking forward to entering the world arena by fighting for Cage Warriors. I'll be fighting a very good opponent so I expect it will be an entertaining and exciting bout."
More fights are still to be announced for CWFC 58. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 61: Dagestan
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship is pleased to announce that its 12th event of 2013 is set to take place in the Russian republic of Dagestan.
The event, currently scheduled as Cage Warriors 61, will be held at the 5,000-capacity Ali Alieva Arena near the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala on Saturday, November 16.
Cage Warriors 61 promises to be one of the promotion's most spectacular events yet, as CWFC makes its historic first ever visit to Dagestan, an area rich in mixed martial arts talent having produced the likes of current UFC stars Khabib Nurmagomedov and Rustam Khabilov.
Cage Warriors will also visit neighbouring Chechnya next month for Cage Warriors 58, with the promotion eager to capitalise on the potential of a region with an enormous appetite for MMA.
The way has been paved for Cage Warriors 61 in Dagestan thanks to the vision of President Ramazan Abdulatipov and Prime Minister Mukhtar Medjidov, who are keen to assist in the growth of MMA in Dagestan, as well as opening the eyes of the world to its exceptional hospitality and beautiful scenery.
Cage Warriors' inaugural event in Dagestan will come just three weeks after CWFC Fight Night 9 in Bahrain, as the promotion continues its busy schedule of international shows.
"I'm very excited to be bringing Cage Warriors to Dagestan later this year," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan (pictured). "I want to show my appreciation to both President Ramazan Abdulatipov and Prime Minister Mukhtar Medjidov, without whom this event would not be possible.
"Both men are passionate about MMA and helping to develop the sport in Dagestan. I'm delighted and privileged to have them investing in Cage Warriors, for this event and beyond.
"Dagestan has an excellent reputation in the sport of MMA. Its fighters are highly-respected in the best promotions in the world and we'll be mixing them with some of our best UK and European talent to put on what's guaranteed to be a memorable event, packed with top-quality fights from start to finish."
Stay logged on to CageWarriors.com for more details of CWFC's first visit to Dagestan, with news of the event and fight card to follow in the coming weeks.
Cage Warriors 58: Kusch v Scott
FORMER middleweight title contender Pavel Kusch (13-4) will return to CWFC action to take on Chris Scott (6-2) in the first bout to be officially announced for Cage Warriors 58 in Chechnya on Saturday, August 24.
Kusch's last Cage Warriors outing saw him pipped at the post by Chris Fields for the CWFC middleweight belt in the final of the promotion's eight-man title tournament at CWFC Fight Night 7 in Jordan last September.
The 25-year-old Ukrainian, who'll be fighting for CWFC for the fourth time, has taken all 13 of his wins by submission, 11 of which have come in the first round.
"I am very happy to be fighting at Cage Warriors again and I'm determined to get the win," said Kusch. "I also want to put on an entertaining fight against a tough opponent."
Scott (pictured) will be searching for his first CWFC win, having suffered a unanimous decision loss to Mats Nilsson on his promotional debut at Cage Warriors 53 in Glasgow in April.
Similar to his next opponent, the 30-year-old Englishman has also picked up all of his career wins by submission.
Scott said: "When I signed for Cage Warriors this was exactly what I wanted: big fights against big names, whether that be in the UK or abroad.
"My last bout didn't go to plan but I can only take the positives from it. For this fight I'll be a more focused and more confident fighter."
More fights are still to be announced for CWFC 58. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 56 (Part Two)
By BRAD WHARTON
Last week, in the run up to Cage Warriors 56, we talked a lot about opportunity here on the blog. On Saturday night it knocked repeatedly, and there were a couple of surprises when it came to who answered.
Bola is back
If ever there was an apt time to use the idiom 'Strike while the iron is hot', it was for Bola Omoyele's main-event clash with Vincent del Guerra. Bola's MMA career is just a few years old, but at 31-years-of-age, his fighting prime is upon him. After things did not go his way on The Ultimate Fighter, nothing less than a career-best performance would have sufficed in the CWFC 56 headliner. It's a tired cliché, but it was a fight he simply had to win.
The iron was hot, and Bola struck it. Repeatedly, with elbows. It wasn't plain sailing, but then that's the thing about Cage Warriors; if you want a gift, you're fighting on the wrong show. So while Bola immediately set the tone for the bout, del Guerra quickly proved that he wasn't simply there to make up the numbers.
If anything, del Guerra's brief rally made Omoyele's eventual victory all the sweeter. Beating a fighter who is overmatched may look impressive to the untrained eye, but destroying a fighter who can, and has, hit you back? That's impressive.
Going back to the theme of opportunities, one sign of a great fighter is the ability to sniff them out and capitalise during a bout. When he felt the first shot hurt del Guerra, Bola smelt blood and was relentless in his attack. The dull thud of leather on ribs, intertwined with the sharp crack of elbow on skull, and Omoyele rained down fistic hell just inches from my face at cage side. He wasn't going to stop and the fight was called. Opportunity taken.
'The Flame' still burns
It was the result that many expected, but it was not the performance that Robbie Olivier had hoped to deliver. 'The Flame', now known as much for his coaching duties with the likes of the Maguire brothers and Luke Barnatt, as his days as a UK MMA pioneer, stepped into the Cage Warriors cage for the first time in 10 years, but a knee injury seemed to dampen the occasion for Cambridge man, if his post-fight interview is to be believed.
Nevertheless, his performance was nothing short of a complete shut-out against a young, athletic and tough opponent in Patrik Berisha. Injury or not, Olivier clearly has miles left on the clock, and a point to prove to the featherweight division. The fight also provided one of the night's more surreal moments at cage-side, with Olivier being coached and cornered by some of his Tsunami students. Speaking of which…
Young guns have all the fun
Tsunami fighter Fabio Ferrari scored an emphatic victory in his Cage Warriors debut, toppling the tough-to-beat Brett Sizeland. Talk to anyone who's rolled with Ferrari and you'll quickly get an idea of how menacing he is on the mat. It was a wide, powerful hook that put Sizeland down – but not out – and Fabio went right back to his A-game, taking the back and securing a tight rear-naked choke for the win.
Arnold Allen and Sean Carter of BKK Fighters, occasional training partners of the Tsunami squad, also made huge statements on Saturday night. Allen fought a fast and furious contest against Andy Green, culminating in a textbook rear-naked choke. Carter faced the physically imposing Adam Boussif, stopping him with an arm-triangle in the second. If any doubts remained, the BKK boys erased them. Allen and Carter are legit, and both will cause serious problems in their respective divisions in the coming months.
When you watch Paddy Pimblett fight, it's scary to think that he won't be in his physical prime for perhaps another 10 years. To the untrained eye, when 'The Baddie' faced off against London Shootfighters' Florian Calin, it looked like a boy taking on a man. Those fears were soon quelled when the bell rang, and the 18-year-old gave as good as he got against an opponent 11 years his senior. It took the judges to separate the two, but Pimblett's victory was never in doubt.
Turning back the clock
It wasn't just the youngsters making the most of their opportunities on Saturday night. Denniston Sutherland fought the perfect fight against Brett Bassett; get into the wheelhouse, avoid the big punches and dirty box the night away. The gameplan really come good in the second, with Bassett wilting under a series of knees and punches, eventually being saved by the bell.
Sutherland ditched his laid-back demeanour as the final frame started, roaring across the cage and putting it on the still-dazed Bassett for a quick TKO stoppage. He may be in his 40s, but after continually proving that age is just a number, only a fool would write 'Mad Max' off against any middleweight in the UK.
The art of matchmaking
Ever heard the expression records are for DJs? It's true. Many people raised their eyebrows when the 5-0 Nad Narimani was paired up with 29-fight veteran Graham Turner (both pictured). That's where the true art of matchmaking comes in, and Cage Warriors' Ian Dean painted a masterpiece.
Turner and Narimani were almost inseparable for the vast majority of their bout; a striking clinic if there ever was one. Even the judges were split, but in truth the loser was always going to feel hard done by, whoever it was, such was the quality of performance turned in by the pair.
Don't touch that dial
So there it is, another Cage Warriors in the books. For a card that didn't perhaps get the recognition it deserved in the run-up due to the monster on the horizon that is CWFC 57, number 56 certainly delivered the goods. Hungry fighters, great matchmaking and the desire to seize opportunities turned a sweltering London night into an evening of fight sports to remember. Now we set our sights on Liverpool, perhaps Cage Warriors' biggest effort to date. Nothing needs to be said for the self-evident quality of the card. Turn up, or tune in…you will not be disappointed.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Results: Cage Warriors 56
It didn't take long for Bola Omoyele (pictured) to make a quick impression on Cage Warriors Fighting Championship.
The London native came after Vincent del Guerra early, stayed calm through a del Guerra rally, then turned up the heat for a relatively easy TKO victory in the first round of his promotional debut at Cage Warriors 56 tonight.
Omoyele worked early to secure a solid takedown. He tried to go to work on top, but the fight was suddenly stopped by Marc Goddard when del Guerra complained of an eye poke. A doctor looked at del Guerra's right eye, and a language barrier seemed to keep del Guerra from understanding Goddard telling him that he'll be the one to stop the fight because of a foul – not the fighter.
After the restart, del Guerra came out blazing, backing Omoyele up with some heavy hands that weren't quite landing, but had bad intentions. Then he landed a takedown of his own. But Omoyele quickly reversed things and got on top. And from there, it was the beginning of the end.
Omoyele started to rain down elbows at will as Goddard looked on, and the American Top Team product soon had a win at the 3:21 mark of the first round.
"Train hard, fight easy," Omoyele said. "Cage Warriors is the best in Europe. Exactly what I said I was going to do was what I proved today. That's why they brought me here. I want a belt. Anyone who's going to take me to that belt, show me the path."
Omoyele (7-1) ran his win streak to six – all first-round stoppages. And del Guerra (20-9), from France had a three-fight win streak snapped.
Robbie Olivier made easy work of Patrik Berisha – never putting him in serious trouble, but otherwise dominating him en route to a sweep of the judges' scorecards in the co-main event.
Olivier got the fight to the ground quickly and got to full mount. Berisha escaped, but it was Olivier quickly going after another takedown. Olivier had no problem getting things into his wheelhouse on the ground, but once there, he wasn't able to do much with the positions.
Berisha tried to work his dirty boxing early in the second, but Olivier scored another easy takedown and tried to take his back. He stayed patient on the ground and got to full mount, though Berisha escaped and tried to land upkicks. Olivier took Berisha's back with two minutes left in the round, then flattened him out. Berisha survived, and Olivier transitioned to an arm-triangle choke. But Berisha survived the round as Olivier seemed more interested in winning points rather than finishing.
In the third, Olivier quickly took Berisha down. But no sooner did Berisha pop up than he fell back into guard – where Olivier had been dominating him through the first two rounds. Referee Marc Goddard asked for more action, and at the 3:25 mark he stood the two up. Olivier tied things up on the standup, then proceeded to dominate things on the ground the rest of the way. He never put Berisha in serious trouble, but Berisha never seemed to do anything to keep out of the bad spots, either.
"Performance, I'm not 100 percent happy," Olivier said. "I think it was a domination. But I struggled to make the weight. Fair play to my opponent – he was prepared to do a catchweight to make sure the fight happened."
Olivier (20-9-1) won for the fourth straight time. His most recent loss came to Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran in February 2010. Berisha (6-4) had a three-fight unbeaten streak snapped and lost for the first time since November 2010.
Denniston Sutherland ran into a few problems against Brett Bassett early, then with the referee, but ultimately, he was dominant.
Bassett's most recent fight, a 38-second knockout win, may have influenced Sutherland, who clinched things up along the fence and kept the pace slow for a while. But Bassett was able to break free and looked for bigger strikes as Sutherland came inside. But Bassett's biggest shots never seemed to find a home in the first round.
In the second, Sutherland tried to control the pace and again kept Bassett from landing the big shot. A Sutherland knee put Bassett in trouble on the ground, but he worked his way back to his feet – though Sutherland remained easily in control. Sutherland pushed Bassett to the ground with ease and landed some heavy hands. But referee Rich Mitchell stopped the fight suddenly, and took a point from Sutherland for strikes to the back of Bassett's head. On the restart, Sutherland was dominant with his striking – and Bassett barely survived the round.
Sutherland started quickly in the third, knowing how much he had Bassett in trouble in the second. And it only took him 30 seconds to rain down enough punches on a wiped-out Bassett to get the TKO stoppage.
"I feel very good, and I can't wait to have a chat with (Cage Warriors CEO) Graham (Boylan) and see what we can do for the future," Sutherland said. "I'm normally a slow starter, but my whole thing was to try to come in here and from Minute One, try to take over. At the end of the first round, I thought he was hurt and slowing down a bit. I don't have nerves in the fight. I just want to come and perform."
Sutherland (20-10) is back on the winning track after a decision loss five weeks ago. Bassett (8-4) now has dropped two of his past three fights, all of which have come for Cage Warriors.
Nad Narimani and Graham Turner put on a striking clinic in their fight, which mostly was contested on the feet save for lone takedowns in the first and second rounds. But with the fight likely deadlocked going into the third, neither fighter did a ton to separate himself.
Narimani tried to seize control midway through with a right hand that stung Turner. But Turner stayed in the pocket and fired back when he wasn't feinting. Neither landed the home-run shot that would have put things over the top, and when the scores were read, Turner had a 30-27 and 29-28 in his favor for the split call. Turner (23-7) stretched his win streak to five, and four straight for Cage Warriors. Narimani (5-1) lost for the first time in his professional career in his Cage Warriors debut.
Philip Mulpeter kept a steady pace in the first, but in the second he came alive past the midway point of the round and started working Warren Kee over. In control on top, Mulpeter let rain down a series of elbows that had Kee dazed. Before long, Kee was covering up and Mulpeter got the stoppage at the 3:24 mark of the round.
Mulpeter (6-3) got back in the win column after a loss to Tommy Quinn at Cage Warriors 51 in December. He now has won three of his past four fights. Kee (7-3) lost for the third straight time after a pair of losses in 2012.
Fabio Ferrari and Brett Sizeland two threw hands early in their middleweight bout, but it was Ferrari who started to land the cleaner strikes deep into the first frame. Ferrari landed a punch flush and dragged the fight to the canvas. He easily took Sizeland's back, locked up a body triangle and cinched up a rear-naked choke that had Sizeland tapping with just 12 seconds left in the first round.
Ferrari (6-3-1) is back in the win column after a May loss, which had snapped a 4-0-1 stretch. Sizeland (6-3), fighting for the first time in nearly a year, lost for the second straight time and now is 3-3 under the Cage Warriors banner.
Bola Omoyele def. Vincent del Guerra via TKO (elbows) - Round 1, 3:21
Robbie Olivier def. Patrik Berisha via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Denniston Sutherland def. Brett Bassett via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 0:30
Graham Turner def. Nad Narimani via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Philip Mulpeter def. Warren Kee via TKO (elbows) - Round 2, 3:24
Fabrio Ferrari def. Brett Sizeland via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:48
Sean Carter def. Adam Boussif via submission (arm-triangle choke) - Round 2, 3:58
Arnold Allen def. Andy Green via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:00
Brad Wheeler def. Aymard Guih via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Paddy Pimblett def. Florian Calin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 56: London
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship returns to The Forum in London tonight - Saturday, July 6 - to host CWFC 56, which will be headlined by the welterweight clash of Bola Omoyele and Vincent del Guerra.
Also featuring some of the biggest names in the UK, such as Robbie Olivier, Graham Turner and Denniston Sutherland, the action can be viewed live all over the world.
Starting with a middleweight bout between Fabio Ferrari and Brett Sizeland, the main card kicks off at 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT) following the three-bout Facebook prelim card, which can be streamed live and free of charge HERE no matter where you are in the world.
MAIN CARD - 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT)
Vincent Del Guerra v Bola Omoyele
Patrik Berisha v Robbie Olivier
Brett Bassett v Denniston Sutherland
Nad Narimani v Graham Turner
Warren Kee v Philip Mulpeter
Fabio Ferrari v Brett Sizeland
FACEBOOK PRELIMS - 8pm local time (3pm ET/12pm PT)
Adam Boussif v Sean Carter
Arnold Allen v Andy Green
Aymard Guih v Brad Wheeler
Facebook prelims stream live around the world and free of charge - HERE.
Florian Calin v Paddy Pimblett
Premier Sports | United Kingdom
Setanta Sports 1 | Ireland
Fight Now TV | USA
Fight Network | Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Angola, Mozambique
ESPN | Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, Pacific Rim
MMAjunkie.com | USA & Canada
JOE.ie | Ireland
CageWarriors.tv | Rest of the world (excluding the UK)
PremierSports.tv | United Kingdom (subscription required)
ESPN | Brazil (subscription required)
Doors at The Forum open at 5.30pm, with the first fight scheduled for 6.45pm. Subject to availability, a limited number of tickets will be available at the venue.
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 56
THE fighters are set for tomorrow night's Cage Warriors 56 action at The Forum in London following this afternoon's weigh-ins.
Headliners Bola Omoyele and Vincent del Guerra both made weight for their welterweight tussle, although Omoyele needed a second attempt before tipping the scales at the 171lbs limit.
Denniston Sutherland also had to make use of the additional two hours before he was on weight for his middleweight clash with Brett Bassett, but Andy Green and Aymard Guih both failed to make the contracted weight for their respective bouts.
Green was 0.8lb too heavy and surrendered 25 percent of his purse to opponent Arnold Allen, while Guih - who accepted the fight just yesterday - came in 3.4lbs over the limit for his 165lbs catchweight bout against Brad Wheeler.
However, having stepped in at such short notice, no deduction was made from Guih's purse.
Welterweight: Vincent del Guerra (170.8lbs) v Bola Omoyele (171lbs)*
150lbs catchweight: Patrik Berisha (150.5lbs) v Robbie Olivier (149.3lbs)
Middleweight: Brett Bassett (182.9lbs) v Denniston Sutherland (185.9lbs)**
Featherweight: Nad Narimani (145.8lbs) v Graham Turner (146lbs)
160lbs catchweight: Warren Kee (160.5lbs) v Philip Mulpeter (160.4lbs)
Middleweight: Fabio Ferrari (185.3lbs) v Brett Sizeland (185.7lbs)
Lightweight: Adam Boussif (154.4lbs) v Sean Carter (155.2lbs)
Featherweight: Arnold Allen (144.8lbs) v Andy Green (146.8lbs)***
165lbs catchweight: Aymard Guih (169.4lbs)**** v Brad Wheeler (165.2lbs)
Bantamweight: Florian Calin (135.8lbs) v Paddy Pimblett (135.8lbs)
*Omoyele initially weighed in at 171.2lbs
**Sutherland initially weighed in at 187.7lbs
***Green initially weighed in at 148.2lbs; surrenders 25 percent of purse to Allen having also failed on second attempt
****Guih failed to make weight but, having taken the fight on a day's notice, no purse deduction occurred
View a gallery of images from the weigh-ins HERE.
Click HERE for broadcast details of Cage Warriors 56, which is available to watch live around the world. Doors at The Forum open at 5.30pm, with a limited number of tickets available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Opportunity knocks (Brad on the Blog: Cage Warriors 56 - Part One)
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work" - Thomas Edison
By BRAD WHARTON
If I was asked to pick a single word from the lexicon to describe Cage Warriors' 2013 campaign, it'd be 'opportunity'. When the final bell rings on Saturday night, it will signal the end of our sixth event since March, when this year's world tour kicked off. That's six show in four months, and with another six confirmed between now and November, the pace isn't going to let up.
It's hard work, to be sure; but then you only get out of life what you put in. The fruit of all that labour is opportunity; specifically the opportunities Cage Warriors has been providing, and will continue to provide, for its ever-expanding roster. Nowhere is this more evident than the line-up for Cage Warriors 56.
Despite the hype surrounding the Paul Daley/Ronnie Mann double-header in Liverpool just two weeks from now, it'd be criminal to overlook what is a typically solid Cage Warriors offering this Saturday night. London is very much a home venue for the CWFC team, and this – the second of our three trips to The Forum this year – looks set to keep up the standard.
Topping the bill in Kentish Town is a welterweight contest pitting new Cage Warriors signing Bola Omoyele against France's hard-hitting, hard-grappling Vincent del Guerra. Both men will be stepping into the cage knowing that they've been given a huge opportunity, but just getting to the dance isn't enough; this is where the real hard work begins.
Omoyele probably knows that more than most, having approached the golden gates of the UFC as part of their international Ultimate Fighter series, The Smashes. But with TUF becoming less of a golden goose than it was back in the day, Bola is now committed to doing things the hard way, and has set his sights on Cage Warriors' welterweight gold.
Standing in his way will be a man nine years his junior, yet with four times as many professional bouts to his name. Despite winning seven of his last eight, and holding and 20-8 overall ledger, Vincent del Guerra has thus far seen the spotlight elude him. Perhaps it's due to the historically murky legal status of MMA in his home nation, or maybe it's the lack of that signature win; either way, everything could change with a victory on Saturday night.
For Bola, Saturday night presents the opportunity to show the world what he is truly capable of, and that the microscopic glimpse international fans got of him on TUF was not a true representation of the skills he possesses. For del Geurra, it's a chance to put himself, and French MMA, on the map, while adding an internationally recognised name to his record.
One man who doesn't need a lecture on the value of opportunities is Robbie Olivier. In a career stretching back over a decade, Cambridge's Olivier has faced a murderer's row of top-quality opposition. From fellow UK MMA pioneers Danny Batten and Leigh Remedios, to modern day mainstays like Bellator champion Pat Curran and UFC star Brad Pickett, Olivier is no stranger to a big fight.
Saturday's bout could be the biggest of his career; if not for the stature of his opponent, then for the opportunity it presents. He's achieved a massive amount in the sport as a fighter, a coach and, more recently, a promoter, but a win at CWFC 56 could well kickstart a second bid for the title of Europe's number one featherweight.
The opportunity won't be gift-wrapped, though. Swiss scrapper Patrik Berisha is a relentless competitor with great finishing instincts (in many ways a parallel of a young Olivier), and will be looking to make a name for himself at the expense of 'The Flame'.
Elsewhere on the card, Graham Turner (pictured) has the opportunity to extend his winning streak to five and notch his 23rd overall win; not bad for a 25-year-old. Turner's star is rising, and with good reason. The Dinky Ninja has stopped 16 opponents, and has himself only been finished once in his last 16 outings. Nad Narimani, undefeated in 10 contests (five professional, five amateur), will be looking to keep his slate clean and upset Turner's applecart.
Denniston Sutherland remains one of the busiest men on the UK circuit. Having split a pair of domestic title bouts already this year, 'Mad Max' has another contest lined up in August. That's assuming he comes out unscathed against middleweight banger Brett Bassett (8-3), who has been on the shelf since this highlight-reel KO of Mike Ling in Amman, Jordan last year. Approaching his fighting prime at 27-years-old, the pressure will be on the Londoner to perform against one of the UK's more durable veterans.
Cage Warriors isn't just about providing opportunities for established fighters. Some of the country's young and hungry prospects have been getting their chance to shine on Europe's most prestigious MMA platform in 2013. CWFC debutants Ben Rees and Shaj Haque scored signature wins this year, and CWFC 56 will see a couple of other young guns stepping up to the plate.
Arnold Allen is one of the most talked-about fresh 145lbers in the UK. Fighting out of the BKK Fighters camp, Allen, a slick grappler with legitimate KO power, makes his promotional debut against HAMMA's veteran Andy Green. Arnold's teammate Sean 'Sexy Curls' Carter looks to follow up on his CWFC Fight Night 8 victory over Matt Hughes when he faces fellow lightweight prospect Adam Boussif. Highly-regarded amateur sensation Paddy 'The Baddie' Pimblett, just 18 years old, gets his third pro run-out against Florian Calin in an unaired bout – as if you needed another reason to catch the show live.
From seasoned veterans like Robbie Olivier, to next generation prospects like Arnold Allen; from domestic standouts with a point to prove like Bola Omoyele, to international competitors looking for their moment to shine like Vincent del Guerra; from an 18-year-old Paddy Pimblett, to a warrior in his 40s like Denniston Sutherland; if you're willing to put in the hard work, Cage Warriors is willing to give you the opportunity.
Cage Warriors 56 – time to grab those overalls.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC Fight Night 9: Bahrain
HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa presents the CWFC welterweight belt to Gael Grimaud following the main event at CWFC Fight Night 6, the promotion's most recent show in Bahrain (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
OFFICIALS have today confirmed details of Cage Warriors' next visit to the Middle East.
The promotion will return to Bahrain on Friday, October 25, to stage CWFC Fight Night 9 at the Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town.
The event will mark CWFC's first trip to the country since May of last year, when Gael Grimaud successfully defended the CWFC welterweight title against Jesse Taylor at the sold-out CWFC Fight Night 6, a card that also featured the likes of Jim Alers, Ivan Buchinger and John Phillips.
CWFC Fight Night 9 will be hosted under the patronage of HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain's first Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of the Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation.
Coming less than three weeks after Cage Warriors 60, which is scheduled for October 5 in London, CWFC Fight Night 9 will be Cage Warriors' 11th event of 2013 and ninth in the Middle East in the space of the last two years.
"Our last show in Bahrain was one of my favourite CWFC events," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. "I expect CWFC Fight Night 9 to be even better again and I'd like to sincerely thank HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa for paving the way for us to return."
Cage Warriors 59: Bantamweight title tournament
A FOUR-MAN tournament will be contested at Cage Warriors 59 to determine a new CWFC bantamweight champion.
The vacant title will be up for grabs when Cage Warriors returns to the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, 14 September, 2013.
Englishman James Pennington and Sweden's David Haggstrom will join Welsh pair Martin McDonough and Brett Johns in aiming to clinch a belt that was vacated last year by Paul McVeigh prior to his move to flyweight.
The victorious fighter will need to overcome two opponents in one night for the right to be crowned Cage Warriors bantamweight champion, with semi-final pairings to be announced in due course.
Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final.
The semi-finals will feature on the night's preliminary card, with the final forming part of the co-main event. A reserve bout will also be added to the card in order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals.
BRETT JOHNS (7-0) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
The youngest participant in the tournament, undefeated Brett Johns is likely to have plenty of support at the Motorpoint Arena on September 14.
A native of Swansea, Wales, the 21-year-old is a judo black belt with a 2-0 record under the CWFC banner.
Following a comprehensive decision win against Sam Gilbert at Cage Warriors 49 last October, Johns picked up an impressive second-round TKO of James MacAlister at May's Cage Warriors 54.
"I want to thank Cage Warriors for this massive opportunity. It's a pleasure to be involved in this tournament in my own country in front of my family and friends," said Johns.
"It's going to be a tough night as the tournament is filled with high-level opposition. But this chance is a dream come true for me and I can't wait for it."
DAVID HAGGSTROM (7-1-1) | Photo: Manos Terzitane
Currently ranked sixth in Europe, David Haggstrom will be returning to action for the first time since a TKO victory against Artemij Sitenkov in December.
The 27-year-old, a native of Umea in Sweden, also holds notable wins over CWFC veterans James Doolan and Janne-Elonen Kulmala.
"I'm really looking forward to fighting in Wales for Cage Warriors, which is Europe's best promotion," said Haggstrom.
"My aim is to fight the best fighters, win that belt and prove to everyone that I'm the best bantamweight in Europe."
JAMES PENNINGTON (7-1) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
James Pennington, who fights out of Gym 01 in Portsmouth, is sixth in the UK's bantamweight rankings on the back of his impressive win against James Doolan at Cage Warriors 53 in April.
A team-mate of UFC flyweight Phil Harris and fellow Cage Warriors bantamweight James Brum, 26-year-old Pennington will compete for the CWFC bantamweight title almost three years to the day since making his professional debut.
Six of Pennington's seven wins have come via submission, five of them in the first round.
Pennington said: "I can't wait for this tournament to come. It's a huge opportunity for me.
"I'll show everyone that I'm the best bantamweight in the UK and I'll do it in style too. Watch this space."
MARTIN McDONOUGH (11-4) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
The CWFC bantamweight title tournament's most experienced participant, McDonough will aim for Cage Warriors title success just 25 miles from his hometown of Abertillery, Wales.
With a 3-0 record on Cage Warriors, the 24-year-old has picked up Submission of the Night bonuses for each of his CWFC wins to date.
McDonough, ranked ninth in Europe, has overcome Dino Gambatesa, Alex Enlund and Mark Platts since making his debut for the promotion in October of last year.
"I'm really happy to be back fighting in Cardiff again because the atmosphere there is second to none," said McDonough.
"Fighting for a world title is something I've dreamt of since starting MMA so I'm thankful to Cage Warriors for this chance. I'm also excited by the four-man tournament format as it will really test the endurance and mental strength of the fighters."
The bantamweight belt isn't the only CWFC strap that will be on the line via a four-man tournament at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff on September 14. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), tickets for Cage Warriors 59 are on sale HERE now!
Cage Warriors signs UK and Ireland broadcast deals
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship is pleased to confirm that it has penned deals with Premier Sports and Setanta Sports, which will see the broadcasters carry all CWFC events for the remainder of 2013.
Cage Warriors main cards, featuring stars like Jim Alers (pictured), Ronnie Mann and Che Mills, will air live throughout the UK exclusively on Premier Sports, the subscription channel available on the Sky platform.
For non-Sky subscribers, Premier Sports is also available to watch online at a cost of £9.99 per month. More details can be found HERE.
Setanta Sports, which is also accessible via subscription on the Sky platform, will have exclusive television rights to the action in Ireland, with events airing live on Setanta Sports 1, followed by delayed coverage on Setanta Ireland.
Cage Warriors fans in Ireland can also continue to stream events via our online partners JOE.ie.
Prelims will continue to stream worldwide and free of charge on Facebook, while event replays will be available for the world to watch on the Monday after each event on MMAjunkie.com.
The agreement with Premier Sports and Setanta Sports launches a week on Saturday, July 6, when Cage Warriors 56 will be broadcast from The Forum in London.
Richard Webb, COO of Premier Sports, said: "We're delighted to welcome back Cage Warriors to the channel. The mixed martial arts promotion is widely regarded to have the best fighters and production values of any in Europe and we look forward to bringing viewers live action every month on Saturday evenings."
In addition to broadcasting future events, both Premier Sports and Setanta Sports will have access to the Cage Warriors archives, allowing the broadcasters to screen replays of the best action from past events.
Cage Warriors has already confirmed a further six events for its 2013 schedule for the coming months, with more still to be announced.
"Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is the leading and most consistent MMA product in Europe, so I'm pleased that we'll be back on TV screens in the UK and Ireland again," Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said.
"We have a high-quality product and networks should have to meet our valuation of that product if they wish to broadcast it. Premier Sports and Setanta Sports are committed to the growth of MMA so I'm glad that they've decided to do so.
"With the exception of the UFC, Cage Warriors hosts more international events than any other promotion, making us one of the busiest in the world. More than half of the best fighters in the UK and Ireland are also signed to Cage Warriors, so with the backing of Premier Sports and Setanta Sports we can continue to progress."
Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors news.
Cage Warriors 57: Mann v Zapater
RONNIE MANN will make his CWFC debut against Spanish star Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57.
Two preliminary bouts have also been added to the card, which is set to take place at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Saturday, July 20.
Currently fourth in the UK's bantamweight rankings, Mann (21-6-1) - who has been stopped just twice in his 28 professional bouts - recently signed an exclusive contract with Cage Warriors.
The 26-year-old Englishman is coming off a two-year stint with Bellator, during which time he put together a 3-3 record in the promotion, with all three losses coming by way of decision.
"This fight means a lot to me as I'm fighting at home in the UK again for the first time in five years. I'm excited to be back in front of the British fans and I want to do UK MMA proud," said Mann.
"Like myself, my opponent brings a lot of experience to the table so I think it will be an excellent fight. He's a good all-rounder but I don't think his skills will match my technical ability."
Zapater (17-9) is a 10-year veteran of professional MMA who saw a nine-fight win-streak snapped earlier this year by Europe's number three-ranked bantamweight Sirwan Kakai.
The 36-year-old, who will also be appearing on a Cage Warriors card for the first time in his career, holds notable victories over CWFC veteran Paul Marin and highly-rated Brazilian Renato Velame.
Zapater said: "I'm very excited about fighting on this show in such a magnificent arena. My opponent is very tough and skilled but I'm looking forward to the challenge it will bring."
Cage Warriors 57's preliminary card has also been boosted by the addition of a welterweight bout between Steve Dinsdale (5-1) and unbeaten prospect Dan Rushworth (5-0), as well as a flyweight contest featuring Mark Connor (8-8-1) and Bryan Creighton (3-1).
Headlined by the meeting of Paul 'Semtex' Daley and Lukasz Chlewicki, tickets for Cage Warriors 57 are available HERE.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Quartet of prospects sign up
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship has added four exciting prospects to its rapidly-expanding roster.
Brian Moore (pictured), Jordan Desborough, Dave Graham and Mario Saeed have all signed five-fight deals, which will see them fight exclusively for the promotion over a minimum period of 18 months.
Moore (6-1), who's based at SBG in Dublin, is second only to Conor McGregor in Ireland's featherweight rankings and the only loss on his record came via decision against the UFC's Mike Wilkinson.
At 21-years-old, Desborough (5-2) is one of the UK's most promising lightweights. Fighting out of SBG in Manchester, Desborough has taken three of his five professional wins by first-round submission.
Also a member of Manchester's SBG camp, Graham (3-1) rose to prominence earlier this year with two impressive victories on the domestic scene, one of which came via TKO after just 12 seconds of the first round.
Trojan Freefighters lightweight Saeed (4-1), who made his professional debut last year, has taken all four of his wins by submission and will be aiming to make an impact in CWFC's 155lbs division.
"I'd like to welcome Brian, Jordan, Dave and Mario to the roster," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. "They're all great prospects.
"We're always keen to sign top established fighters but bringing in talent for the future is equally as important. That's what we've done here and it's what we'll continue to do."
Photo: Tommy Lakes
Cage Warriors 58: Chechnya
ANOTHER new destination will play host to Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
Officials have confirmed that Cage Warriors 58, the promotion's eighth event of 2013, will take place in the Chechen capital of Grozny.
CWFC will bring some of its top talent to Chechnya for the show, which is set to attract enormous interest from a region with a huge appetite for mixed martial arts.
Chechnya, an autonomous republic in south-western Russia, is the birthplace of well-known middleweight Mamed Khalidov and current UFC welterweight Adlan Amagov.
Cage Warriors will make its historic first visit to the republic thanks to the support of the Chechen leader, President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a keen advocate of mixed martial arts and a talented boxer himself.
"We're very excited to be bringing Cage Warriors to Chechnya for the first time," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. "MMA is hugely popular there and the people of Chechnya will have something special to look forward to.
"Without the full support of President Ramzan Kadyrov, we would not have been able to finalise the deal for this event and, on behalf of the Cage Warriors team, I want to thank the President for his support to Cage Warriors."
Stay logged on to CageWarriors.com for more information on Cage Warriors 58 in Grozny, Chechnya, on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
Cage Warriors 57: Paraisy v Barnes
THE main card for Cage Warriors 57 is now complete following the addition of a middleweight bout between Norman Paraisy (pictured) and Leeroy Barnes.
The pair will clash when Cage Warriors hits Liverpool's Echo Arena on Saturday, July 20, while an opponent for Ronnie Mann will be announced early next week to finalise the line-up.
Paraisy (11-3-2-1nc) makes a swift return to CWFC action after fighting to a draw against former middleweight champion Chris Fields at Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin earlier this month.
The 27-year-old Frenchman, a three-time Bellator veteran and TUF 11 contestant, will be appearing on a CWFC card for the third time in his career, having defeated Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 43 in July 2011.
"I'm really excited to be fighting on this amazing card and in a fantastic venue like the Echo Arena," said Paraisy.
"Only Cage Warriors can keep fighters busy like this. I'm very much looking forward to putting on a show in Liverpool."
A Cage Warriors debutant, Barnes (12-10-1) recently signed an exclusive five-fight deal with the promotion.
The charismatic Englishman is ranked as one of the UK's top 15 middleweights and has taken all 12 of his career wins by stoppage, 10 of which have come via submission.
The 28-year-old said: "Paraisy is awesome and I know this, but it's about time people started giving me the credit I'm due as a middleweight.
"Cage Warriors believe in me enough to put this fight on and I'll prove them right. Paraisy is tailor-made for me so this is a fight I can shine in. I'll put him away."
Keep track of CWFC on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 57 news and updates, and get your tickets - priced from £30 (plus booking fee) - HERE.
Lukasz Chlewicki v Paul Daley
Ronnie Mann v TBA
Mauro Chimento v Danny Roberts
Bruno Carvalho v Jack Mason
Lee Chadwick v Mats Nilsson
Leeroy Barnes v Norman Paraisy
Chris Fishgold v Marcin Wrzosek
Mohsen Bahari v Matt Inman
Lewis Long v Saul Rogers
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 57: Mason v Carvalho
THE BILL for Cage Warriors 57 has been boosted further today by the addition of a welterweight contest between Jack Mason (pictured) and Bruno Carvalho.
The experienced pair are both in confident mood heading into the bout, which is set for the main card at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Saturday, July 20.
Mason (24-11), who'll be fighting for Cage Warriors for the 10th time in his career, has been in a rich vein of form since making the cut from middleweight last year.
The 30-year-old Englishman has been victorious in his last four bouts, the most recent of which saw him secure a unanimous decision win over Collin Reuter in the main event at CWFC Fight Night 8 last month in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
Now hovering just one place outside the UK's top 10, Mason said: "I'm thrilled to be facing Bruno Carvalho in Liverpool. He's been highly-ranked on the European scene for a very long time so it's a hugely exciting match-up for me.
"Beating Carvalho is going to put me right up there in the rankings and vying for title contention. He called me out after my last two fights and he's now been granted his wish. All I have to say to him is be careful what you wish for."
Carvalho (15-6) fights for the first time since March, when he rebounded from a loss to Cathal Pendred by seeing off the challenge of Steve Dinsdale by second-round TKO at Cage Warriors 52 in London.
A Brazilian currently based in Sweden, 31-year-old Carvalho is a BJJ black belt who holds victories over former KSW middleweight champion Vitor Nobrega, Dream veteran Tatsuya Mizuno, former Pride middleweight Jean-Francois Lenogue and The Ultimate Fighter 11 contestant Kyacey Uscola.
"I think this is a good match-up for me. I'm looking forward to making a statement and showing everyone that I'm on top of this division," said Carvalho.
"I won't need to study my opponent because I train every day with top guys who are stronger than him in all ranges. I'll stop this fight in the second round at the latest."
More Cage Warriors 57 fights are still to be announced so keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter, and get your tickets, priced from £30 (plus booking fee), HERE.
Lukasz Chlewicki v Paul Daley
Ronnie Mann v TBA
Mauro Chimento v Danny Roberts
Bruno Carvalho v Jack Mason
Lee Chadwick v Mats Nilsson
Chris Fishgold v Marcin Wrzosek
Mohsen Bahari v Matt Inman
Lewis Long v Saul Rogers
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Daley and Chlewicki to headline Cage Warriors 57
FIVE YEARS on from his last appearance for the promotion, Paul Daley (pictured) will return to Cage Warriors Fighting Championship next month.
The 30-year-old Englishman will face Polish star Lukasz Chlewicki in the main event at Cage Warriors 57 at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Saturday, July 20.
Ranked as the UK's top welterweight, Daley (32-12-2) last fought for Cage Warriors back in July 2008 when he stopped Bojan Kosednar by first-round KO.
Daley went on to fight three times for the UFC, before challenging Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title in April 2011.
Born in London but now based in Nottingham, Daley has 23 T/KO victories on his record and has overcome the likes of John Alessio, Duane Ludwig and Martin Kampmann during his 10-year professional career.
"I'm excited to be fighting back in the UK again and back at Cage Warriors, which is Europe's premier show," said Daley.
"I pretty much started my career here and it's great to see how the promotion has grown. I'm happy to be part of it and I can't wait to entertain all my supporters."
Daley will face a tough test from Chlewicki (10-2), whose only loss in his last 11 bouts came at the hands of UFC star Demian Maia back in December 2005.
After taking a five-year hiatus from the sport, the 34-year-old judo black belt returned in 2010 and has remained unbeaten since.
Chlewicki said: "Taking on one of the best guys in the world, this is the kind of fight I've been waiting for. This will be a massive challenge for me, especially in front of his fans, but that won't affect me at all and I'll be prepared.
"I want to thank Cage Warriors for giving me this opportunity. On July 20 I'll prove that they made a good choice."
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan added: "I'm looking forward to a fantastic main event in Liverpool on July 20 and I'd like to thank Bellator for their co-operation in allowing Paul Daley to compete for Cage Warriors."
Many more Cage Warriors 57 fights are still to be announced so keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter, and get your tickets, priced from £30 (plus booking fee), HERE.
Article image: Ben Harriott/Urban Media Nottingham
Homepage image: Huw Fairclough/Short & Round
Cage Warriors 56: Fight card update
THE main card is now set for Cage Warriors 56, which takes place at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, on Saturday, July 6.
Tickets, priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), for CWFC's return to the English capital are currently available HERE.
Opponents for top UK featherweights Robbie Olivier and Graham Turner (pictured) have today been announced, in addition to a 160lbs catchweight bout between Warren Kee and Philip Mulpeter.
Olivier (19-9-1-1nc), who recently signed a five-fight deal with Cage Warriors, will face Albanian-born 25-year-old Patrik Berisha.
A former European number one, Olivier's only loss in his last seven outings came via decision at the hands of current Bellator champion Pat Curran in February 2010.
The 34-year-old Englishman, who holds victories over the likes of CWFC stablemate Ronnie Mann and UFC star Brad Pickett, hopes a win over Berisha on July 6 will mark the beginning of a challenge for the CWFC featherweight title.
"Fighting for Cage Warriors is very exciting," said Olivier. "Event after event they're producing some of the best-matched bouts in the business and I'm proud to be part of such a stacked roster.
"This is my chance to show the MMA community that I'm back and ready to shake up the featherweight division. I have my eyes firmly set on CWFC gold."
Berisha (6-3-0-1nc), a 25-year-old who's currently based in Switzerland, has taken all six of his professional wins by stoppage inside two rounds.
Despite Olivier's greater experience, Berisha is promising to upset the odds: "After watching his fights and looking at who he has already fought, people might be impressed. But I'm not.
"For me this is a big chance and I won't pass up the opportunity. I'm the underdog, nobody will expect me to win this fight and this takes the pressure off my shoulders. I'll cause a shock and take the win back to Switzerland."
Meanwhile, Graham Turner (22-7) will be aiming for his fifth consecutive win when he takes on unbeaten English rising star Nad Narimani.
Turner comes into the bout on the back of first-round TKO victories over Nathan Beer and Fouad Mesdari at Cage Warriors 50 and 52 respectively.
The 25-year-old Scot, who's ranked third in the UK & Ireland behind UFC pair Conor McGregor and Andy Ogle, will be searching for the fifth Cage Warriors win of his career.
"I expect this to be a tough fight," said Turner. "I think me and Nad Narimani have a similar fighting style, which should make it very interesting for the crowd."
Narimani (5-0) has risen to prominence recently courtesy of impressive wins over Marcin Wrzosek and TUF alumni Karsten Lenjoint.
A native of Bristol, the 26-year-old said: "I'm really looking forward to fighting on a big show like Cage Warriors against a good opponent. I'm going to put on an exciting performance as always and come away with the win."
Elsewhere, as well as the addition of the aforementioned meeting of Warren Kee (7-2-1) and Philip Mulpeter (5-3) to the main card, a lightweight tussle between unbeaten pair Sean Carter (5-0) and Adam Boussif (3-0) has been confirmed for the prelims.
More fights are still to be announced for the prelims, so keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates. Click HERE for more information on Cage Warriors 56.
Vincent del Guerra v Bola Omoyele
Patrik Berisha v Robbie Olivier
Brett Bassett v Denniston Sutherland
Nad Narimani v Graham Turner
Warren Kee v Philip Mulpeter
Arnold Allen v Chad Griffiths
Fabio Ferrari v Brett Sizeland
Jason Cooledge v Brad Wheeler
Adam Boussif v Sean Carter
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 57: Fight card update
OFFICIALS have confirmed the first batch of fights for Cage Warriors 57, which is set for Liverpool's iconic Echo Arena on Saturday, 20 July, 2013.
Liverpudlian trio Danny Roberts (pictured), Lee Chadwick and Chris Fishgold will all feature on the event's main card, while two very attractive bouts have also been confirmed for the prelims.
Danny Roberts (8-1), a top-10 UK welterweight, will be aiming for his fourth consecutive CWFC victory when he takes on Mauro Chimento (15-10).
Brazilian 31-year-old Chimento comes into the bout on the back of a Submission of the Night victory over Domingos Mestre at CWFC Fight Night 8 last month, while Roberts had an impressive TKO win against Diego Gonzalez at Cage Warriors 54 a week earlier.
Elsewhere, Lee Chadwick (16-10-1) will take on 29-year-old Swedish middleweight Mats Nilsson (10-2-1), with Chadwick searching for his sixth win on the trot.
Chadwick, 28, holds notable wins over Denniston Sutherland, Valentino Petrescu and CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred, but Nilsson will be keen to secure a third Cage Warriors triumph to add to the scalps of Tommy Speer and Chris Scott.
Also on the main card, rising featherweight star Chris Fishgold (8-0) will put his unbeaten record on the line when he collides with Marcin Wrzosek (6-1).
Fishgold, who turned 21 last week, impressed with a first-round submission of Steve O'Keeffe at Cage Warriors 52 in his promotional debut, but 25-year-old Polish prospect Wrzosek will be eager to impress in his first CWFC outing.
Meanwhile, the Facebook prelims will see unbeaten Norwegian welterweight Mohsen Bahari (5-0) return from an injury lay-off to take on Manchester's Matt Inman (10-5), while Bolton native Saul Rogers (6-1) will make his CWFC debut against Welshman Lew Long (7-2) in what's set to be an exciting lightweight tussle.
"We promised to bring fans something special for the Liverpool card and I think the announcement of these first five fights shows that we'll be delivering on that," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
"When you see the calibre of the two prelims you get an idea of how strong this card is going to be. Watch this space because there's even better to come."
Many more Cage Warriors 57 fights are still to be announced so keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter, and get your tickets, priced from £30 (plus booking fee), HERE.
Cage Warriors signs seven
SEVEN more fighters have today been added to Cage Warriors Fighting Championship's roster of talent.
Five-fight contracts have each been signed by Steven Ray (pictured), Shaj Haque, Mick Sinclair, Carl Noon, Lawrence Fitzpatrick, Bryan Creighton and John Redmond.
The deals will commit all seven fighters exclusively to Cage Warriors over a minimum period of 18 months.
Ray (12-4), a 23-year-old who holds wins over CWFC veterans Merv Mulholland and Dale Hardiman, is currently 12th in the UK's lightweight rankings.
Now a top-10 UK flyweight, 22-year-old Haque (3-0) has impressed on Cage Warriors already this year with victories against Kris Edwards and Olly Battell.
Sinclair (12-3), an experienced lightweight who has taken 10 of his 12 wins by stoppage, has already fought three times for Cage Warriors and has overcome the likes of Ashleigh Grimshaw, Jason Ball and Oriol Gaset during a professional career that began back in 2006.
Noon (7-2), who has tasted victory against Bola Omoyele and former CWFC champion Chris Fields, is a highly-rated middleweight who'll make his Cage Warriors debut in 2013.
A 27-year-old unbeaten featherweight, Fitzpatrick (3-0) is one of the UK's most exciting prospects having taken all of his professional wins by first-round TKO.
Creighton (3-1), a 27-year-old who's ranked as one of the UK's top 20 flyweights, has impressed by taking three victories since making his professional debut less than a year ago.
Despite suffering a loss to Piotr Ptasinski on his CWFC debut at Cage Warriors 55 recently, 29-year-old Redmond (4-7) did enough to impress CEO Graham Boylan and earn a five-fight deal.
Boylan said: "John picked up an injury but still put in a valiant performance against Piotr Ptasinski. He displayed a great attitude and I believe he can go on to show that his current record isn't a fair reflection of his ability.
"In Bryan and Lawrence we've got two fantastic prospects from the north-west of England, while Mick and Carl are two very experienced guys with the ability to make a big impact on their respective divisions.
"Shaj has the potential to go on and have a very successful career and the same goes for Stevie Ray, who's still extremely young in spite of the number of fights he's already had.
"I'm very happy to have all seven of these guys on the roster. I'd like to welcome them to Cage Warriors and wish them all the very best of luck for the future."
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Ronnie is the Mann for Cage Warriors
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship is pleased to confirm that it has signed top English bantamweight Ronnie Mann (21-6-1).
The five-fight deal will see the 26-year-old compete exclusively for Cage Warriors over a minimum of 18 months, after CWFC paid a fee of $5,000 to Bellator to have Mann released from his contract with the promotion.
Cage Warriors 57 at Liverpool's Echo Arena on July 20 has been pencilled in for Mann's CWFC debut, with the Cheltenham native keen to make his mark on Europe's most competitive bantamweight division.
"I'm extremely happy to have signed with Cage Warriors," said Mann. "It's very flattering that they were willing to buy my contract from Bellator.
"Graham Boylan and all the guys at CWFC are great, and I'm very thankful for what they've done. In my opinion it's the best promotion in Europe and I'm happy to be a part of it."
Currently ranked fourth in the UK, Mann accumulated a 3-3 record in Bellator after debuting for the promotion in April 2011. In his 28 professional bouts, Mann has been stopped just twice.
He added: "Bellator are a good promotion but I needed to be active again because I wasn't fighting as regularly as I would have liked.
"I'm looking forward to having regular fights again, especially on the UK scene and in front the great fans we have here. I want to get my name out there again in Europe and hopefully work my way to a title shot. But for me, it's one step at a time."
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan added: "I'd like to thank Bellator for their co-operation in this deal. I don't like to see fighters not active in the prime of their careers and Bellator understood that, at his age, Ronnie needed to be busy.
"Like all of our fighters, Ronnie will have plenty of opportunities here at Cage Warriors. Our bantamweight division is extremely strong and Ronnie has got the ability to make a big impact."
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