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Trailer: The Che Mills Story [VIDEO]
17/05/2013
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THE latest in a series of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship documentaries, in conjunction with MTV UK, is set for release shortly.
Following the enormous recent success of ‘The Rise of Conor McGregor’, CWFC welterweight Che Mills will be the subject of the next instalment.
Mills will return to action in Dublin on June 1 when he takes on defending champion Cathal Pendred for the CWFC welterweight belt in the main event at Cage Warriors 55.
A film by Demetrio Marquez, ‘The Che Mills’ story will follow Mills as he aims to return to winning ways after a four-fight stint with the UFC.
Watch this space for news of the release of ‘The Che Mills Story’, coming soon exclusively to MTV.co.uk. Watch the trailer below…
Results: CWFC Fight Night 8
11/05/2013
In the end, Jack Mason (24-11) admitted he was disappointed he didn’t earn a stoppage win, but he did improve to 7-1 in his past eight fights.
Mason earned a unanimous-decision win over Collin Reuter (9-2-1) in the main event of Saturday’s Cage Warriors Fight Night 8 event, which took place at Mirbeh Sports Hall in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The evening’s main card aired on MMAjunkie.com.
Reuter launched several overhand right hands in the opening frame, but Mason avoiding catching any of the punches flush and pushed forward, looking to control on the inside and latching on to the neck while looking for a choke.
Reuter countered in the second, slowing down on the power shots in favour of more technical striking and an attempt of his own to snatch the neck.
The third remained a grinding affair, as Mason simply proved too controlling in the clinch and grappling exchanges while avoiding any trouble in the stand-up game. At the final bell, Mason was awarded a clean sweep with 30-27 scores from all three judges, but he admitted he had been hoping to finish the fight.
“I was pretty disappointed I didn’t get the finish,” Mason said. “But I was happy with the performance.”
In the night’s co-feature, middleweight Faycal Hucin (9-3) earned a first-round submission win over a powerful Antoni Chmielewski (23-10).
Hucin looked lively on his feet to open the match, but Chmielewski simply drove him to the canvas after each advance. While Hucin scrambled up to open, he eventually settled for working from his back, where he surprised his opponent with a quick triangle-choke attempt. The hold wasn’t initially tight, but Hucin adjusted his grip and kept the squeeze tight and eventually earned the tap at the 2:12 mark of the opening frame.
In bantamweight action, Englishman James Brum survived some early trouble en route to scoring a unanimous-decision win over French veteran Olivier Pastor.
Pastor looked destined to finish the fight in the early going, as he latched on to a standing guillotine choke and then dragged the action to the floor. While Brum had an arm in the hold, his face turned purple as his opponent squeezed and adjusted. After more than 60 seconds on the choke, Pastor finally let go, and the pair reset on the feet.
Despite the tense start, the pair were more evenly matched for the remainder of the contest. Neither could land flush in their striking exchanges, and much of the bout played out in the clinch. But judges rewarded Brum’s activity level over the final two rounds and gave him a unanimous-decision win with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, extending his current win streak to six fights.
In a fast-paced featherweight fight, undefeated 22-year-old prospect Martin Buschkamp (7-0) kept his career mark unblemished with an impressive decision win over Finnish vet Matteus Lahdesmaki (12-9-3).
The two appeared well-matched in the early going as they traded punches and kicks in the pocket. But the grappling specialists went to the ground game in the latter stages of the fight, where the slippery Buschkamp consistently found his way to a dominant position. Fighting from his back for much of the contest, Lahdesmaki was deducted a point in the final frame for punching to the back of the head, resulting in 30-26 scores across the board.
In the night’s first main-card matchup, German middleweight Gregor Herb (14-5) earned a hard-fought split-decision win over the much taller Mike Ling (11-6).
Herb utilized a grappling-based game, scoring multiple takedowns and dominating the positioning, even if he struggled to find opportunities to score from the top. Meanwhile, Ling kept it close by taking advantage of frequent stand-ups to launch striking attacks on the feet. A first-round uppercut was his best blow, clearly staggering his opponent just before the bell. But Herb recovered over the final two frames and wound up taking a split-decision win.
MAIN CARD
Jack Mason def. Collin Reuter via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Faycal Hucin def. Antoni Chmielewski via submission (triangle choke) - Round 1, 2:12
James Brum def. Olivier Pastor via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Martin Buschkamp def. Matteus Lahdesmaki via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Gregor Herb def. Mike Ling via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Mauro Chimento def. Domingos Mestre via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 4:30
Mohamed Ali def. Sylvain Potard via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 4:07
Sean Carter def. Matt Hughes via submission (standing guillotine choke) - Round 2, 1:44
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors roster boosted by Bola
10/05/2013
BOLA OMOYELE is to fight exclusively for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship after penning a five-fight contract with the promotion.
The 31-year-old, who’s based at American Top Team and Team Titan, will make his CWFC debut at Cage Warriors 56 in London on July 6 against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.
Omoyele (6-1) who featured on The Smashes series of The Ultimate Fighter last year as a member of Team UK, hasn’t fought competitively since a first-round TKO win over Warren Kee in Apri 2012.
With 5 TKOs and one submission, the Londoner has taken all six of his career victories by stoppage, five of which have come in the first round.
“I’m really happy to have signed with a brilliant show like Cage Warriors,” said Omoyele. “I absolutely cannot wait to get started and make my debut for them.”
Omoyele is the latest addition to an exciting Cage Warriors welterweight division which has also been boosted by the recent additions of Tom Breese and Che Mills.
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said: “A fighter of Bola’s quality deserves to be with the best show in Europe. It’s a pleasure to have him on the roster and I’m extremely excited about seeing him in action for us.”
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for news of Bola Omoyele’s CWFC debut.
Weigh-in results: CWFC Fight Night 8
10/05/2013
WEIGH-INS took place in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, today for CWFC Fight Night 8, which takes place tomorrow at the Mirbeh Sports Hall.
Headliner Collin Reuter tipped the scales at the welterweight limit of 171lbs, but opponent Jack Mason initially came in a little heavy at 172.6lbs.
However, the Englishman returned inside the two-hour limit on weight at 171lbs to make the bout official.
Watch the CWFC Fight Night 8 main card at 9pm local time (6pm UK, 1pm ET, 10am PT) on MMAjunkie.com (USA & Canada only), JOE.ie (Ireland only), Sportube.tv (Italy only) and CageWarriors.tv (rest of the world).
The main card will be preceded by three free Facebook prelims at 7.45pm local time (4.45pm UK, 11.45am ET, 8.45am PT).
MAIN CARD
Jack Mason (171lbs*) v Collin Reuter (171lbs) - welterweight
Antoni Chmielewski (185.6lbs) v Faycal Hucin (185lbs) - middleweight
James Brum (135.4lbs) v Olivier Pastor (135.4lbs) - bantamweight
Martin Buschkamp (145.4lbs) v Matteus Lahdesmaki (145.6lbs) - featherweight
Gregor Herb (185lbs) v Mike Ling (185.4lbs) - middleweight
FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Mauro Chimento (169.8lbs) v Domingos Mestre (169lbs) - welterweight
Mohamed Ali (204.8lbs) v Sylvain Potard (202lbs) - light-heavyweight
Sean Carter (170lbs) v Matt Hughes (169.6lbs) - welterweight
*Mason initially weighed in at 172.6lbs
View a gallery of images from today’s weigh-ins HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Brad on the Blog: CWFC Fight Night 8
08/05/2013
NO SOONER had the Cage Warriors team gathered their senses after last weekend’s epic Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff, Wales, and we were on the road again. Or rather we were taking to the skies, bound for Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, for CWFC Fight Night 8.
The venue may not be as vast as Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena and there’s no championship gold up for grabs, but this event offers a different kind of vibe. Crowds here in the Middle East are fanatical; fighters are revered like the stars that they are and, in return, the fans will be treated to a mouth-watering evening of Cage Warriors action.
When you juxtapose Wales and the UAE, you’re left with a very stark contrast. The pumping music and intense social buzz of Cardiff’s nightlife is a world away from the peaceful streets of Al Fujairah, with its dry hotels and dusty, wide open spaces. Cardiff is a place where everything has to happen here, now and loudly, while the locals in Al Fujairah - just an hour outside of Dubai - saunter at their own leisurely pace. Neither is a better way of life than the other; it only serves to highlight the differences between cultures and what an amazing, expansive and varied place the world can be.
Speaking of differences, they are well represented in the strikingly different feels to the Fight Night 8 card and last weekend’s Cage Warriors 54. Wales, a rabidly proud sporting nation, played host to local boys taking on all comers. John Phillips, Martin McDonough, Jamie Rogers, Kris Edwards, Lew Long and Brett Johns all fought with the pride of a nation on their shoulders, with varying degrees of success. Fight Night 8 is a different animal altogether.
This part of the world is fast becoming a bustling hive of international activity. Tourists, businesses and ex-pats are all heading to the Emirates, bringing something with them, or trying to find something while they’re here. That’s a great metaphor for Saturday’s card, which features a host of international talent, all with something to offer, something to prove or something to gain.
Jack Mason has always been ‘that guy’ in the gym; the one you hear about annihilating his team-mates and training partners. With his move to welterweight firmly established, he’s now truly reaching his potential in the cage. Mason has won six out of seven since bidding the middleweight division farewell, with three victories on the bounce. Another over Collin Reuter on Saturday will surely move the 34-fight veteran towards the front of the welterweight pack.
Reuter is in a completely different career situation. Little was known about the scrappy Alaskan until earlier this year, when he became a viral sensation in the online MMA community (and arguably beyond) after THAT knockout. We’ve seen ‘YouTube Sensations’ in MMA before, and nine times out of ten the added scrutiny puts undue pressure on a young fighter; pressure they have no hope of living up to. Reuter has competed since (on another small show in his home state), but when he faces Mason in the Middle East, the world will be watching.
James Brum was Cage Warriors’ breakout fighter of 2012. Four fights, four wins, all against tough, ranked opposition. Brum has seen his Gym 01 team-mate Phil Harris progress to the UFC and he’s eager for his shot in the limelight. At the same time, Brum is looking for his ‘Conor McGregor moment’, that highlight-reel finish that shocks the MMA community into tweeting those six immortal words: Get this guy into the UFC. If he can get it against the insanely tough to finish Olivier Pastor, no doubts will remain.
Brum’s teammate Mike Ling is out for redemption. After a crushing loss to Brett Bassett in Jordan back in September, a litany of opponent pull-outs and a couple of solid ‘get-right’ wins outside the promotion, Mike is back to prove that he can hang with the best of the Cage Warriors middleweight division. ‘Big Daddy’ collides with German veteran Gregor Herb this weekend.
Frenchman Faycal Hucin is a true international, bursting onto the Cage Warriors scene in 2012 with fights against three men, from three different countries, in three different countries. On Saturday he fights in his fourth different country for Cage Warriors, against a fourth different nationality, Poland’s exceptionally talented Antoni Chmielewski. Coming off a win and a loss - both close decisions - this is Hucin’s opportunity to make himself heard. Not that Chmielewski should be written off as a stepping stone…
Twenty-two-year-old German prospect Martin Buschkamp has yet to see the second round of a fight. He’s also yet to face a talent like Finland’s Matteus Lahdesmaki. Elsewhere, Portugal’s Domingos Mestre meets Brazilian Mauro Chimento and, of course, Fight Night regular Mohamed Ali from Egypt also returns to take on France’s Sylvain Potard.
Sixteen professional fighters and nine nationalities. Never has a fight card in this part of the world been so representative of the ethos of the host country. The United Arab Emirates and Cage Warriors Fight Night 8: a match made in MMA heaven.
CWFC Fight Night 8: Al Fujairah
08/05/2013
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CAGE Warriors returns to the Middle East this Saturday, May 11, to stage its second event in the space of eight days.
Headlined by a welterweight bout between Jack Mason and Collin Reuter, CWFC Fight Night 8 will take place at the Mirbeh Sports Hall in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
The event, which will be Cage Warriors’ eighth in the region since 2011, features eight professional bouts involving fighters from nine different nations.
CWFC Fight Night 8’s main card will stream live, free of charge and worldwide at 9pm local time (6pm UK, 1pm ET, 10am PT) via:
MMAjunkie.com (USA & Canada only)
JOE.ie (Ireland only)
Sportube.tv (Italy only)
CageWarriors.tv (rest of the world)
Three free Facebook prelims will also be available to watch live around the world at 7.45pm local time (4.45pm UK, 11.45am ET, 8.45am PT).
MAIN CARD
Jack Mason v Collin Reuter
Antoni Chmielewski v Faycal Hucin
James Brum v Olivier Pastor
Martin Buschkamp v Matteus Lahdesmaki
Gregor Herb v Mike Ling
FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Mauro Chimento v Domingos Mestre
Mohamed Ali v Sylvain Potard
Sean Carter v Matt Hughes
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Results: Cage Warriors 54
06/05/2013
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship middleweight champion Jesse Taylor (26-9) earned the first defense of his belt in quick fashion, needing little more than one-half of a round to earn a submission win over John Phillips (16-6).
Taylor wasted no time shooting in and taking the fight to the floor at the opening bell before unleashing a vicious ground-and-pound assault. Heavy punches and elbows scored, and blood trickled down Phillips’ face. Rather than stay in an obviously dominant position, Taylor gambled by latching on to a guillotine choke and falling to his back to finish the hold. The risk paid off, and Taylor earned a tapout at the 2:43 mark of the first frame.
“I can strike with the best of them, but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” Taylor said after the win. “I’m not going to risk it with a guy like John Phillips. I respect everyone, and I respected his power. I took him down. I was ready to go all five rounds. I was ready for a war. Thank God I got the finish.”
Taylor now boasts a six-fight win streak. Phillips sees a two-fight win streak snapped.
In the night’s co-feature, welterweight Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts (8-1) proved to be too much on the feet for Swedish grappling specialist Diego “The Silencer” Gonzalez (15-8).
The taller Roberts, a southpaw, worked jabs and big left hands from the opening bell. After several minutes of avoiding the power shots, Gonzalez did score a takedown, but he was unable to keep the action on the floor. Gonzalez did answer on the feet with a few standing elbows, but it was obvious Roberts was the better striker.
In the second, Roberts opened by nearly locking a guillotine choke. Gonzalez survived and managed to counter the position, but Roberts again escaped to the feet. When he did, he capitalized with a flurry of punches that connected and sent Gonzalez toppling to the floor. Roberts didn’t wait, immediately pouncing for the finish, which came at the 3:02 mark of the second frame.
Fighting for the first time in 18 months, Mark Glover (6-2-1) was a step behind Welsh lightweight Lewis Long (7-2) for the entirety of their three-round affair.
After the pair went through what was largely a feeling-out process in the opening frame, the intensity picked up in the second. After Glover tried and failed to take the fight to the floor, Long started to link together combinations that included slashing kicks to the legs that went unchecked. Long also worked the body, and while Glover signalled repeatedly that the blows weren’t affecting him, they were unquestionably scoring points.
Glover came out firing in the final frame, but Long continued to show crisp striking while picking apart his opponent’s legs. Glover continuously walked forward, trying to turn the contest into a brawl, but Long stayed true to his plan, sticking and moving and staying out of trouble while landing straight punches. In the end, the result was clear, and Long was awarded a unanimous-decision win, 30-27 on all three cards.
Veteran lightweights Ivan Buchinger (22-4) and Jason Ball (20-12) boast more than 50 fights between them, but neither could gain a true advantage over the other in a lightweight matchup. The pair battled back and forth for 15 minutes, and while Buchinger was generally in the better position, neither was ever truly close to finishing the fight.
In the end, Buchinger was awarded a decision win, allowing him to rebound from a December loss to current UFC fighter Conor McGregor. Ball saw a two-fight win streak snapped.
In an entertaining bantamweight scrap, Welshman Brett Johns (7-0) kept his undefeated record intact with an impressive TKO finish of Scottish fighter James MacAlister (7-2).
Johns, a seasoned judoka, dictated the action from the opening bell, scrambling through a series of exciting transitions that included a standing D’arce choke attempt and a leaping pass to back control. In the end, it was his strikes that would end the fight, as he took MacAlister to the floor and unleashed a barrage of strikes until the fight was waved off at the 3:23 mark of the second round.
In the night’s first main-card matchup, Martin McDonough (11-4) earned his fifth-straight win with a second-round submission of Mark Platts (10-10).
The bout was competitive throughout, with both fighters holding the advantage at various moments in the fight. However, “Mr. Pink” McDonough used a slick ground transition to move to his opponent’s back, sinking in the choke and earning a quick tap.
Results:
MAIN CARD
Jesse Taylor def. John Phillips via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 2:43 - to retain CWFC middleweight title
Danny Roberts def. Diego Gonzalez via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 3:02
Lewis Long def. Mark Glover via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ivan Buchinger def. Jason Ball via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Brett Johns def. James MacAlister via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 3:23
Martin McDonough def. Mark Platts via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 1:18
PRELIMINARY CARD
Shaj Haque def. Kris Edwards via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Matt Inman def. Leon Kenge via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 1:03
Jamie Rogers def. Brad Wheeler via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Steve McCombe def. Joe Orrey via technical submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 1:48
Owain Parry def. Rob Leybourne via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 1:11
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 54: Cardiff
04/05/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship returns to Cardiff on Saturday, May 4, to stage the biggest mixed martial arts event ever to come to Wales.
Cage Warriors 54, which takes place at the Motorpoint Arena, will be headlined by a CWFC middleweight title bout between champion Jesse Taylor and Welsh favourite John Phillips.
The event’s main card will stream live, worldwide and free of charge on MMAjunkie.com (USA & Canada), JOE.ie (Ireland), Sportube.tv (Italy) and CageWarriors.tv (rest of the world) at 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT).
Three fights - Edwards v Haque; Inman v Kenge; Rogers v Wheeler - will stream live, worldwide and free of charge on Facebook at 7.45pm local time (2.45pm ET/11.45am PT).
Tickets for Cage Warriors 54, priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), are available to purchase HERE.
MAIN CARD
Jesse Taylor (champion) v John Phillips - middleweight title bout
Diego Gonzalez v Danny Roberts
Mark Glover v Lew Long
Jason Ball v Ivan Buchinger
Brett Johns v James MacAlister
Martin McDonough v Mark Platts
FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Kris Edwards v Shaj Haque
Matt Inman v Leon Kenge
Jamie Rogers v Brad Wheeler
NON-STREAMED PRELIMS
Steve McCombe v Joe Orrey
Rob Leybourne v Owain Parry
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 54
03/05/2013
JESSE Taylor and John Phillips are both on weight for tomorrow’s Cage Warriors 54 headliner at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales.
Both champion and challenger tipped the scales at 185lbs-even ahead of Taylor’s first defence of his CWFC middleweight title.
Kris Edwards, who’s scheduled to take on Shaj Haque in a flyweight bout, was the only fighter unable to make the contracted weight.
Fighting at flyweight for only the second time since making the move down, the Welshman checked out at 126.7lbs and therefore surrenders 25 percent of his purse to his opponent.
Having failed to hit the mark at first, Haque, Brad Wheeler and Mark Platts all came in under the limit at the second attempt so all bouts are set to go ahead in the Welsh capital tomorrow.
MAIN CARD
Jesse Taylor (185lbs, champion) v John Phillips (185lbs) - CWFC middleweight title bout
Danny Roberts (170lbs) v Diego Gonzalez (170.5lbs) - welterweight
Lewis Long (161lbs) v Mark Glover (161lbs) - 160lbs catchweight
Ivan Buchinger (156lbs) v Jason Ball (155.2lbs) - lightweight
Brett Johns (135.9lbs) v James MacAlister (135.7lbs) - bantamweight
Martin McDonough (134.9lbs) v Mark Platts (135lbs)* - bantamweight
FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Kris Edwards (126.7lbs)** v Shaj Haque (125.7lbs)*** - flyweight
Matt Inman (169.9lbs) v Leon Kenge (168.4lbs) - welterweight
Jamie Rogers (154.8lbs) v Brad Wheeler (155.9lbs)**** - lightweight
NON-STREAMED PRELIMS
Steve McCombe (138.6lbs) v Joe Orrey (139.4lbs) - 139lbs catchweight
Rob Leybourne (169.3lbs) v Owain Parry (170.6lbs) - welterweight
* 137.4lbs at first attempt
** Missed weight by 0.7lb, surrenders 25 percent of purse to opponent
*** 126.3lbs at first attempt
**** 156.5lbs at first attempt
Click HERE to view a gallery of images from the weigh-ins.
Cage Warriors 54 will be available to watch live and free of charge all over the world. Click HERE to find all the information.
Following the Facebook prelims at 7.45pm local time (2.45pm ET/11.45am PT), watch the main card at 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT) on MMAjunkie.com (USA and Canada), JOE.ie (Ireland), Sportube.tv (Italy) and CageWarriors.tv (rest of the world).
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC secures services of Whiteford and Glover
01/05/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has further boosted its rapidly expanding roster of talent with the capture of UK pair Robert Whiteford (pictured) and Mark Glover.
The duo have each signed five-fight deals that will see them compete exclusively under the Cage Warriors banner for the foreseeable future.
Whiteford (9-1), who hails from Armadale in Scotland, will soon return to action for the first time since his stunning first-round TKO victory against highly-rated Swede Martin Svensson last September.
Ranked as one of Europe’s top five featherweights, the 30-year-old is on a nine-fight win streak and also holds notable victories over the likes of Liam James and Carl Fawcett.
Whiteford, who’s affiliated to American Top Team and Glasgow’s Dinky Ninjas, said: “I’m really happy about this Cage Warriors deal. It’s been a long time coming so I’m looking forward to getting the show on the road. I’m not here to mess about.”
Glover (6-1-1), who takes on Lewis Long on Saturday at Cage Warriors 54, has been sidelined since featuring on season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter last year.
The 25-year-old Liverpool native has taken five of his six wins by submission, with the only loss on his record coming via decision at the hands of fellow former TUF contestant Michael Pastou.
“I’m very happy to be signing for Cage Warriors and I’m looking forward to plenty of exciting fights, starting this weekend in Cardiff,” said Glover.
Breese commits future to CWFC
30/04/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has today made one of its most significant acquisitions to date by securing the signature of unbeaten English welterweight Tom Breese.
One of the UK’s top prospects having finished all six of his opponents since making his professional debut in September 2010, Breese (6-0) has inked a five-fight deal that will see him compete exclusively for Cage Warriors.
The Birmingham native, who was British Junior Wrestling Champion in 2011, picked up the biggest win of his young career back in December when he submitted Warren Kee to win the BAMMA British welterweight title.
“I’m very pleased and excited to be joining Cage Warriors and making my stamp on their welterweight division,” said Breese, who turns 22 in September.
“I look forward to fighting internationally too against world-class opponents. The past and present fighters and belt holders passing through Cage Warriors speaks for itself. Make no mistake: I’m here for gold and gold is what I’ll get.”
Following his most recent outing in December, Breese spent time at Tristar Gym in Montreal after being asked to come in as a sparring partner for UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre ahead of his recent successful title defence against Nick Diaz.
“Tom Breese is one of the most exciting young fighters this sport has to offer right now and I’m absolutely delighted that he has decided to take the next step in his career by signing with us” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“A fighter of his enormous ability needs to be fighting regularly and not lying idle. We’ll give him the kind of big fights that he deserves here at Cage Warriors. This kid is going right to the top and Cage Warriors will help him to get there.”
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for news of Tom Breese’s imminent CWFC debut.
Photo: Short & Round | Huw Fairclough
Cage Warriors 55: Fields v Paraisy
29/04/2013
FORMER CWFC middleweight champion Chris Fields (pictured) will return to action for a clash with French star Norman Paraisy at Cage Warriors 55.
Fields (10-5), who relinquished his title with a loss to Jesse Taylor at Cage Warriors 51 on New Year’s Eve, will tackle Paraisy in his hometown of Dublin on Saturday, June 1.
The 29-year-old SBG Ireland fighter had been crowned champion in Jordan last September courtesy of a third-round TKO victory over Pavel Kusch in the final of the CWFC middleweight title tournament.
“I’m really happy to be fighting on this show and I feel like I owe the Irish fans a performance. It’s coming on June 1,” said Fields.
“I’m in a great place in my training and I’m looking forward to showing off some new skills, as well as some old ones. There will be a shin hitting a chin by the time this one is done.”
Paraisy (11-3-1-1), a three-time Bellator veteran and contestant on the 11th instalment of The Ultimate Fighter, will be appearing on a CWFC card for the first time since defeating Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 43.
The 27-year-old said: “I’m very happy to be back at Cage Warriors, fighting against such a good opponent and former champion in front of an amazing crowd that is world famous for its passion and enthusiasm.”
Another middleweight contest has also been added to the Cage Warriors 55 main card, with Dublin-based Nigerian fighter Henry Fadipe set to take on Mike Ling.
On the preliminary card, SBG Ireland’s Philip Mulpeter will face Englishman Avi Jack in a welterweight bout, Liam James returns to featherweight to clash with Ireland’s Stephen Coll, while Piotr Ptasinski will face Dublin’s own John Redmond in a welterweight clash.
Cage Warriors 55 will be co-headlined by a CWFC welterweight title bout between champion Cathal Pendred and challenger Che Mills, and a flyweight bout between Neil Seery and Mikael Silander for the vacant title.
Tickets are available HERE. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for more news, updates and fight announcements.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC Fight Night 8: Chmielewski v Hucin
25/04/2013
POLISH veteran Antoni Chmielewski (pictured) will make his Cage Warriors debut when the organisation returns to United Arab Emirates on Saturday, May 11.
The former KSW light-heavyweight champion will face Cage Warriors regular Faycal Hucin in a middleweight bout at CWFC Fight Night 8 at Al Fujairah’s Mirbeh Sports Hall.
Elsewhere, following an injury to David Bielkheden, Jack Mason has a new opponent for the event, while two bouts have also been added to the prelims.
Chmielewski (23-9) is regarded as a pioneer of Polish MMA and, after a successful career at light-heavyweight, the 31-year-old is now focusing on the 185lbs division.
An experienced judo black belt, Chmielewski has overcome the likes of Dion Staring, James Zikic, Vitor Nobrega, Krzysztof Kulak and Lukasz Les during his illustrious 10-year professional career thus far.
Hucin (8-3), who recently signed an exclusive CWFC deal, will be returning to action for the first time since seeing off the challenge of John Michael Sheil at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff last October.
Fighting out of Paris, the heavy-hitting 25-year-old reached the semi-finals of last year’s CWFC middleweight title tournament courtesy of an impressive KO of Gareth Joseph.
Meanwhile, Jack Mason is now preparing for a very different challenge at CWFC Fight Night 8, after injury forced David Bielkheden out of their scheduled welterweight contest.
Mason (23-11) will now take on highly-rated American prospect Collin Reuter, who recently rose to prominence thanks to this devastating KO victory against Gerald Fike.
“I’m obviously disappointed not to be facing David Bielkheden as I had been relishing the opportunity to fight him, but Cage Warriors have pulled out all the stops again to match me with another top international opponent,” said Mason.
“Reuter has an impressive record, has trained with Team Alpha Male and has scored one of the most brutal knockouts of 2013 already, so I know I have my hands full with him. This is a very different style of fight to Bielkheden but I’m looking forward to the challenge and can’t wait to face him.
Reuter, a 22-year-old hailing from Alaska, has taken all but one of his nine wins by stoppage, with his only professional loss coming via decision at the hands of experienced fellow American Dave Knight.
Reuter said: “I’m excited about showcasing my skills at a higher level of competition and I’m thankful to Cage Warriors for such an opportunity. I always put on awesome fights and I fully expect to dominate and finish Jack Mason.”
Meanwhile, on the prelims, Mike Ling will return to Cage Warriors action for a middleweight tussle with fellow Englishman Harry McLeman, while French light-heavyweight Sylvain Potard has been pencilled in for a clash with Middle East fans’ favourite Mohamed Ali.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: KSW
Trio join CWFC ranks
25/04/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has added English-based trio Valentino Petrescu (pictured), Spencer Hewitt and Chad Griffiths to its roster.
All three have put pen to paper on five-fight deals, committing them exclusively to the organisation for the next 18 months.
Petrescu (12-3), one of the UK’s top 15 middleweights, 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 Jimi Manuwa, Beslan Isaev and Lee Chadwick.
Hewitt (10-5), a BJJ black belt, is currently 14th in the UK’s bantamweight rankings but will now be focusing on competing at flyweight.
The 34-year-old submission specialist, who has taken nine of his 10 victories via stoppage in the first round, holds notable wins over Cory Tait and CWFC veteran Ben Hajir.
Griffiths (4-0), an unbeaten prospect who’s set for a move down to featherweight, has taken all of his wins to date by stoppage, finishing three of his four opponents inside the first round.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for news of when Valentino, Spencer and Chad will make their CWFC debuts.
Cage Warriors 55: Seery v Silander
18/04/2013
CWFC flyweight title contender Neil Seery (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
AN inaugural CWFC flyweight title bout has been set for Cage Warriors 55 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, June 1.
Dublin’s own Neil Seery and Finnish star Mikael Silander will clash in a bid to become Cage Warriors’ first ever 125lbs champion.
Officials had scheduled to determine the new title-holder via a four-man tournament to be contested on the night, but with several potential participants being ruled out in recent weeks, a bout for the vacant belt has been fixed instead.
“I’m disappointed that we haven’t been able to keep the tournament on the card, but a few of the fighters at the top of our list had become unavailable due to injuries or having fights scheduled on other shows,” explained Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“Neil Seery has been the top performer in our flyweight division over the last year or so, while Mikael Silander is one of the best in Europe and was already contracted to take part in the tournament.
“It will definitely make for a fitting fight to crown the first ever Cage Warriors flyweight champion. We also still have our bantamweight and lightweight tournaments to look forward to later in the year.”
Mikael Silander will challenge for the CWFC flyweight title.
Seery (12-9), ranked third in Europe, has put together a 4-1 record since making his debut under the Cage Warriors banner with a KO win against Niko Gjoka in October 2011.
Since dropping a loss to Artemij Sitenkov at Cage Warriors 46, the 33-year-old Irishman has embarked on a run of three consecutive wins, the most recent of which saw him dispose of Paul Marin with a stunning liver-kick KO at Cage Warriors 53 in Glasgow last weekend.
Seery said: “I’m very grateful to Cage Warriors for giving me this title shot. I feel at home fighting for Cage Warriors and the opportunity to become their first flyweight champion is a great privilege, especially in my hometown. I can’t wait for June 1. “
Silander (8-1) has put together an impressive record since making his professional debut in September 2010, with his only defeat to date coming via a close decision against European number two Ali Bagautinov.
Holding notable wins over highly-ranked opponents such as Michal Hamrsmid and Toni Tauru, 27-year-old Silander is currently seventh in the European rankings.
“I’m truly honoured to be given the opportunity to win the first ever Cage Warriors flyweight title,” said Silander. “This fight comes at a perfect time in my career. I’ve been training really hard and it will be an awesome chance to showcase my skills to a wider audience.”
Meanwhile, Neil Seery’s Team Ryano colleague Paul Redmond will be searching for a fifth straight CWFC win at Cage Warriors 55 when he faces Marc Allen.
CWFC lightweight Paul Redmond (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
Redmond (7-3) has risen rapidly up the rankings following wins over Yuri Malko, Lew Long, Ryan Roddy and Alexei Roberts - all by second-round stoppage - since making his Cage Warriors debut last June.
The 26-year-old Dubliner said: “I can’t wait to be back in there again, especially on another stacked card in Dublin. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep the winning run going.”
Allen (7-2), who’ll be fighting for CWFC for the first time in his career, has been victorious in each of his last three outings and will join team-mate Che Mills on the Cage Warriors 55 bill.
“This is going to be a fast and exciting fight,” said Allen, a 30-year-old Englishman. “I plan to take Redmond into deep waters with my wrestling.”
Cage Warriors 55 will also feature a CWFC welterweight title bout between defending champion Cathal Pendred and Che Mills, with many more fights also still to be announced.
Tickets, priced from just €35, are available HERE. Keep track of CWFC on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Video: Cage Warriors 53
17/04/2013
CAGE WARRIORS 53 took place last Saturday evening at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
The event, which streamed live worldwide, was headlined by a vacant CWFC featherweight title bout between Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara, and also featured the Cage Warriors debut of rising female strawweight Joanne Calderwood.
If you missed the six-bout main card or just fancy enjoying all the fantastic action once again, the show is now available to watch in full below (available until midnight BST on Tuesday, April 23).
*The video repeat has now closed but fights will be released individually on YouTube. Keep up-to-date with Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for details.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 54: Fight card update
17/04/2013
WITH Cage Warriors returning to Cardiff on May 4, five more bouts have today been added to the card.
Cage Warriors 54, which will be headlined by a CWFC middleweight title fight between defending champion Jesse Taylor and home favourite John Phillips, is set to take place at the Welsh capital’s Motorpoint Arena.
The main card will now also feature two welterweight bouts, with Danny Roberts (pictured) booked to face Diego Gonzalez and Ashley Beaumont pencilled in to make his CWFC debut against Matt Inman.
Two bantamweight bouts have been added to the prelims - unbeaten Welshman Brett Johns (5-0) versus Scottish prospect James MacAlister (7-1) and highly-ranked Englishman Davey Grant (8-1) versus Cardiff’s own Joe Orrey (7-6) - as well as a lightweight contest between Brad Wheeler (9-8) and Welsh native Jamie Rogers (8-6).
Replacement opponents are currently being arranged for Ivan Buchinger and Kris Edwards after their opponents - Tim Newman and Karl Harrison - were forced to withdraw due to illness and injury respectively.
Hailing from Liverpool, 25-year-old Danny Roberts (7-1) will be returning to action for the first time since his win over Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 48 last July.
Roberts, who’s currently ranked 12th in the UK, said: “Diego Gonzalez is a very experienced fighter with a good grappling game. I’ve had a hard few months but I’m excited about coming back and getting another win.”
Gonzalez (15-7-0-1nc) returns to welterweight after a stint at 155lbs ended with a TKO loss at the hands of Ivan Buchinger at CWFC Fight Night 6 in May of last year.
“I’ve had a long lay-off but I’ve switched coach and team in the meantime. It’s a new start for me so I’m really looking forward to my return,” said Gonzalez, a 28-year-old Swede who already has five Cage Warriors bouts under his belt.
Elsewhere, 24-year-old unbeaten Welshman Ashley Beaumont (4-0) will aim to continue his ascent when he takes on Matt Inman.
Beaumont, who has taken all of his wins via first-round stoppage, said: “Matt is a very experienced fighter with a good reputation so this will be another big challenge for me. I’m very excited about fighting in Cardiff too.”
Ranked in the UK’s top 20, Inman (9-5) will be keen to bounce back from his loss to Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 52 in London last month.
“I’m fighting an undefeated knockout merchant in his own backyard but, from what I’ve seen, I’m confident I’ll be able to dominate the fight wherever it goes,” said Inman, 26. “I’m eager to make amends from my last fight.”
More Cage Warriors 54 bouts will be announced shortly so keep track of CWFC on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), tickets for Cage Warriors 54 are available HERE or by phoning 0044 29202 24488.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Results: Cage Warriors 53
13/04/2013
Jim Alers knew how important a Cage Warriors title could wind up being for his career. Now he’ll get to see where it takes him.
Alers stopped Joni Salovaara with a fourth-round armbar to win the featherweight title at Cage Warriors 53. The title was vacated by Conor McGregor, who was also the lightweight champ, when he signed with the UFC and made a big impression a week ago in his debut.
The event took place Saturday at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. The main card streamed on MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following prelims on Facebook.
Salovaara threw punches early, but Alers stayed right in the pocket and worked in quick jabs. Thirty seconds in, he got inside, ate a couple punches to get there, but scooped up Salovaara for a takedown. Alers looked to drop elbows from half-guard, then passed nicely to side control.
Ninety seconds into the fight, Alers masterfully passed to full mount, keeping pressure on Salovaara with his hips and shoulders. Salovaara tried to roll out and hip escape, but Alers took his back with ease with three minutes left, looking for a rear-naked choke.
Salovaara rolled out, but Alers got his left arm under the chin. It looked like the end was near for Salovaara, but he defended and even got back to his hands and knees for a moment trying to kick Alers off. Moments later, Alers landed some ground and pound before taking Salovaara’s back again.
In the second, Alers again kept the pace on the feet. But on the ground, the pace slowed with Alers on top and referee Marc Goddard stood the two up for the final 40 seconds.
Midway through the third, Alers again dragged Salovaara to the canvas. Salovaara gave up his back and Alers jumped quickly on looking for the rear-naked choke again. Alers landed some good ground-and-pound to soften his opponent up. But again, Salovaara played good defense, and for the final 40 seconds of the round he was on top – though not able to do much.
Alers quickly brought the fight to the ground in the fourth, but Salovaara nicely reversed to get on top. Alers went after a triangle choke from his back, but Salovaara passed to side control as Alers appeared to be wearing down. But Alers got a good reset to the feet after a prolonged period of little activity.
Back standing, though, Salovaara quickly got a takedown, and it proved to be his final undoing. He fell right into Alers’ latest triangle attempt, and this one a good one. Alers got an armbar, though, and after torquing once, he recranked and forced Salovaara to tap at the 3:43 mark of the fourth.
“It means the world,” Alers said of the title. “My first fight was for Cage Warriors USA. Ten fights later, I’m fighting for the title. I always feel I have the advantage, but he’s real tough. I had a lot of good positions (early) but couldn’t finish the fight.
“He hit a good switch and put me on my back. I held on a little bit and went for the triangle, but once I locked up my feet, I knew I had it. I just went for any armlock.”
Alers (10-1), a 26-year-old who trains in Orlando, now has won six straight and improved to 5-0 under the Cage Warriors banner. Salovaara (12-6) had a three-fight win streak snapped with the loss.
Joanne Calderwood’s likely last fight for Cage Warriors was a successful one. Calderwood has a deal with Invicta Fighting Championship, including two wins already for the promotion, and she made her Cage Warriors swansong count with a first-round TKO win over Sally Krumdiack.
Krumdiack and Calderwood traded early. But it was Calderwood’s kicks that seemed to keep Krumdiack’s power striking at bay – though the American was able to sneak a few punches in that Calderwood would later say she felt.
A Calderwood kick midway through the round stunned Krumdiack, though, and as she was spinning around, Calderwood was quickly in and landing punches, including an uppercut that put Krumdiack on the canvas. From there, it was all instinct for Calderwood, who swarmed and got the stoppage at the 3:08 mark of the first round.
“I hope I’ve got a black eye – I felt it land,” Calderwood said before giving a shout out to her training partners and her hometown Glasgow crowd. “It’s all part of the game – keeping it fun, changing it up and hopefully entertaining the fans.”
Calderwood (6-0) stayed unbeaten and picked up her fourth knockout win. Krumdiack (9-7) lost her third straight and fourth in five fights.
Middleweight Mats Nilsson needed 15 minutes, but he was able to keep control of Chris Scott for much of the fight on his way to a unanimous decision.
The two traded early, but 40 seconds in, Nilsson scooped Scott up for a takedown and went to work on top. Nilsson got to half-guard, but Scott recovered to full-guard. Nilsson, though, was too strong and controlled the first round with relative ease.
Scott found some success early in the second with his striking game, but Nilsson soon tied him up and got the fight back to the canvas.
Scott tried to rally in the third, getting inside to dirty box with Nilsson, who appeared to be tiring. But Nilsson managed to sneak a punch through and stunned Scott, who crumpled along the cage. He recovered as the referee warned him to fight back, and soon was back to his feet and appeared to be unfazed.
“I got the win, which I wanted and worked for, but it didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to,” Nilsson said. “I was hoping to showcase some evolved striking, but the ring rust got the better of me and I went back to what I knew. I wanted to entertain a bit more; I did the best I could.”
In a lightweight bout, Jason Cooledge tried early to get the fight to the ground, but Jason Ball wasn’t having any of it. He eventually got his takedown, but Ball expertly reversed it, spun around to take his back, got a hook in and very quickly had a rear-naked choke that Cooledge had to tap from.
“I kind of guessed he’d try to shoot in,” Ball said. “I was hesitant to throw my shots, knowing that’s what he was going to do. But I worked it from there and got what I wanted. Speed helped me a lot in that one. Speed and knowledge got me out of any trouble.”
Ball (20-11) won for the second straight time, both by first-round submission. Cooledge (7-4) had a two-fight win streak snapped.
In the second fight of the main card, Neil Seery made his presence known in a big way. Paul Marin got a good Thai clinch and landed a solid knee early, then continued to back it up with punches, cutting Seery open.
But out of nowhere, Seery landed a left kick to the ribs. Marin backed up, then grabbed his midsection before doubling over in pain. Seery paused for a beat – perhaps surprised at Marin’s response. But then he quickly moved in and landed several rights on the ground to get the stoppage.
“I knew he was going to come out to strike with me,” Seery said. “He hits hard. The game plan was to stand on my feet and go from there. It’s the first time I’ve let (the kick) go here (at Cage Warriors), and I pulled it off.”
Seery (12-9) won for the third straight time, all for Cage Warriors, and improve to 4-1 for the promotion. Marin (5-3) dropped his second straight after a tough fight against Paul McVeigh a month ago at Cage Warriors 52 that earned “Fight of the Night” honours.
To open the main card, James Doolan and James Pennington scrapped early, trading punches and kicks. But about 90 seconds in, Pennington took the first upper-hand of the fight, landing an uppercut that put Doolan on his back.
Doolan collected himself, though, and displayed a good guard game. But moments later, Pennington landed an elbow to the back of Doolan’s head and had a point taken away.
In the second, Pennington opened up his striking, landing several big punches in the first minutes, and controlled most of the round. But in the third, he went to work quickly. When Doolan pressured him on the fence, Pennington jumped guard, quickly latched onto an armbar and Doolan was forced to tap just 29 seconds into the frame.
“James Doolan is a quality fighter,” Pennington said. “The game-plan was just to get in there and go with the flow. We wanted to take him down and stay on top of him. We kind of knew what was going to happen.
Pennington (7-1) is back in the win column after a loss this past July snapped his six-fight streak to open his career. Doolan (17-9-2), fighting in front of his home Scotland crowd, now has dropped two of three and four of his past six.
MAIN CARD
Jim Alers def. Joni Salovaara via submission (triangle armbar) - Round 4, 3:43 - to win vacant featherweight title
Joanne Calderwood def. Sally Krumdiack via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:08
Mats Nilsson def. Chris Scott via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Jason Ball def. Jason Cooledge via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:16
Neil Seery def. Paul Marin via TKO (kick to the body) - Round 1, 1:22
James Pennington def. James Doolan via submission (armbar) - Round 3, 0:29
PRELIMINARY CARD
Jean N’Doye def. Rich Edgeworth via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 1:41
Mark Connor def. Joe Laurence via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 2:07
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Watch Cage Warriors 53 LIVE!
13/04/2013
HEADLINED by the clash of Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara for the vacant CWFC featherweight title, Cage Warriors 53 takes place this evening (Saturday, April 13) at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
No matter where you are in the world, you can watch all the action live and free of charge.
Watch the prelims on Facebook at 8pm local time (3pm ET/12pm PT).
Watch the main card at 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT) on:
MMAjunkie.com (USA & Canada only)
JOE.ie (Ireland only)
Sportube.tv (Italy only)
CageWarriors.com (rest of the world)
Click HERE for fight card details.
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 53
12/04/2013
TOMORROW’S Cage Warriors 53 headliners Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara are both on weight for their CWFC featherweight title bout at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
The pair came in under the 145lbs limit at this afternoon’s weigh-ins, as they prepare to clash in a bid to succeed Conor McGregor as the next champion of the Cage Warriors featherweight division.
All other main-card fighters also hit the mark after stepping on to the scales, with only Jean N’Doye failing to make the contracted weight for his Facebook prelim against Richie Edgeworth.
N’Doye, aiming to make the cut to bantamweight for the first time, could only go as far as 137.2lbs and therefore surrenders 25 percent of his purse to Edgeworth.
MAIN CARD
Joni Salovaara (144.6lbs) v Jim Alers (144.4lbs) - vacant CWFC featherweight title bout
Sally Krumdiack (114.8lbs) v Joanne Calderwood (115.9lbs) - strawweight
Chris Scott (185lbs) v Mats Nilsson (184.8lbs) - middleweight
Jason Cooledge (155.7lbs) v Jason Ball (156lbs) - lightweight
Paul Marin (125.5lbs) v Neil Seery (125.1lbs) - flyweight
James Pennington (135.4lbs) v James Doolan (135.5lbs) - bantamweight
FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Richie Edgeworth (136lbs) v Jean N’Doye (137.2lbs)* - bantamweight
Joe Laurence (125.4lbs) v Mark Connor (125.9lbs) - flyweight
*Fighter missed contracted weight, surrendering 25 percent of his purse to his opponent
Click HERE to view a gallery of photos from today’s weigh-ins.
Cage Warriors 53 will be available to watch live and free of charge all over the world. Click HERE to find all the important information.
Following the Facebook prelims at 8pm local time (3pm ET/12pm PT), watch the main card at 9pm local time (4pm ET/1pm PT) on MMAjunkie.com (USA and Canada), JOE.ie (Ireland), Sportube.tv (Italy) and CageWarriors.com (rest of the world).
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC Fight Night 8: Brum v Pastor, Buschkamp v Lahdesmaki
05/04/2013
BANTAMWEIGHT and featherweight bouts have been added to the card for CWFC Fight Night 8, which takes place in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday, May 11.
James Brum (pictured) and Olivier Pastor will meet in a clash of two of Europe’s top ten fighters in the 135lbs division, while Matteus Lahdesmaki will return to Cage Warriors action against CWFC debutant Martin Buschkamp.
Brum (11-2 MMA, 4-0 CWFC) had an exceptional 2012, picking up four Cage Warriors victories which earned him the CWFC Fighter of the Year award, as voted for by the fans.
Ranked fourth in Europe at present, the 25-year-old Englishman overcame Leandro Gontijo, Thomas Back, James Saville and Moktar Benkaci last year, with the first win of his current five-fight streak coming against another top CWFC bantamweight in Martin McDonough.
Brum said: “To be the best you have to beat the best. In the space of 18 months I will have defeated five currently or previously ranked top ten European fighters. Who else in their weight category in Europe can say that?”
Pastor (17-12-0-1nc MMA, 3-0 CWFC), however, is also defeated under the Cage Warriors banner and currently occupies eighth place in the European rankings.
The French veteran secured impressive CWFC wins against Dino Gambatesa and Liam James last year. Pastor debuted with a TKO defeat of Niko Gjoka at Cage Warriors 43.
“I’m excited to be back fighting for Cage Warriors again,” said Pastor. “I like to fight the best opponents out there so I’m looking forward to another big fight.”
Meanwhile, Matteus Lahdesmaki (12-8-3 MMA, 1-1 CWFC) will be back in action on May 11 for the first time since dropping a loss to CWFC featherweight title challenger Jim Alers at CWFC Fight Night 6.
The 29-year-old Finn, who debuted for Cage Warriors with a first-round submission win over Graham Turner early in 2012, has vowed to resume his charge for a title shot with a win against Martin Buschkamp.
Lahdesmaki said: “I’ve taken a break for a year but I’ve trained hard and I’m coming back stronger and better. I’ll win this fight in the first round and win the Cage Warriors belt before the end of the year.”
Buschkamp (6-0-0-1nc MMA, 0-0 CWFC) is a highly-rated unbeaten prospect who has taken all six of his wins to date by first-round submission.
“It’s a big honour for me to fight for Cage Warriors and this is definitely the next step in my career,” said the 22-year-old German. “Matteus Lahdesmaki is very experienced and an accomplished grappler with some big wins on his record. I’ll need to bring my A-game to beat him.”
With many more fights still to be announced for CWFC Fight Night 8, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Tickets For Troops
04/04/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has linked up with Tickets For Troops by agreeing to provide the scheme with a donation of complimentary tickets to all CWFC shows in the United Kingdom.
Established in 2009, Tickets For Troops is a service that gives members of the British Armed Forces – and those medically discharged since 2001 – the opportunity to enjoy live events throughout the UK free of charge.
Troops have subsequently been able to attend a wide range of events including England football internationals, Premier League fixtures, concerts, theatre shows and more.
Tickets For Troops is aimed at boosting morale among the Armed Forces, as well as showing appreciation for the sacrifices they make. Over 300,000 tickets have been donated over the last four years, giving troops access to some of the most high-profile events in the UK.
Starting with Cage Warriors 53 in Glasgow a week on Saturday, members of the Armed Forces will have the chance to attend all CWFC events in the UK following Cage Warriors’ decision to donate tickets to this worthy cause.
“We’re delighted that Cage Warriors have decided to support Tickets For Troops with this fantastic donation,” said Ross Barden, Operations Director for Tickets For Troops.
“This will give servicemen and women the opportunity to enjoy an evening of mixed martial arts, a sport that is particularly popular within the Armed Forces. I have no doubt that the boys and girls will have a fantastic evening away from the stresses of their challenging work.”
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan added: “It’s nice to be in a position to be able to make a small contribution to an excellent initiative like Tickets For Troops, especially as we always get a lot of members of the Armed Forces attending our events.
“I know that there are a lot of Cage Warriors fans within the Armed Forces, so we’re donating a pretty substantial number of tickets to them for each event we have in the UK. We’re delighted to be involved.”
For more information, check out www.TicketsForTroops.org.uk.
Cage Warriors 54: Glover v Long, Edwards v Harrison
04/04/2013
THE card for Cage Warriors 54 is taking shape following today’s addition of another two bouts.
Cage Warriors 54, which will be headlined by a CWFC middleweight title bout between home favourite John Phillips and defending champion Jesse Taylor, is set for the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on Saturday, May 4.
The bill for Cage Warriors’ second visit to Wales will now also feature a 160lbs catchweight bout between Mark Glover and Lewis Long, as well as clash of flyweights Kris Edwards (pictured) and Karl Harrison.
Glover (6-1-1 MMA, 0-0 CWFC) returns to action for the first time since featuring on season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter last year.
The 24-year-old Liverpool native, who’ll be making his CWFC debut, has taken five of his six wins by submission, with the only loss on his record coming via decision at the hands of fellow former TUF contestant Michael Pastou.
“I’m made up to be getting the opportunity to showcase my skills on Europe’s top show,” said Glover. “I’m looking forward to making a big impact on my Cage Warriors debut, before moving up the rankings and challenging for the prestigious CWFC belt.”
Long (6-2 MMA, 0-1 CWFC) will be keen to return to winning ways following a loss to Paul Redmond on his CWFC debut at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff back in October.
The 23-year-old Welshman said: “I’m excited to be fighting in front of the Welsh crowd again, especially at a fantastic venue like the Motorpoint Arena. I can’t wait to bounce back from my last performance and I’m expecting a stand-up war with Mark that the fans will really enjoy.”
Meanwhile, fellow Welshman Kris Edwards (8-4 MMA, 2-1 CWFC) will also be looking to get back on track after he too tasted defeat at Cage Warriors 49.
Edwards, who was overturned by Alan Philpott at bantamweight on his last outing, aims to maintain his status as one of Europe’s top performers in the flyweight division when he faces Englishman Karl Harrison.
Prior to his loss to Philpott, 23-year-old Edwards enhanced his reputation thanks to Cage Warriors victories over Janne Elonen-Kulmala and Brian Hyslop last year.
“I’m really happy to be back at 125lbs,” Edwards said. “I love fighting in Cardiff as the atmosphere is second to none. I was impressed by Karl in his last fight against Neil Seery, which I thought he had done enough to win. This should be an exciting match-up.”
Harrison (4-4 MMA, 0-1 CWFC), who’s ranked in the UK’s top ten, dropped a close decision defeat to top-three European flyweight Seery on his Cage Warriors debut last October.
The 31-year-old said: “Kris Edwards is a tough lad but I think this is a good fight for me style-wise as my boxing and wrestling game will be too strong for him. I can’t wait to fight on Cage Warriors again.”
More Cage Warriors 54 bouts will be announced in the coming days so keep track of CWFC on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), tickets for Cage Warriors 54 are available HERE or by phoning 0044 29202 24488.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Joanne Calderwood [VIDEO]
01/04/2013
JOANNE CALDERWOOD, one of the newest and most talked-about stars in women’s MMA, will make her CWFC debut when she takes on Sally Krumdiack in her native Scotland on Saturday, April 13.
Calderwood (5-0) has shot to fame since making her bow in professional mixed martial arts just over a year ago, performing impressively and remaining unbeaten throughout her five fights to date.
Ahead of her sixth at Cage Warriors 53 a week on Saturday, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship got an insight into the 26-year-old strawweight’s preparations at the Griphouse gym in Glasgow.
Check out our mini-documentary: ‘You Don’t Have To Be Loud To Be Heard’...
Click HERE for more information on Cage Warriors 53.
CWFC Fight Night 8: Bielkheden v Mason
29/03/2013
TWO experienced welterweights will collide when Cage Warriors returns to the Middle East on Saturday, May 11, 2013.
David Bielkheden (pictured) will take on Jack Mason on the main card at CWFC Fight Night 8, which is set to take place in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
The pair, who have clocked up over 60 professional bouts between them, will form part of Cage Warriors’ first event in the region since last September’s Fight Night 7 in Amman, Jordan.
Bielkheden (17-12 MMA, 2-1 CWFC) will be appearing on a CWFC card for the fourth time in his career, with the three-time UFC veteran keen to return to winning ways.
After starting 2012 with a win over Edgar Dayan, Bielkheden suffered decision losses to fellow UFC veteran Marcus Davis and recently-crowned CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred - a bout that was nominated for Cage Warriors Fight of the Year.
The 33-year-old Swede said: “This is a very interesting match-up as we both have a lot of experience. Jack looks extremely strong and is more of a wrestler, which will make it a tough fight.
“He needs the win over me to go to the next level and I need to beat him to get back on a winning streak.”
Mason (23-11 MMA, 4-4 CWFC) comes into the bout on an impressive run that has seen him go 6-1 in the last 12 months.
The 30-year-old Englishman has been successful in his last two CWFC outings, earning a decision win over Florent Betorangal on New Year’s Eve before stopping Matt Inman by TKO at Cage Warriors 52 earlier this month.
“I’m in this sport to test myself against the best and that’s what I’ll be doing in this fight, so it’s an exciting opportunity for me,” said Mason.
“David is good in all areas and his wrestling is especially strong for a European fighter, but I’ll be looking to put him away inside the distance and make my mark on the Cage Warriors welterweight division.”
With many more fights still to be announced for CWFC Fight Night 8, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 55: Pendred v Mills
22/03/2013
CATHAL PENDRED (pictured) will make his first defence of the CWFC welterweight title on home turf this summer.
The recently-crowned champion will put his belt on the line when he takes on Che Mills at Cage Warriors 55 on Saturday, June 1.
Cage Warriors 55, which will also feature a four-man flyweight title tournament, is set to take place at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland.
Pendred (12-2-1) has remained unbeaten in his six bouts under the Cage Warriors banner since making his debut for the organisation back in November 2010.
The 25-year-old Irishman earned his title shot courtesy of wins over David Bielkheden and Bruno Carvalho last year, before dethroning previous CWFC welterweight champion Gael Grimaud with a unanimous decision victory earlier this month at Cage Warriors 52.
“Fighting in my own backyard in a venue full of crazy Irish fans against a guy who was in the UFC until very recently, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to defend my title for the first time,” said Pendred,
“I can guarantee that the calibre of my opponent and the atmosphere the Irish fans will create is going to bring out the best in me.”
Mills (15-5-0-2nc) has spent the last two years of his career with the UFC, where he clocked up a 2-1-0-1 record which included wins against Chris Cope and Duane Ludwig.
At UFC on Fuel TV 7 at London’s Wembley Arena last month, the 30-year-old Gloucester native was beaten by Matt Riddle by split decision, but the result was later overturned as a ‘no contest’ after Riddle failed a drug test.
Mills, who’ll be returning to CWFC action for the first time since defeating Jake Hecht at Cage Warriors 38, said: “I’m really excited about this opportunity. This fight will be a war, but I’m not leaving without the belt.”
Tickets for Cage Warriors 55 will go on sale soon, with more fights also to be announced. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest fight announcements, news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 57: Liverpool
21/03/2013
CAGE WARRIORS 57 will take place at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Saturday, July 20, 2013.
The iconic venue will play host to CWFC’s fifth UK/Ireland show of the year, which will be the organisation’s first visit to the Merseyside city since 2006.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 57 are on sale NOW, with fight card details to be released in due course, but Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan is promising to deliver something special to CWFC fans in Liverpool.
Boylan said: “Over the last couple of years we’ve been inundated with messages from fans looking for Cage Warriors to come to Liverpool. We’re delighted to be doing so on July 20 and it’s a privilege to be going to a fantastic venue like the Echo Arena.
“There’s a massive appetite for MMA in Liverpool and we’ll be bringing something special there this summer. Cage Warriors 57 will be a stacked card and as well as having top fighters from all over the world on the bill, we’ll also have some of Liverpool’s best, like Chris Fishgold and Danny Roberts.”
Tickets, priced from just £30 (plus booking and handling fees), are available to purchase HERE.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Cage Warriors 53: Fight card update
20/03/2013
JOANNE Calderwood will return to action in her native Scotland when Cage Warriors hits the Kelvin Hall on Saturday, April 13.
The 26-year-old will face American veteran Sally Krumdiack in a strawweight bout at Cage Warriors 53, as the promotion stages its second show in Glasgow following the enormous success of December’s Cage Warriors 50 at the same venue.
The event will be co-headlined by a CWFC featherweight title bout, in which Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara will clash for the 145lbs strap.
Two further bouts have also been added to the card: Jason Ball will return to Cage Warriors action for a lightweight clash with Jason Cooledge, while Paul Marin and Neil Seery will meet in a flyweight contest.
Calderwood (5-0), an experienced muay Thai practitioner, became one of the most talked-about female fighters in the world in 2012.
A member of the Dinky Ninja Fight Team, she made her professional MMA debut just over a year ago but has remained unbeaten in her five fights thus far, with her two most recent wins coming under the Invicta FC banner.
Krumdiack (9-6), who also fought for Invicta in 2012, will be returning to CWFC action for the first time since her defeat to Rosi Sexton at Cage Warriors 39 in November 2010.
The 30-year-old Washington native holds notable victories over Sarah Maloy and Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc, both of whom picked up Invicta wins last year.
Following his impressive win over Aaron Wilkinson on his CWFC debut in December, Alan Johnston had been due to compete on the Cage Warriors 53 card but the Scottish welterweight has now been sidelined due to injury.
More fights are still to be announced for Cage Warriors 53. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Cage Warriors 53 tickets, priced at just £30, are available HERE.
Photo: Claire Farrell
CWFC flyweight title tournament
19/03/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship will host a four-man tournament to determine a new flyweight champion when the organisation returns to Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, June 1, for Cage Warriors 55.
As recently announced by Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan, one-night tournaments will be staged in 2013 to crown new title-holders in as many as three divisions.
The Facebook prelims at Cage Warriors 55 will commence with two semi-final bouts in the CWFC flyweight title tournament, consisting of two five-minute rounds. A third five-minute round will be contested in the event of a draw.
The final, made up of five five-minute rounds, will be one of the featured bouts on the main card, with the winner becoming the first ever CWFC flyweight champion.
“I’m a huge fan of the lighter weight classes and interest in the 125lbs division has skyrocketed since the UFC started theirs last year. I’m really excited about this,” said Cage Warriors matchmaker Ian Dean.
“The fights in this division are fast, skilful and exciting. Recently at Cage Warriors we’ve seen some impressive performances from the likes of Neil Seery, Kris Edwards and Phil Harris, who defeated two very skilled North American opponents before being signed by the UFC.
“With the number of promising flyweights in the UK and Europe increasing, it’s time these guys had a worthy title to aim for and I think this tournament will provide that opportunity. The winner of this tournament will be a worthy and legitimate title-holder in an up-and-coming and competitive division.”
Participants in the tournament will be revealed in due course. Cage Warriors 55 will take place at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday, June 1, 2013.
For more news and updates, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter.
CWFC Fight Night 8: Al Fujairah
15/03/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship will return to the Middle East on Saturday, May 11, 2013, for CWFC Fight Night 8 in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
CWFC Fight Night 8, which will be stacked with some of the organisation’s top international talent, will be the first mixed martial arts event ever to be held in Al Fujairah, which is one of the seven Emirates in the UAE.
Cage Warriors has already staged seven events in the region since 2011, with Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain and UAE having previously tasted CWFC action.
The organisation’s last trip to UAE came exactly a year ago this weekend when Dubai hosted CWFC Fight Night 4, an event which featured the likes of Brad Scott, Phil Harris and Sheila Gaff, who have all since moved to the UFC.
CWFC Fight Night 8 will follow hot on the heels of Cage Warriors 54, which takes place seven days earlier at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales (Saturday, May 4, 2013).
“We’re very much looking forward to being back in the Middle East for what will be a historic event on May 11,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“We had some incredible shows throughout the region last year but we’ll be bringing something special to Al Fujairah for our fourth show of 2013. Bringing Cage Warriors to new destinations is a priority for us.
“In the last few months we’ve received a lot of messages from fans in the Middle East looking for us to come back. We’re delighted to be doing so on May 11 and I can assure those fans that this will be a show they won’t want to miss.”
For CWFC Fight Night 8 news, updates and fight announcements, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter.
Cage Warriors 54: Buchinger v Newman
13/03/2013
A LIGHTWEIGHT bout has been added to the card for Cage Warriors 54, with Ivan Buchinger and Tim Newman (pictured) set to clash in Cardiff on Saturday, May 4.
Cage Warriors 54, which takes place at the Welsh capital’s Motorpoint Arena, will be headlined by a middleweight title bout between home favourite John Phillips and defending champion Jesse Taylor.
Following a first-round submission win over Greg Loughran at Cage Warriors 49 in his native Wales last October, Newman will be aiming for a third consecutive CWFC victory when he faces Buchinger on the first weekend of May.
Newman (10-3), who hails from Newport, made a stunning CWFC debut in May 2011 when he scored a KO win over Gregorz Tredowski after just 10 seconds of their meeting at Cage Warriors 42.
Currently ranked as one of the UK’s top ten lightweights, the 29-year-old’s only loss in his last five outings came via decision at the hands of three-time UFC veteran Curt Warburton.
“I’m looking forward to fighting in Wales again and I’m expecting this fight to be explosive,” said Newman. “We both like to trade and we’re both well-rounded so this should be a very entertaining fight, no matter where it goes.”
Buchinger (21-4) will be returning to action for the first time since his loss to Conor McGgregor in a bout for the vacant CWFC lightweight title at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve.
The 27-year-old Slovak, a former European top ten lightweight, has taken 19 of his 21 wins by stoppage, including a submission victory over current Bellator star Magomedrasul Khasbulaev and an impressive TKO of Diego Gonzalez at CWFC Fight Night 6.
Buchinger’s only other losses have come against Akira Corassani, Anton Kuivanen – both by decision – and M-1 veteran Sergey Golyaev.
“My last fight was very disappointing for me,” said Buchinger. “My camp didn’t go well but this time I’m training harder and more often because I want the chance to challenge for the title again.
“My opponent is good, I have a lot of respect for him but I will be totally ready for this fight and I’m very determined to get the win.”
Click HERE for ticket details for Cage Warriors 54 and keep track of CWFC on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news, updates and fight announcements.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Highlights: Cage Warriors 52
12/03/2013
Cage Warriors 52 took place at The Forum in London on Saturday, as CWFC started its 2013 schedule in style.
The event saw a new CWFC welterweight champion crowned, as Cathal Pendred dethroned defending title-holder Gael Grimaud with an impressive unanimous decision win.
There were also victories on the main card for Graham Turner, Bruno Carvalho, Jack Mason, Alan Philpott and Paul McVeigh, who picked up a Fight of the Night bonus following his defeat of Paul Marin.
As usual, all fights will be released in full over the coming days and weeks, but in the meantime check out some of the highlights of the event here…
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
The Rise of Conor McGregor
11/03/2013
‘The Rise of Conor McGregor’, a mini-documentary charting the success of the Cage Warriors featherweight and lightweight champion, launched today on MTV.co.uk.
McGregor made history in his hometown of Dublin on New Year’s Eve by defeating Ivan Buchinger at Cage Warriors 51 with a stunning first-round KO, which saw him become the first fighter to simultaneously hold CWFC titles in two unified weight classes.
The 24-year-old Irishman was subsequently signed by the UFC and will make his debut in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 6.
Produced by Demetrio Marquez for MTV UK and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, watch ‘The Rise of Conor McGregor’ below…
Results: Cage Warriors 52
09/03/2013
Unbeaten since 2010, Irishman Cathal Pendred (12-2-1) is now a Cage Warriors champion. Pendred used a grinding, aggressive attack to nullify the striking of former champion Gael Grimaud and cruise to a unanimous-decision win.
The bout served as the headliner of tonight’s Cage Warriors 52 event, which took place at London’s Forum and streamed live on MMAjunkie.com.
Pendred pushed forward at the opening bell, rifling off punches and pressing into the clinch. Grimaud defended well against the cage and worked an occasional knee inside before the pair separated and looked to strike from distance. Grimaud had early success from range, using his unorthodox movement to leap in and out of range.
The flight played out in similar fashion in the second, as Pendred looked to aggressively walk forward and into his opponent’s face, but Grimaud did well to remain on his feet and to find space to strike when the two pulled away.
The feeling-out process ended in the third, and Pendred came alive with a crisp combo on the mark. Grimaud responded with a slamming takedown and immediately set up in side control, but Pendred climbed quickly back to his feet, where the two traded for the remainder of the round.
It was Grimaud who picked up the pace as the championship rounds began, and he scored an early trip takedown. However, Pendred popped back to his feet and pressed in from the outside, pinning Grimaud on the cage. Grimaud continued to find success from range when he could keep space, but Pendred didn’t stay at that distance long, and he moved inside for his own takedown late in the frame.
With nothing given heading into the final frame, Grimaud took the center and calmly fired off low kicks as Pendred circled and pushed forward with punches. Two minutes into the round, he drove in for a takedown, but he wasn’t able to keep Grimaud on the floor. Still, he pressed forward throughout the final frame and kept Grimaud pinned against the cage.
Grimaud pulled free in the final minute, but Pendred put him immediately back on the fence and held it there until the final bell. In the end, judges awarded him a unanimous-decision win with scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, and Pendred took the welterweight belt.
“I feel on top of the world,” Pendred said after the win. “Hard work, dedication and sacrifice pays off. Here’s the proof of that.”
In the night’s co-feature, Scottish featherweight Graham “Afterburner” Turner (22-7) earned a first-round stoppage in a high-paced assault of Frenchman Fouad Mesdari (10-4)
Mesdari moved forward form the start with rapid-fire kicks and punches, but Turner countered by dropping him to the floor and setting up for non-stop ground-and-pound. Mesdari bucked and rolled, but he ultimately gave up the mount and was forced to endure an endless flow of punches and elbows that forced referee Marc Goddard to halt the bout at the 3:05 mark of the opening frame.
Turner now boasts a four-fight win streak and is 6-1 in his past seven fights. Mesdari sees a two-fight win streak snapped.
In welterweight action, Brazilian submission ace Bruno “B.C.” Carvalho (15-6) made relatively quick work of late replacement Steven Dinsdale (5-1).
Carvalho ran forward at the opening bell, quickly clinching and nearly taking the back. Dinsdale wisely ran to his corner for instructions and used the cage to peel Carvalho away, but the submission ace refused to give him any space at all. A standing guillotine briefly threatened, and Carvalho was able to take the back in the final seconds for the first, but Dinsdale survived until the second.
Carvalho again worked to a clinch early in the second frame, and this time he took the back in the opening minute. With both hooks firmly in place, Carvalho elected to pass on the choke in favor of unleashing punches. The decision paid dividends, and the bout was quickly stopped.
Halfway into his contest with Matt Inman (9-6), English welterweight Jack Mason (23-11) looked comfortable grinding out a controlling win from top position. Inman changed the course of the fight with a slick triangle-choke attempt, but it ultimately proved his undoing.
Mason pushed forward at the opening bell, walking through punches to get the fight to the floor. But Inman proved capable on his back and in the second round locked his legs around his opponent’s neck and threatened to win the fight on the floor. However, Mason patiently defended the hold and shucked off the legs before unleashing a barrage of powerful elbows and punches that earned him the TKO win with 34 seconds in the second round.
In a 128-pound catchweight contest, Northern Ireland’s “Metabolic” Paul McVeigh (19-8) outlasted a game Paul Marin (5-2) in an entertaining back-and-forth affair.
McVeigh’s slick transitions saw him often working to top position and earning points by spending time in a dominant stance. However, Marin proved wily in each and every one of the scrambles, escaping from a mounted position and scoring a slick belly-to-belly suplex during various moments of the opening frame.
He’d show similar slippery techniques in the second frame and even threatened to end the bout after a slick escape saw him take the dominant stance and unleashing punches from the top. However, McVeigh wisely rolled free and finished the round on top.
Both fighters kept a high pace in the final frame, and Marin’s incredible ability to work free from difficult positions was again on display, but McVeigh reestablished himself in the dominant spot each time and earned him a hard-fought decision win in a technically impressive matchup.
In the night’s first main-card matchup, 20-year-old Alan Philpott (8-3) used an impressive grappling attack to cruise to an impressive third-round TKO win over fellow bantamweight Liam James (6-5). Philpott took the fight to the floor throughout the bout, pulling guard, scoring hip tosses and nailing sweeps on the canvas to constantly find himself in top position.
James provided a stern test for most of the contest, but he faded late in the bout and Philpott turned up the volume by taking the back and unleashing a barrage of punches that forced a stoppage at the 3:00 mark of the final frame.
MAIN CARD
Cathal Pendred def. Gael Grimaud via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) - to become new welterweight champion
Graham Turner def. Fouad Mesdari via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:05
Bruno “B.C.” Carvalho def. Steve Dinsdale via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 1:48
Jack Mason def. Matt Inman via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 4:26
Paul McVeigh def. Paul Marin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Alan Philpott def. Liam James via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 3:00
PRELIMINARY CARD
Chris Fishgold def. Steve O’Keeffe via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 1:34
Martin McDonough def. Alex Enlund via submission (armbar) - Round 1, 3:13
Paul Redmond def. Alexei Roberts via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 4:30
Brad Wheeler def. Merv Mulholland via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:46
Dan Hope def. Gary Kono via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Ben Hajir def. Anthony Ferguson via submission (armbar) - Round 1, 1:42
Richard Griffin def. Shah Hussain via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:40
Shaj Haque def. Olly Battell via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-27)
Watch Cage Warriors 52 LIVE!
09/03/2013
CAGE Warriors 52 takes place tonight - Saturday, March 9 - at The Forum in Kentish Town, London.
The stream of the main card, which begins at 9pm GMT, is available to watch live, free of charge and without restriction to viewers all over the world via the following broadcast partners:
MMAjunkie.com - USA and Canada only
JOE.ie - Ireland only
Sportube.tv - Italy only
CageWarriors.com - rest of the world
The main card will be preceded by five preliminary bouts which will be available to viewers worldwide via Facebook at 7.15pm GMT.
MAIN CARD (9pm GMT)
Gael Grimaud (champion) v Cathal Pendred - CWFC welterweight title bout
Fouad Mesdari v Graham Turner
Bruno Carvalho v Steve Dinsdale
Matt Inman v Jack Mason
Paul Marin v Paul McVeigh
Liam James v Alan Philpott
FACEBOOK PRELIMS (7.15pm GMT)
Chris Fishgold v Steve O’Keeffe
Alex Enlund v Martin McDonough
Paul Redmond v Alexei Roberts
Merv Mulholland v Brad Wheeler
Dan Hope v Gary Kono
You can also follow live text updates throughout the night from Cage Warriors on Twitter.
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 52
08/03/2013
ALL bouts are set for Cage Warriors 52 tomorrow evening following this afternoon’s weigh-ins in London.
Three of the 28 professional fighters on the bill - Alex Enlund, Anthony Ferguson and Shah Hussain - were unable to make the contracted weight for their respective bouts. The trio will each surrender 25 percent of their purse to their opponents as a result.
Cathal Pendred and defending champion Gael Grimaud (pictured) both hit the mark without any problems ahead of their CWFC welterweight title clash in the night’s main event.
MAIN CARD
Gael Grimaud (champion, 169.3lbs) v Cathal Pendred (169.4lbs) - CWFC welterweight title bout
Fouad Mesdari (145.2lbs) v Graham Turner (145.8lbs) - featherweight
Bruno Carvalho (170.2lbs) v Steve Dinsdale (170.5lbs) - welterweight
Matt Inman (170.2lbs) v Jack Mason (170.7lbs) - welterweight
Paul Marin (127.3lbs) v Paul McVeigh (128.7lbs) - 128lbs catchweight
Liam James (135.6lbs) v Alan Philpott (136lbs) - bantamweight
FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Chris Fishgold (145.8lbs) v Steve O’Keeffe (145.3lbs) - featherweight
Alex Enlund (136.8lbs)* v Martin McDonough (133.8lbs) - bantamweight
Paul Redmond (156lbs) v Alexei Roberts (154.5lbs) - lightweight
Merv Mulholland (154.5lbs) v Brad Wheeler (156lbs) - lightweight
Dan Hope (170.4lbs) v Gary Kono (170.2lbs) - welterweight
NON-STREAMED PRELIMS
Anthony Ferguson (127.6lbs)* v Ben Hajir (125.6lbs) - flyweight
Richard Griffin (159.5lbs) v Shah Hussain (163.2lbs)* - 160lbs catchweight
Olly Battell (144.5lbs) v Shaj Haque (140.7lbs) - featherweight
*Fighter missed weight and surrenders 25 percent of purse to his opponent.
Click HERE to view a gallery of images from today’s weigh-ins and watch Cage Warriors: Countdown to 52, the official Cage Warriors 52 preview show, HERE.
Cage Warriors 52 will be available to watch live and free of charge all over the world. Click HERE to find all the important information.
Following the Facebook prelims at 7.15pm (GMT), watch the main card at 9pm (GMT) on MMAjunkie.com (USA and Canada), JOE.ie (Ireland), Sportube.tv (Italy) and CageWarriors.com (rest of the world).
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors: Countdown to 52
07/03/2013
BUILD UP to CWFC’s first event of 2013 with Cage Warriors: Countdown to 52, the official preview show for Cage Warriors 52.
Hosted by John Gooden, the programme offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the stars of Cage Warriors 52, which takes place this Saturday night, March 9, at The Forum in London.
Cage Warriors: Countdown to 52 gives you an insight into the preparations of Liam James and Alan Philpott ahead of their bantamweight clash, as well as profiling the welterweight meeting of Jack Mason and Matt Inman.
The Cage Warriors: Countdown team also travelled to Dublin to catch up with Cathal Pendred as he gets set to challenge defending champion Gael Grimaud for the CWFC welterweight title.
Cage Warriors will bring fans one of its most stacked cards ever this weekend and Countdown to 52 is the perfect way to whet the appetite.
Enjoy this unmissable 24-minute preview of what’s guaranteed to be a spectacular event…
Click HERE for more information on Cage Warriors 52.
Cage Warriors 53: Doolan v Pennington
06/03/2013
TWO of the UK’s top bantamweights will collide at Cage Warriors 53 in Scotland.
James Doolan will face James Pennington (pictured) when CWFC returns to Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall on Saturday, April 13, an event that will be headlined by a featherweight title bout between Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara.
Doolan (17-8-2) is currently ranked eighth in Europe and will be appearing on a Cage Warriors card for the first time in his career.
The 34-year-old Scot holds notable victories over Dino Gambatesa, Leigh Remedios and Neil Seery, as well as a draw with the UFC’s Vaughan Lee in December 2010.
“I’m really excited and looking forward to fighting on Cage Warriors, especially in front of the Scottish crowd,” said Doolan.
Pennington (6-1), a former bantamweight champion for top UK promotion Shock ‘N’ Awe, will also be making his Cage Warriors debut.
The highly-rated 25-year-old native of Portsmouth started his career with a six-fight win streak that was snapped by last July’s defeat to CWFC-signed bantamweight Davey Grant.
Pennington said: “I was sidelined with injuries for most of last year but I’m back to perfect health now and I’m hungry to succeed. This is exactly the type of fight I need to progress my career.
“I can’t wait to step into the Cage Warriors arena and silence the home crowd. I’ve got nothing but respect for James and his camp but I’ll prove I’m one of the best in the UK on April 13. This fight won’t be going to the judges.”
With many more fights still to be announced for Cage Warriors 53, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Click HERE for ticket information.
Cage Warriors fits the bill for Mills
04/03/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has secured the signature of top English welterweight Che Mills.
The UFC veteran has put pen to paper on an exclusive five-fight contract, committing his immediate future to the organisation.
Mills (15-5-0-2nc) has spent the last two years of his career with the UFC, where he clocked up a 2-1-0-1 record.
The 30-year-old Gloucester native made a winning start to his UFC career in November 2011, picking up a KO of the Night bonus after taking just 40 seconds to dispose of Chris Cope.
In his only official UFC defeat, Mills suffered a second-round TKO loss to fourth-ranked welterweight Rory McDonald last April but rebounded with a win over Duane Ludwig in Nottingham in September.
At UFC on Fuel TV 7 at London’s Wembley Arena last month, Mills was beaten by Matt Riddle by split decision, but the result was later overturned as a ‘no contest’ after Riddle failed a drug test.
“Che Mills is the best UK welterweight outside of the UFC at the moment so I’m extremely happy that he has decided to come on board,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“A fighter of his calibre wouldn’t have been short of offers but the fact that Che has opted to sign for Cage Warriors is proof that the guy is determined to return to the top. I have no doubt that he’ll get there too.
“I’m a big fan of Che Mills. When the UFC recently released a bunch of guys, Che was the one I really wanted to bring in. He comes from a great camp and is always exciting to watch.
“As is the case with all fighters, I believe Cage Warriors is the perfect platform to help Che to achieve his goals and show the world that they still haven’t seen the best of him.”
A contestant on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter, Mills previously fought for CWFC in October 2010, when he scored a unanimous decision win over fellow UFC veteran Jake Hecht at Cage Warriors 38. He also holds two notable wins over Bellator star Marius Zaromskis.
Che Mills will make his return to Cage Warriors action in the coming months. Details of his next bout will be released shortly.
Dinsdale replaces injured Bahari
27/02/2013
MOHSEN Bahari (pictured) has withdrawn from his bout against Bruno Carvalho at Cage Warriors 52.
The unbeaten Norwegian sustained a fractured leg in training last weekend, forcing him to pull out of the welterweight clash that was scheduled for the main card at The Forum in London on March 9.
Bahari (5-0) will be replaced by an Englishman with an identical record, with Steve Dinsdale signing up to make his Cage Warriors debut against Carvalho (14-6).
Dinsdale (5-0), who fights out of Next Generation in Liverpool, is an unbeaten welterweight who has taken four of his five professional wins by first-round stoppage.
The 27-year-old hasn’t fought since last April having been placed on standby throughout the UFC’s recent series of TUF Smashes.
“I’m really excited to be making my Cage Warriors debut, especially against a high-level opponent like Bruno Carvalho,” said Dinsdale.
“I’ve been trying to get a fight on Cage Warriors for a while so I jumped at this chance when it came. I’ve taken the fight with only two weeks’ notice but I’m ready to fight, I’m feeling confident and I’m hungry for the victory.”
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
MTV UK and Cage Warriors link up
21/02/2013
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CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship and MTV UK will join forces this year to form an exciting new media partnership.
The deal will see Cage Warriors documentaries and highlight reels produced by the entertainment giant throughout the year, which will be available to watch exclusively on MTV.co.uk.
MTV UK’s online home will also be the only place for Cage Warriors fans to see the best submissions and knockouts from CWFC events in 2013.
The partnership will be launched on Tuesday, March 5, with the release of ‘The Rise of Conor McGregor’, an exclusive documentary that will chart the history-making Cage Warriors champion’s ascent to the top.
“Partnering with MTV UK is a great fit for Cage Warriors as they only produce material of the highest quality,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“There’s some very exciting stuff in the pipeline from us both in 2013 so Cage Warriors fans have a lot to look forward to. I’m very happy with this deal.”
Cage Warriors 52 [VIDEO]
21/02/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship’s 2013 campaign begins on Saturday, March 9, with Cage Warriors 52.
The event, which takes place at The Forum in London, will be headlined by a CWFC welterweight title bout between Gael Grimaud and Cathal Pendred.
A limited number of tickets for the 14-bout event are available to purchase HERE. You can also watch the Cage Warriors 52 main card live online at 9pm GMT on MMAJunkie.com (JOE.ie in Ireland), following prelims on Facebook at 7.15pm GMT.
Check out our latest promotional video below, featuring the thoughts of Cage Warriors 52 stars Matt Inman, Liam James, Alan Philpott, Alex Enlund and Chris Fishgold.
This is Cage Warriors [VIDEO]
20/02/2013
As Cage Warriors Fighting Championship prepares to begin its campaign for 2013, whet your appetite for another year of exciting action by watching our latest promotional video: “This is Cage Warriors”.
Having staged 12 events in nine different countries in 2012, a similarly hectic schedule is on the agenda for the promotion in 2013, with shows in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Dublin already booked.
Many more international dates will be unveiled in due course, as Cage Warriors gives some of MMA’s best prospects the platform to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Michael Bisping, Dan Hardy, Antonio Silva and Conor McGregor.
The action resumes in London on Saturday, March 9, for Cage Warriors 52.
THIS IS CAGE WARRIORS
Cage Warriors 53: Glasgow
18/02/2013
A NEW featherweight champion will be crowned when Cage Warriors returns to Scotland on Saturday, April 13.
Cage Warriors 53, which is set for Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall, will feature the meeting of Jim Alers (pictured) and Joni Salovaara for the CWFC title, with Mats Nilsson and Chris Scott also scheduled to clash on the bill for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s second event of 2013.
With current champion Conor McGregor due to vacate the belt when he makes his UFC debut on April 6, the CWFC featherweight strap will be on the line when Alers and Salovaara collide a week later.
Alers (9-1) had been pencilled in to face McGregor twice last year but injuries to both fighters forced the postponement of their scheduled bouts at CWFC Fight Night 7 and Cage Warriors 51.
A four-fight Cage Warriors veteran, Alers has retained his status as the top contender in the organisation’s 145lbs division on the back of impressive wins over Matteus Lahdesmaki and Marcio Cesar in 2012.
Salovaara (12-5) earns his shot at the title following a run of good performances that have seen him ascend to the European top ten.
The 27-year-old Finn, a team-mate of top European lightweights Niko Puhakka and Juha-Pekka Vainikainen at Espoon Kehahait, is on a 10-1 run since November 2009, with his two most recent wins coming against CWFC veterans Olivier Pastor and Moktar Benkaci.
“This is a huge fight for me and I’m really excited about the opportunity,” said Salovaara. “I’ll give it my all and bring the championship belt back home. My opponent is very skilled but so am I, so this will be a tough fight for him.”
Alers, a 26-year-old Florida native, said: “I believe this belt belongs to me. I’ve fought for Cage Warriors four times now and I’ve come out with the win each time. Cage Warriors has been a great promotion by giving me this chance to become a world champion.
“I’m training hard every day with nothing but the thought of that belt around my waist. I’m not taking my opponent or this opportunity for granted, but I just can’t imagine myself not winning this fight. This is my dream and he can’t stop me from making it a reality.”
The Cage Warriors 53 card will also feature middleweight action, with Nilsson and Scott set to begin their 2013 campaigns in Scotland on April 13.
Nilsson (9-2-1) had been scheduled to fight Denniston Sutherland at Cage Warriors 50 in Glasgow in December but withdrew from the bout after sustaining an injury.
The 29-year-old Swede, who’s currently ranked ninth in Europe, submitted UFC veteran Tommy Speer at CWFC Fight Night 3 just over 12 months ago but will be keen to rebound from a decision loss to current TUF star Tor Troeng in his most recent outing.
“I’m expecting this fight to be both technical and wild,” said Nilsson. “Having similar strengths, it’ll come down to who wants it most; who’s willing to work that little bit harder for an inch of an advantage. I want it bad and I’m more than willing to work hard for it.”
Scott (6-1), who joined Nilsson as an exclusively contracted Cage Warriors fighter last month, is currently on a five-fight win streak and is ranked as one of the UK’s top 20 middleweights.
The 30-year-old, who hails from Sunderland in the north-east of England, has secured all six of his wins by submission.
Scott said: “I’ve watched a few of Mats’ fights and he looks clean and clinical on the floor, as any brown belt should be. He’s fought some very high-level fighters so I can’t wait to test myself against him. Mats also has his own website – how cool is that?”
With many more fights still to be announced for Cage Warriors 53, keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
CWFC and Legacy Clothing join forces
18/02/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship and Legacy Clothing have teamed up to form an exciting partnership for 2013.
The deal will see Legacy, one of the leading clothing brands in mixed martial arts, produce exclusive Cage Warriors merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies and shorts, which will be available to purchase online and at CWFC events.
Founded in 2011, Legacy is an award-winning brand dedicated to both function and fashion, offering a fresh take on MMA clothing and apparel.
Among Legacy’s many sponsored fighters are former UFC light-heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, James Te Huna, Jimi Manuwa, Cheick Kongo and CWFC featherweight Dave Hill.
Legacy was created by UFC veteran Tom Blackledge, who said: “I’m extremely pleased with this partnership between Legacy and Cage Warriors.
“Creating amazing co-branded clothing designs with a massive and prestigious promotion like Cage Warriors is something all brands would like to be able to offer.
“We’ve grown at a massive rate over the last few years and this partnership with Cage Warriors is one of the most rewarding moments in Legacy’s growth.
“As well as being able to purchase our branded Cage Warriors clothing, we will also have a Legacy stall at many CWFC events which will have a wide range of Legacy gear available to purchase.”
To view Legacy’s range of high-quality and affordable clothing and apparel, log on to www.LegacyClothingCo.com.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for more details on the imminent launch of branded CWFC clothing from Legacy.
Charity initiatives to increase in 2013
14/02/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has another busy schedule of international events lined up for 2013, but the promotion is to continue its charity and community work along the way.
Earlier this week, CWFC revealed that it will donate the entire proceeds of one-hundred Cage Warriors 52 tickets to Surviving Our Streets (SOS), which will benefit the organisation to the tune of £3,500.
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan has been a long-time contributor to SOS, a London-based charity aimed at reducing knife, gun and serious youth violence.
However, Cage Warriors’ association with SOS represents just one example of the kind of charity and community work being undertaken by CWFC, with the promotion always keen to increase its corporate social responsibility.
Reducing street violence is one of Cage Warriors’ main areas of interest in this regard. This year, representatives of CWFC will arrange for anti-violence workshops to take place in many parts of the Middle East, where Cage Warriors has staged seven events in the past two years, with more to come in 2013. Seminars will be conducted by fighters and coaches in conjunction with schools and community groups.
In Jordan last year, a percentage of the proceeds from ticket sales for CWFC Fight Night 5 and Fight Night 7 was donated to the King Hussein Cancer Centre, a gesture which merely marked the beginning of Cage Warriors’ efforts to make a contribution to such important causes.
“It’s extremely important for a promotion like Cage Warriors to recognise its social responsibility as a business and to therefore give something back to the community whenever possible,” said Graham Boylan.
“We’ve been doing that already of late but those contributions will continue to increase over time. Some of our fighters and coaches have been particularly helpful in assisting with implementing these measures. We look forward to continuing that work this year.”
CWFC donates to London charity
13/02/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has teamed up with a violence prevention charity in London ahead of Cage Warriors 52 at the HMV Forum on Saturday, March 9.
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan has pledged to donate the entire proceeds of one-hundred CWFC 52 tickets to Surviving Our Streets (SOS), which will benefit the organisation to the tune of £3,500.
Surviving Our Streets works to reduce knife, gun and serious youth violence in London. Graham Boylan has been lending his support to the charity for several years.
Jason Featherstone, a trustee with SOS, said: “Surviving Our Streets is indebted to Graham. Simply put, we would not have been able to impact the lives of over 300 young people in 2012 without his help.
“He has continually supported us over the years, through the likes of business modelling, office space and web development. Graham has played an integral role.
“This most recent donation will directly enable the charity to work with young people at risk of being involved in violence as either victims or perpetrators. In these times of austerity, donations such as this make all the difference.
“On behalf of the young people SOS supports, we would like to thank Graham for his continued support.”
Find out more about SOS by visiting their website HERE.
Cage Warriors 52: More bouts added
12/02/2013
AN ALREADY stacked card just got even better following the addition of another three bouts to the card for Cage Warriors 52 in London on Saturday, March 9.
On the back of the unfortunate cancellation of On Top 7, which was scheduled to take place in Glasgow on February 23, Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan has stepped in to ensure that several of the fights will still go ahead a fortnight later.
Fights involving Scottish-based CWFC veterans Graham Turner (pictured), Paul McVeigh and Dan Hope have all been added to the Cage Warriors 52 bill, while London lightweight Brad Wheeler will also feature.
On Top Promotions, Scotland’s premier mixed martial arts event, has been forced to pull the plug on Saturday’s week’s event due to venue issues.
“I feel sorry for Tam Collins and the team at On Top in this situation because they work extremely hard, but sometimes things happen that are out of your control. It’s not easy putting on a show because there are so many variables,” said Graham Boylan.
“I hate to see fighters put time in and lose out and I’ll always help in any way I can, regardless of who or where it is. As a result I’ll start Cage Warriors 52 earlier than planned, including the Facebook prelims.
“By doing this I’d like to see the MMA community come and support the event in London on March 9. This is now the most stacked London card we’ve done so far. It’ll be a fantastic night for the MMA community.”
Turner (21-7), a top-three UK featherweight, will face highly-rated Frenchman Fouad Mesdari (10-2), while McVeigh (18-8-) will continue his planned cut to flyweight with a 128lbs catchweight clash against Barcelona-based Romanian Paul Marin (5-1).
On the prelims, following his impressive win over Avi Jack at Cage Warriors 50, Dan Hope (9-5) will take on French veteran Gary Kono (10-10) at welterweight
Brad Wheeler’s meeting with Graham Armstrong, which was also originally set for On Top 7, will not go ahead at Cage Warriors 52 due to Armstrong’s unavailability, but a new opponent is currently being sought for Wheeler.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
MAIN CARD
Gael Grimaud v Cathal Pendred
Mohsen Bahari v Bruno Carvalho
Fouad Mesdari v Graham Turner
Matt Inman v Jack Mason
Paul Marin v Paul McVeigh
Liam James v Alan Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD
Chris Fishgold v Steve O’Keeffe
Alex Enlund v Martin McDonough
Paul Redmond v Alexei Roberts
Tommy Maguire v Merv Mulholland
Dan Hope v Gary Kono
Cage Warriors 52 will be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Cathal Pendred and defending champion Gael Grimaud. Tickets for the event, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on March 9, are available HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Robbie Olivier signs exclusive deal
12/02/2013
ROBBIE OLIVIER has signed a five-fight contract with Cage Warriors Fighting Championship.
The deal will commit ‘The Flame’ Olivier (18-9-1-1) exclusively to the organisation for a period of 18 months, with the veteran featherweight set to return to action shortly.
The 34-year-old Englishman, who was previously ranked number one in Europe, made his professional debut back in 2002 and has since accumulated 18 wins, 13 of which have come via stoppage.
Olivier holds notable victories over several fighters with UFC and Bellator experience, including Brad Pickett, Ronnie Mann, Leigh Remedios, Sammy Schiavo and Greg Loughran.
Fighting out of Cambridge’s Tsunami Gym alongside the likes of UFC welterweight John Maguire and TUF star Luke Barnatt, Olivier’s last defeat came via decision at the hands of current Bellator champion Pat Curran in February 2010.
“Robbie Olivier is one of the best fighters the UK has produced over the last decade, so we’re delighted to have him on board,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“He may have been around for a while but the guy is supremely talented and I believe the best is yet to come. I’m personally very excited about seeing him in action for Cage Warriors.”
MMAjunkie.com partnership renewed
11/02/2013
CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship and MMAjunkie.com are delighted to confirm the extension of their widely popular international partnership for the coming year.
The two parties initially linked up at the beginning of 2012, with all 12 Cage Warriors events streamed live on MMAjunkie.com. In addition to the existing live content, MMAjunkie.com will now also broadcast replays of each event in its entirety within 48 hours of the live stream.
The parties have agreed to continue to collaborate through the 2013 calendar year as Cage Warriors again asserts itself as the world’s busiest mixed martial arts promotion outside of the UFC and Bellator. Nine countries hosted 12 CWFC events last year, a schedule that was matched by no other.
With 12-to-16 events already planned across Europe and the Middle East in 2013, Cage Warriors is keen to build on the achievements of last year, which was the most successful in the promotion’s 10-year history.
“I’m delighted that MMAjunkie.com will be continuing their superb coverage of the biggest MMA promotion outside of the USA,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. “Our partnership worked brilliantly for both parties last year and I’m certain that it will improve again in 2013.
“Cage Warriors has led MMA in the UK and Europe for a long time, but partnering with MMAjunkie.com has given us exposure to their huge American and international fan base. Apart from the UFC, Cage Warriors is the leader in international events, visiting as many as nine countries per year.
“We have infrastructure in place across Europe and the Middle East, which means that in each country we go to, everything and everyone is in place weeks in advance. England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Dubai, Australia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are all on my radar for the year ahead.
“We’ve had enormously positive feedback from fans worldwide over the last year or so and I think this is as a result of the fact that our fights are analysed and streamed live by the best MMA website in the business.
“We’ve been inundated with requests by fans to access our fights, and making fight replays available on MMAjunkie.com will provide more MMA fans with the chance to enjoy Cage Warriors action. I’m excited about continuing to work with MMAjunkie.com in 2013 and beyond.”
Cage Warriors has already booked six shows for its 2013 schedule: March 9, London; April 13, Glasgow; May 4, Cardiff; June 1, Dublin; July 6, London; September 14, Cardiff. Further dates are set to be announced shortly.
“We’re excited to continue our relationship with Cage Warriors and bring more great fights to our MMAjunkie.com community,” said MMAjunkie editor-in-chief and co-founder Dann Stupp. “Our Cage Warriors streams have always been a big hit with Junkie Nation, and we look forward to developing our relationship with Cage Warriors even further in 2013.”
McGregor moves to UFC
08/02/2013
CAGE WARRIORS history-maker Conor McGregor has signed a five-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and will make his debut for the organisation at UFC on Fuel TV 9 on April 6 in Stockholm, Sweden.
McGregor (12-2) became the first fighter to simultaneously hold CWFC titles in two unified weight classes when he stopped Ivan Buchinger with a stunning first-round KO to win the vacant lightweight belt at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve.
Back in June, the 24-year-old Irishman captured the featherweight strap courtesy of a second-round submission win over Dave Hill at Cage Warriors 47 – also in his hometown of Dublin.
McGregor clocked up a 4-1 record under the Cage Warriors banner, having also defeated Aron Jahnsen and Steve O’Keeffe. Following a debut CWFC loss to Joseph Duffy in November 2010, McGregor is currently on an eight-fight win streak.
“Conor is destined for the top so an approach from the UFC was inevitable. He fully deserves this opportunity and I’m excited about seeing the impact he’s going to have there,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“I’m absolutely delighted for Conor and his team and I wish them the very best of luck for what I’m certain will be a hugely successful future. This is also further proof that if you’re interested in getting to the top in this sport, Cage Warriors is the platform for you.”
McGregor trains out of the SBG camp in Dublin alongside the likes of ex-CWFC middleweight champion Chris Fields and welterweight challenger Cathal Pendred, as well as at Mjolnir in Iceland with fellow UFC competitor Gunnar Nelson.
Coach John Kavanagh said: “I want to say a big thank you on behalf of myself and Conor to Graham Boylan, Ian Dean and the rest of the team at Cage Warriors. Without their help and support this would not have come about. Getting a Cage Warriors belt is a sure way of securing a UFC deal.”
With McGregor now signed to the UFC, the CWFC featherweight and lightweight belts will be up for grabs once again, with Graham Boylan confirming that Jim Alers will get his shot at the 145lbs strap.
Alers had been due to face McGregor for the title at Cage Warriors 51 but was forced out of the bout due to injury. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old American remains the top contender in the division.
“Jim is still at the head of the queue at featherweight so he’ll definitely be getting the shot he’s earned,” said Boylan. “I’m currently considering a number of potential opponents. I’ll also announce plans for our lightweight division shortly.”
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 54: Cardiff
05/02/2013
THE BIGGEST mixed martial arts event ever to hit Wales will take place at the 5,000-capacity Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, May 4, 2013, when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to Cardiff.
Cage Warriors 54 will feature a CWFC title fight, as well as a host of other exciting bouts involving some of the top fighters from the UK and beyond.
Swansea’s John Phillips is set to have massive home support in the Welsh capital as he challenges for the CWFC middleweight belt against Jesse Taylor (pictured).
Phillips (16-5-0-1nc), who has taken all 16 of his wins by stoppage, had a frustrating second-half of 2012 after being ruled out of action due to a succession of hand injuries.
The 27-year-old Welshman had secured a shot at the CWFC middleweight strap by defeating Chris Fields in the main event at Cage Warriors 48 last July, but an injury picked up in that bout forced him out of a meeting with Pavel Kusch in the organisation’s title tournament final.
Taylor (24-9), who fights out of Team Quest in California, is a UFC, Strikeforce and Dream veteran who holds notable victories over the likes of Tom Watson and Chris Camozzi.
The 29-year-old was crowned CWFC middleweight champion at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve when he submitted Chris Fields by second-round rear-naked choke.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 54, priced from just £25, are available to purchase HERE.
With many more bouts still to be announced, keep track of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Cage Warriors 54 news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 52: Maguire v Mulholland
28/01/2013
THE main card line-up for Cage Warriors 52 is now complete following today’s addition of an exciting lightweight clash to the bill.
Tommy Maguire will face Merv Mulholland (pictured) at CWFC’s opening event of 2013, which is set for London’s HMV Forum on Saturday, March 9.
Maguire (14-5), who recently signed an exclusive Cage Warriors contract, will be making his CWFC debut on the back of a run of five wins in his last six outings.
The younger brother of UFC welterweight John Maguire, 25-year-old Tommy appeared on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter and hasn’t been stopped since a second-round TKO defeat to John Hathaway back in 2007.
Mulholland (10-4), who has taken eight of his 10 wins by first-round stoppage, will be looking for a third consecutive Cage Warriors victory on March 9.
The 22-year-old, who hails from Belfast, is currently ranked 14th in the UK and secured a Submission of the Night bonus for his defeat of Daniel Thomas at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff back in October.
Cage Warriors 52 will be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Cathal Pendred and defending champion Gael Grimaud.
MAIN CARD (Live worldwide on MMAJunkie.com at 9pm GMT)
Gael Grimaud (champion) v Cathal Pendred - CWFC welterweight title bout
Mohsen Bahari v Bruno Carvalho
Tommy Maguire v Merv Mulholland
Matt Inman v Jack Mason
Paul Redmond v Alexei Roberts
Liam James v Alan Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD (Live worldwide on Facebook at 7.45pm GMT)
Chris Fishgold v Steve O’Keeffe
Brett Bassett v Brett Sizeland
Alex Enlund v Martin McDonough
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 52, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on March 9, are available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 52: Bahari v Carvalho
23/01/2013
A MAJOR international welterweight bout has been added to the card for Cage Warriors 52.
Mohsen Bahari and Bruno Carvalho will clash on the organisation’s first show of 2013, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on Saturday, March 9.
Bahari (5-0) will be aiming for a second successive Cage Warriors victory after he defeated Piotr Ptasinski at CWFC Fight Night 7 in Jordan back in September, a bout that was voted Fight of the Year by Cage Warriors fans.
The unbeaten 28-year-old, who fights out of Team Hellboy in Norway, has taken three of his four other wins by first-round stoppage.
Carvalho (14-6) will be eager to rebound from his decision loss to Cathal Pendred in the main event at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff back in October.
Currently based in Sweden, the 30-year-old BJJ black belt 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.
Cage Warriors 52 will be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Cathal Pendred and defending champion Gael Grimaud.
More Cage Warriors 52 bouts will be announced in the coming days. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 52, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on March 9, are available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors confirms three more events for 2013
23/01/2013
ANOTHER three events have been confirmed for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s 2013 schedule.
As announced in December, the promotion will begin the year with Cage Warriors 52: Grimaud v Pendred in London on Saturday, March 9.
CEO Graham Boylan has now confirmed that the event will be followed by numbered events in Glasgow, Cardiff and Dublin. Several international shows will also be added to the schedule in due course.
Having staged an event in Scotland for the first time last month, CWFC will return to Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall on Saturday, April 13, for Cage Warriors 53.
Following on from a hugely successful debut Welsh event last October, the promotion will also be back in Cardiff on Saturday, May 4, for Cage Warriors 54, which will take place at the 5,000-capacity Motorpoint Arena.
Saturday, June 1, will see CWFC return to The Helix in Dublin for Cage Warriors 55.
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest event announcements and ticket details.
Cage Warriors 52: Inman v Mason, Fishgold v O’Keeffe
22/01/2013
MATT INMAN and Chris Fishgold will make their CWFC debuts in London on March 9 following the addition of another two bouts to the card for Cage Warriors 52.
The event, booked to take place at the HMV Forum, will be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Cathal Pendred and defending champion Gael Grimaud.
Cage Warriors 52 will now also feature a welterweight bout between Inman and CWFC veteran Jack Mason (pictured), with Fishgold and Steve O’Keeffe set to collide at featherweight.
Inman (9-4), who signed an exclusive five-fight deal with Cage Warriors last week, is ranked as one of the UK’s top 20 welterweights and has taken eight of his nine wins by first-round stoppage.
Mason (22-11) will be appearing on a Cage Warriors card for the eighth time in his career and put together a 5-2 overall record last year, which included CWFC wins over Tommy Quinn and Florent Betorangal.
Meanwhile, Chris Fishgold will finally make his first appearance in the organisation after his highly-anticipated clash with Robert Whiteford at Cage Warriors 50 in Glasgow last month had to be cancelled when his opponent sustained an injury.
Fishgold (7-0), who fights out of Next Generation, is exclusively contracted to Cage Warriors. The unbeaten 20-year-old has taken six of his seven wins by submission.
O’Keeffe (6-2), a veteran of three CWFC bouts, holds notable wins over Artem Lobov and Jeremy Petley. The 26-year-old will be returning to action for the first time since seeing a six-fight win streak snapped by CWFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor at Cage Warriors 45 last February.
More Cage Warriors 52 bouts will be announced in the coming days. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 52, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on March 9, are available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 52: James v Philpott, Bassett v Sizeland
21/01/2013
THE card for Cage Warriors 52 is taking shape following the addition of two more bouts to the bill.
The event, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on Saturday, March 9, will be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Cathal Pendred and defending champion Gael Grimaud.
Officials have today announced that Liam James (pictured) and Alan Philpott are to meet in a bantamweight bout, while a middleweight rematch between Brett Bassett and Brett Sizeland has also been set for the organisation’s first show of 2013.
James and Philpott had been scheduled to square off at Cage Warriors 51 on New Year’s Eve, but a knee injury forced James out of the fight.
Philpott (7-3), who hails from Northern Ireland, made an impressive CWFC debut back in October, submitting Kris Edwards in the first round of their clash at Cage Warriors 49.
The 20-year-old said: “This is a fight that really suits me. I’m not worried about Liam’s stand-up and if he takes me down I’ll submit him. It won’t be a walkover but I will finish him. I think it could be Fight of the Night.”
James (6-4) recorded a career-best victory over Jean N’Doye at CWFC Fight Night 5 in Jordan last April, before moving down from featherweight and suffering a second-round submission loss to Olivier Pastor.
“I’ll put the fight where I want and knock Alan out or submit him,” said James, a 28-year-old Newcastle native. “Either way I’m going to win this fight.”
Bassett and Sizeland will meet for a second time following their previous clash – at Cage Warriors 45 in February of last year – which ended in a win for Sizeland by doctor stoppage after Bassett sustained a cut to the back of his head.
Sizeland (6-2), a 31-year-old Englishman, is a veteran of three CWFC victories but will be keen to return to winning ways following a loss to Denniston Sutherland at Cage Warriors 48 last July.
“I love a good rematch. I can’t wait,” said Sizeland. “Don’t blink because it’s going to be explosive and the outcome will be the same as last time.”
Bassett (8-3) is coming off a stunning KO victory over Mike Ling at last September’s CWFC Fight Night 7 in Jordan, a win that came after just 38 seconds of the first round.
The 26-year-old Londoner said: “This is my chance to set things straight. Sizeland didn’t beat me, he cut me and the fight was stopped. I came into that fight unprepared but that won’t happen this time. I’ll show that Sizeland isn’t on my level.”
More Cage Warriors 52 bouts will be announced in the coming days. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 52, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on March 9, are available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Trio join CWFC roster
18/01/2013
New Cage Warriors signing Tommy Quinn on his way to victory against Philip Mulpeter in Dublin on New Year’s Eve (Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors).
TOMMY QUINN, Ryan Roddy and Matt Inman have been added to Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s roster of fighters.
All three have signed five-fight deals to compete exclusively for Cage Warriors for the next 18 months.
Quinn (5-1), a 23-year-old Irish welterweight, fought twice for CWFC in 2012.
The Derry native rebounded from a loss to Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 47 to defeat Philip Mulpeter at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on December 31.
“It’s a great privilege to have signed with Cage Warriors,” said Quinn. “I always know I’m going to get good fights from Ian Dean and Graham Boylan.
“This also gives me security for my future because I know I’ll be well looked after, both as a fighter and a person. What more could I ask for?”
Roddy (5-1) also hails from Derry and made his CWFC debut on New Year’s Eve.
Despite suffering a second-round submission loss to Paul Redmond, the previously unbeaten 23-year-old lightweight impressed enough to secure a five-fight deal.
Roddy said: “I’m signed to the best show in Europe so I couldn’t be happier right now. This is a great opportunity for me and I want to thank Cage Warriors and my manager for this chance.”
Inman (9-4) has taken all nine of his wins by stoppage, eight of which have come inside the first round.
The 26-year-old Manchester welterweight will make his debut for the organisation on March 9 at Cage Warriors 52.
“I’m really happy with the contract,” said Inman. “It’s both exciting and daunting to think I’ll now be fighting on the biggest show in Europe.
“They’ve got a very deep welterweight division but I’m absolutely committed to taking this opportunity and performing well.”
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Cage Warriors 52: Redmond v Roberts, McDonough v Enlund
16/01/2013
OFFICIALS have added two further bouts to the card for Cage Warriors 52, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on Saturday, March 9.
Paul Redmond will return to CWFC action on the organisation’s first show of the year for a lightweight bout against Alexei Roberts, while Martin McDonough and Alex Enlund are set to clash at bantamweight.
Redmond (6-3), who recently signed an exclusive Cage Warriors contract, had a year to remember in 2012 courtesy of three CWFC victories in as many bouts.
The 26-year-old Irishman (pictured) stopped Yuri Malko and Ryan Roddy in his hometown of Dublin at Cage Warriors 47 and 51 respectively, either side of a career-best victory over Lewis Long at October’s Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff.
“Last year went well for me but I want to keep progressing in 2013 and I’m looking forward to fighting in London,” said Redmond. “I was delighted to get the Cage Warriors contract. You only get tough fights on Cage Warriors and this is another one coming up.”
Roberts (9-3) will be making his Cage Warriors debut on March 9 when he collides with Redmond, who the 26-year-old Englishman describes as “a very tough opponent”.
A former welterweight champion for top UK promotion Shock ‘N’ Awe, Roberts has been in clinical form since dropping to the 155lbs division late last year, winning his two most recent bouts by submission inside 30 seconds.
Roberts said: It’s a great privilege to be fighting on Cage Warriors, especially against a guy ranked in the top 20 in the UK. It’s awesome to fight on a top show against a top opponent to start 2013 off with a bang.”
The meeting of McDonough and Enlund is a clash of two of the UK’s most exciting young bantamweights, both of whom had victorious Cage Warriors debuts last year before securing exclusive contracts.
McDonough (9-4), who’s ranked in the UK’s top 10, has taken four wins from his last five outings, with the only loss coming via decision at the hands of CWFC veteran James Brum.
The 24-year-old Welshman earned a Submission of the Night bonus after defeating Dino Gambatesa via first-round armbar at Cage Warriors 49 back in October.
“I’m very excited to be back on Cage Warriors,” said McDonough. “I’m determined to have a good year and a win on March 9 would get it off to the perfect start.”
Enlund (7-1-0-1nc), a native of South Shields, returned from a lengthy injury absence to defeat Ahsan Gilani by first-round TKO at last month’s Cage Warriors 50, but the 25-year-old is now looking forward to tougher challenges in 2013.
He said: “Fights like this are why I signed with Cage Warriors. It’s the perfect platform and provides the perfect opposition to get the best out of me.”
Cage Warriors 52 will be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Cathal Pendred and defending champion Gael Grimaud.
More Cage Warriors 52 bouts will be announced in the coming days. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 52, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on March 9, are available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cathal Pendred: From flanker to grappler
15/01/2013
HIS coaches at Clontarf Rugby Club knew they’d lost him when his appearances at training started to become less frequent.
It was out of character for 20-year-old Cathal Pendred. He was one of the club’s brightest prospects, with genuine aspirations of carving out a career as a professional rugby player.
His appetite for training and hard work was irrepressible. He’d train seven days a week if he could. But eventually the promising back-row forward was hardly turning up for matches each weekend. Something wasn’t quite right.
“I was missing a lot of training sessions and they were obviously wondering what the hell was going on. When I told them why, they thought I was a bit nuts,” Pendred recalls.
Being a professional athlete had always been his ambition. Having won a prestigious Leinster Schools Senior Cup medal with Belvedere College at Lansdowne Road in 2005 alongside the likes of current Irish internationals Cian Healy and Ian Keatley, he was on the right track.
Pendred’s objective never changed, but a year in San Diego caused him to follow a very different path in trying to achieve it. Rugby lost its appeal when he stumbled upon mixed martial arts.
“I had watched a lot of MMA on TV but assumed there was nowhere you could do it in Ireland. When I went to San Diego after finishing school there were MMA gyms everywhere. I gave it a go out of curiosity and loved it straight away,” he explains.
“When I came back home I was like a man possessed, trying to find a gym. I was surprised that there were actually a few around Dublin so I started training as soon as I got back. Within four or five months I had my first amateur fight.”
It didn’t take long for Pendred’s fascination with MMA to halt his pursuit of a career in rugby. Soon he was devoting five nights a week to the combat sport. Having also just begun a four-year degree course at Dublin City University, there was little time for much else.
When he informed friends and family of the change in his sporting interests, the reaction was always the same. The raised eyebrows were to be expected and nobody was more bemused than his father and mother.
There was more than enough physicality in rugby, but cage-fighting? Pendred’s parents took some convincing. His father travelled with him to his amateur debut in Derry. A couple of fights later his mother came along.
“The first time my mam came to a fight she just hid in the corner and couldn’t watch,” Pendred recalls. “My dad was a bit worried at the start as well and it took a while to win them over. But they love it now and they’re completely behind me.
“They’re more educated about the sport and they understand that it’s not as dangerous as it might appear at first. I’ve never really had anything more than bumps and bruises. I got far more injuries playing rugby.”
CWFC welterweight title contender Cathal Pendred in action for Belvedere College in the 2005 Leinster Schools Senior Cup final at Lansdowne Road.
Since making his professional debut in 2009, Pendred’s ascent has been impressively swift. After suffering two losses early on, he has gone on to establish himself as one of the top welterweights in Europe. But what made him so adamant that rugby was no longer his calling?
Ireland prop-forward Cian Healy, one of his closest friends, is living the life that Pendred once aspired to. He still misses rugby, but not that much. There are no regrets.
“When I played rugby I always picked a guy on the opposing team – usually a guy in a similar position to me – and tried to outplay him, catch him in a tackle, get my hands on more ball than him; basically just get the better of him.
“That’s the one thing more than any other that appeals to me about MMA. It’s just one guy versus another, the ultimate form of competing and challenging yourself. MMA is very much a team sport when it comes to training in the gym, but it’s all down to yourself once you get in there.
“It’s all the parts of rugby that I loved. I do miss rugby sometimes but I’m delighted with how things have gone. I’d rather get to the top in MMA than rugby. I think I’m pretty close to that.”
The UFC remains the desired destination for every MMA fighter. Pendred is hovering just below that level at present, but he believes a call from the summit is imminent and his performances in 2012 suggest the same.
Despite going into both fights as the underdog, Pendred defeated top European-ranked opponents in the shape of Bruno Carvalho and three-time UFC veteran David Bielkheden last year.
The win over Bielkheden was in front of his friends and family at The Helix in Dublin back in June. A week earlier he was in the very same venue sitting his final university exams, from which he recently graduated with a degree in analytical science. But ideally he’ll never have to use it.
“I’m done with that!” Pendred says emphatically. “When I fully decided to go with the MMA I was already two years into the degree. It’s good to have something to fall back on if I ever get a serious injury and have to retire. I was tempted to leave it go but I don’t like quitting anything.”
Check out his fights against Carvalho and Bielkheden and you’ll see that Pendred takes a similar approach when it comes to his sport. On both occasions he displayed remarkable resilience to withstand pressure and emerge victorious.
Right now the 25-year-old is plying his trade with Cage Warriors and has finally earned the title shot he’s been dreaming of since winning his promotional debut in November 2010.
Pendred will fight defending champion Gael Grimaud in the main event at Cage Warriors 52 at London’s HMV Forum on March 9. Like the Bielkheden and Carvalho fights, it’s the biggest of his life to date, which is proof that Pendred’s career is on an upward trajectory.
“I’ve never been more confident going into a fight. That has nothing to do with my opponent, it’s just a result of my skill-set having grown to where it is now, my experience increasing, and my belief in my abilities.
“I believe I’m the best fighter in my weight class in Europe and on March 9 I’m going to win the most prestigious title available from a European promotion. That means everything to me.
“I had my first fight for Cage Warriors a little over two years ago. Since then I’ve wanted to become their welterweight champion. In that short space of time I’ve grown from a young novice professional fighter to the best in Europe, and Cage Warriors has developed into the biggest show in Europe and one of the biggest in the world.
“I’ve grown up as a fighter on Cage Warriors and after a couple of years of testing myself against some of the best around, I’m finally getting to reach the goal I set for myself way back then by becoming the Cage Warriors welterweight champion.”
Victory on March 9 would send the CWFC weltwerweight title to Dublin. That Leinster Schools rugby medal may not be the focal point of Pendred’s mantelpiece for much longer.
Interview: Paul Dollery
Lead photo: Dolly Clew
Cage Warriors 52: Grimaud v Pendred
14/01/2013
GAEL GRIMAUD (pictured) will defend his CWFC welterweight title for the second time at Cage Warriors 52.
The Frenchman will put the belt on the line when he takes on Cathal Pendred at London’s HMV Forum on Saturday, March 9, which will headline the organisation’s opening event of 2013.
Grimaud (17-5) has been at the summit of Cage Warriors’ welterweight division since September 2011 when he clinched the vacant title courtesy of a second-round TKO victory over Pendred’s SBG Ireland team-mate, Arni Isaksson, at CWFC Fight Night 2 in Jordan.
Currently riding an eight-fight win streak, 33-year-old Grimaud made a successful first defence of the strap at CWFC Fight Night 6 in Bahrain back in May, submitting Jesse Taylor via third-round armbar.
Pendred (11-2-1), who’s unbeaten in five Cage Warriors outings, catapulted himself into the top contender’s slot courtesy of two impressive decision wins last year.
The 25-year-old Irishman overcame UFC veteran David Bielkheden at June’s Cage Warriors 47 in his hometown of Dublin, before edging out Bruno Carvalho in the main event at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff in October.
More Cage Warriors 52 bouts will be announced in the coming days. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 52, which takes place at London’s HMV Forum on March 9, are available to purchase HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Six more added to Cage Warriors roster
10/01/2013
THE Cage Warriors stable of talent has been boosted further by the addition of six more of the UK and Ireland’s top fighters, who have signed up to compete exclusively under the organisation’s banner.
Paul Redmond, Dave Hill, Tommy Maguire, Davey Grant, Alex Enlund and Chris Scott have all put pen to paper on contracts which will commit them to Cage Warriors over the next 18 months.
“We increased our roster of exclusive fighters significantly in 2012 but we’ll continue to do the same this year. I’m very happy that we’ll have even more fighters of the calibre of these six guys competing for Cage Warriors in the near future,” said CEO Graham Boylan.
“At Cage Warriors we only offer exclusive contracts to fighters who we believe have all the tools to go far in this sport, and that’s certainly the case with these new signings. They’re all extremely talented guys and, just as importantly, they have the right attitude too.”
Redmond (6-3) was one of the major success stories of 2012 on Cage Warriors, joining Conor McGregor and James Brum as one of only three fighters to win three CWFC bouts last year.
The 26-year-old Irishman (pictured) stopped Yuri Malko and Ryan Roddy in his hometown of Dublin at Cage Warriors 47 and 51 respectively, either side of a career-best victory over Lewis Long at October’s Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff.
Hill (10-3) will return to Cage Warriors action in 2013 following his shot at the CWFC featherweight title against Conor McGregor at Cage Warriors 47 in Dublin back in June.
Despite suffering a second-round submission loss on that occasion, the Coventry native remains one of the UK’s top 10 featherweights and has recorded notable wins over the likes of Ashleigh Grimshaw and two-time UFC veteran Dave Lee.
Maguire (14-5) will make his CWFC debut this year on the back of a run of five wins in his last six outings.
The younger brother of UFC welterweight John Maguire, Tommy appeared on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter and hasn’t been stopped since a second-round TKO defeat to John Hathaway back in 2007.
Grant (8-1) will be another CWFC debutant this year after a 3-0 streak in 2012 saw him climb into the top 10 in the UK’s bantamweight rankings.
The 26-year-old Englishman had a first-round submission win over the previously unbeaten James Pennington to win the Shock ‘N’ Awe 135lbs title last July.
Enlund (7-1-0-1nc) is another exciting bantamweight prospect from the north-east of England who recently appeared on a CWFC card for the first time in his career.
A frustrating injury lay-off followed his only loss to date against Diego Vital in October 2011, but 25-year-old Enlund made a winning return to action against Ahsan Gilani at December’s Cage Warriors 50 and is looking forward to the bigger tests that lie ahead.
Scott (6-1) is currently on a five-fight win streak and is ranked as one of the UK’s top 20 middleweights.
The 30-year-old, who hails from Sunderland, has secured all six of his professional wins by submission.
Several more exclusive Cage Warriors signings will be announced shortly. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 51 on Sky Sports 3
09/01/2013
FANS will have another chance to catch some of the action from Cage Warriors 51 tonight (Wednesday, January 9).
Four main-card bouts, including two world title fights, will be repeated on a two-hour programme on Sky Sports 3 at 10pm GMT.
Cage Warriors 51, which broadcast live around the world from Dublin, Ireland on New Year’s Eve, was headlined by a historic lightweight title clash between Conor McGregor and Ivan Buchinger.
Chris Fields also defended his middleweight crown for the first time against Jesse Taylor, after Jack Mason and Florent Betorangal collided in a three-round welterweight battle.
Kicking off the show will be the 120lbs catchweight meeting of Katja Kankaanpaa and Aisling Daly, a bout many selected as their ‘Fight of the Night’.
Conor McGregor v Ivan Buchinger – lightweight title bout
Chris Fields v Jesse Taylor – middleweight title bout
Jack Mason v Florent Betorangal – welterweight
Aisling Daly v Katja Kankaanpaa – 120lbs catchweight
Here’s a taste of what’s coming your way tonight on Sky Sports 3…
Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors
Conor McGregor defeats Ivan Buchinger by KO to make Cage Warriors history [VIDEO]
02/01/2013
Conor McGregor rang in 2013 as the talk of the MMA world after making history at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve.
The 24-year-old Irishman (12-2) became the first fighter to simultaneously hold CWFC titles in two unified weight classes after securing a stunning first-round KO victory over Slovakian star Ivan Buchinger.
The bout was for the vacant CWFC lightweight title and subsequently gave McGregor a second Cage Warriors belt. Back in June he captured the vacant featherweight strap after submitting Dave Hill.
Photo: Cage Warriors | Dolly Clew
Preview | Cage Warriors 2012: The Year in Review [VIDEO]
01/01/2013
Coming soon, a special programme documenting the most successful year in the 10-year history of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship.
2012 saw the organisation return to the forefront of MMA in Europe courtesy of 12 shows across nine different countries. Here’s a taste of what to expect…
Results: Cage Warriors 51
31/12/2012
Conor McGregor made history at Cage Warriors 51 by becoming the first fighter to simultaneously hold two CWFC titles in unified weight classes (Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
Report from MMAJunkie.com...
CONOR McGregor entered the cage with a confidence that bordered on cockiness, but it proved more than justified as he dominated and embarrassed Ivan Buchinger to win his second Cage Warriors title.
The organisation’s reigning featherweight champion added the vacant lightweight belt to his collection with a highlight-reel knockout of the experienced Slovakian fighter in the main event of Cage Warriors 51.
The New Year’s Eve event took place at The Helix in Dublin, and the main card streamed on MMAJunkie.com following prelims on Facebook.
McGregor (12-2), an Irishman, dazzled the crowd with what was simply a thrilling performance. After entering the cage to a huge reception, he scored an easy takedown and taunted Buchinger (21-4) when standing.
Then, a little more than midway through the round, he dropped Buchinger with a perfectly placed left. Buchinger was out on his feet and slowly fell to the mat. McGregor, who had toyed with his opponent prior to the big punch, could do little but stand and admire his work.
“The Dubin people really get behind me and support me, and I’m just happy to come out here and put a show on for them,” he said.
McGregor, who’s now won eight straight fights all via stoppage (six in the first round), hopes his latest performance garners some attention from the UFC, where he’ll likely find challenges worthy of his obvious talent.
Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (24-9) and his world tour resulted in another belt for his collection; the former UFC fighter and “The Ultimate Fighter 7” runner-up defeated Irish fighter Chris Fields (10-5) on home soil to take the Cage Warriors middleweight title. Taylor needed little more than a round to secure the dominant victory.
Taylor easily scored takedowns, had a stifling top game, and unloaded a steady stream of ground and pound during his wrestling-heavy first round. Then, after catching a front kick early in the second round, he forced the fight to the mat and took Fields’ back.
Fields, who won the title in a bout with Pavel Kusch following Cage Warriors’ injury-plagued middleweight tournament, couldn’t fight off the choke. Taylor, who’s recently fought at welterweight but looked bulked up for his middleweight return, needed to secure just one hook to muscle the tap-out from the deep rear-naked choke. The end came just 66 seconds into the round.
“I’m old school, so I’ll do any weight class,” said Taylor, who made his promotional debut earlier this year. “I can’t do lightweight, but let’s do this.
“I want to fight as soon as possible. If it were up to me, I’d fight everyday. This is my life, my livelihood. ... Maybe one day the UFC will call me. If not, I’m perfectly happy right here.”
In the night’s lone female fight, Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) built on her undefeated record and spoiled the homecoming of fellow 120-pounder Aisling Daly (13-5) via unanimous decision. The Finnish wrestler dominated the action on the mat, threatened with a few submissions, and held her own standing to defeat the Irish fighter via 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 scores.
Jack Mason (22-11) ended a busy 2012 campaign on a winning note and went 5-2 on the year with a grinding unanimous-decision victory over fellow welterweight Florent Betorangal (10-6). The ref issued Mason a questionable one-point deduction in the third round for a headbutt, but despite the point loss, he comfortably took the unanimous-decision victory via 29-27 scores.
In the night’s competitive main-card opener, Paul Redmond (6-3) delivered fellow lightweight Ryan Roddy (5-1) his first career loss with a second-round submission via toehold. Redmond grabbed the hold when his opponent attempted butterfly guard on a takedown attempt. After the victory, which moved him to 3-0 in the promotion, Redmond was rewarded with a new five-fight Cage Warriors contract.
James Brum (11-2), who was recently named CWFC Fighter of the Year, made it four Cage Warriors wins out of four in 2012 with a unanimous decision win over the impressive Moktar Benkaci (8-4) on the prelims.
In a thrilling three-round battle, Tommy Quinn (5-1) edged out fellow Irishman Philip Mulpeter (5-3) by majority decision in what was a strong contender for ‘Fight of the Night’.
The Facebook prelims began with a clinical win for Henry Fadipe (5-4) at the expense of Charlie Watts (3-1). The Nigerian middleweight dropped the previously unbeaten Englishman early before following up with a flurry of strikes to earn the first-round stoppage.
MAIN CARD
Conor McGregor defeats Ivan Buchinger by KO (punch) after 3.40 of the first round – McGregor wins the vacant CWFC lightweight title.
Jesse Taylor defeats Chris Fields by submission (rear-naked choke) after 1:09 of the second round – Taylor becomes new CWFC middleweight champion.
Katja Kankaanpaa defeats Aisling Daly by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Jack Mason defeats Florent Betorangal by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27).
Paul Redmond defeats Ryan Roddy by submission (toehold) after 2:14 of the second round.
PRELIMINARY CARD
James Brum def. Moktar Benkaci by unanimous decision (30-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Tommy Quinn def. Philip Mulpeter by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29).
Henry Fadipe def. Charlie Watts by TKO (strikes) after 1:09 of the first round.
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 51
30/12/2012
Lightweight title contenders Conor McGregor and Ivan Buchinger come face-to-face at the Cage Warriors 51 weigh-ins (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
ALL fighters are on weight for tomorrow night’s Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin, Ireland, following this afternoon’s weigh-ins.
Ivan Buchinger, who faces Conor McGregor for the vacant CWFC lightweight title in the main event, hit the mark at 155lbs. McGregor came in at 155.4lbs on his first attempt but returned just 10 minutes later having shed the required 0.4lbs.
Co-headliners Chris Fields and Jesse Taylor both made weight at the first attempt. Fields, who makes his first defence of the CWFC middleweight title, tipped the scales at 184.9lbs and Taylor came in at 184.5lbs.
Paul Redmond and Jack Mason were both above the mark on their initial attempts (0.6lbs and 0.3lbs respectively), but both returned on weight shortly afterwards.
MAIN CARD (MMAJunkie.com, 9pm GMT)
Conor McGregor (155lbs) v Ivan Buchinger (155lbs) – for vacant lightweight title
Champion Chris Fields (184.9lbs) v Jesse Taylor (184.5lbs) – for middleweight title
Aisling Daly (120.6lbs) v Katja Kankaanpaa (120lbs) – 120lbs catchweight
Jack Mason (171lbs) v Florent Betorangal (169.7lbs) – welterweight
Paul Redmond (155.9lbs) v Ryan Roddy (155.3lbs) – lightweight
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 7.45pm GMT)
James Brum (135.8lbs) v Moktar Benkaci (135.5lbs) – bantamweight
Philip Mulpeter (169.8lbs) v Tommy Quinn (169.7lbs) – welterweight
Charlie Watts (185.4lbs) v Henry Fadipe (185.5lbs) – middleweight
Get your tickets for Cage Warriors 51 HERE or on the door at The Helix tomorrow night. Doors open at 6pm.
The main card will stream live on MMAJunkie.com at 9pm GMT, following prelims on Facebook at 7.45pm GMT.
Click HERE to view a full gallery of weigh-in photos courtesy of Cage Warriors photographer Dolly Clew.
Cage Warriors 51
29/12/2012
THE busiest and most successful year in the 10-year history of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship draws to a close with the organisation’s 12th show of 2012 on New Year’s Eve.
Cage Warriors 51 takes place at The Helix in Dublin on Monday, December 31, marking CWFC’s first show in the Irish capital since June’s hugely successful Cage Warriors 47 at the same venue.
On that occasion Conor McGregor (11-2) captured the featherweight belt courtesy of victory over Dave Hill. The Dubliner will be aiming to secure another vacant CWFC title on Monday night.
Slovakian star Ivan Buchinger (21-3) will take on McGregor for the right to be crowned Cage Warriors’ 155lbs champion. If McGregor succeeds, he’ll make history as the first fighter to simultaneously hold two CWFC titles in unified weight classes.
In the co-main event, one of Conor McGregor’s team-mates from the SGB Ireland camp will also be in title-bout action, as Chris Fields (10-4) fights for the first time since winning the CWFC middleweight strap at the expense of Pavel Kusch at September’s CWFC Fight Night 7 in Jordan.
Fields, who also hails from Dublin, will face former UFC and Strikeforce fighter Jesse Taylor (23-9), with the winner poised to see in 2013 at the summit of the 185lbs division.
Weigh-ins take place at Dublin Airport’s Carlton Hotel on Sunday, December 30, at 2pm GMT. For live updates, follow Cage Warriors Fighting Championship on Twitter.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 are available HERE. You can watch the main card live, free of charge and worldwide on MMAJunkie.com at 9pm GMT, following the three-bout preliminary card on Facebook at 7.45pm GMT.
MAIN CARD (MMAJunkie.com, 9pm GMT)
Conor McGregor v Ivan Buchinger – for vacant lightweight title
Chris Fields (champion) v Jesse Taylor – for middleweight title
Aisling Daly v Katja Kankaanpaa – 120lbs catchweight
Jack Mason v Florent Betorangal – welterweight
Paul Redmond v Ryan Roddy – lightweight
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 7.45pm GMT)
James Brum v Moktar Benkaci – bantamweight
Philip Mulpeter v Tommy Quinn – welterweight
Charlie Watts v Henry Fadipe – middleweight
Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
James and Sheil to miss Cage Warriors 51
27/12/2012
INJURIES have forced some late changes to be made to the card for Cage Warriors 51, which takes place at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland this Monday, December 31.
John Michael Sheil has sustained a knee injury and has had to withdraw from his welterweight clash with Jack Mason. Sheil (8-1) is now expected to face a lengthy lay-off.
Mason (21-11) will instead take on Florent Betorangal (10-5), a highly-rated Frenchman who has taken eight of his 10 career victories by submission.
Meanwhile, the bantamweight bout between Liam James (pictured) and Alan Philpott has been pulled from the card following an injury to James (6-4).
The 28-year-old Englishman also damaged his knee in training last week but a suitable replacement opponent for Philpott (7-3) could unfortunately not be found at such a late stage.
As a result, the lightweight bout between Paul Redmond (5-3) and Ryan Roddy (5-0) will be promoted to the main card.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 are on sale HERE. The main card will stream live on MMA Junkie at 9pm (GMT). Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
Brum tops poll as Fighter of the Year
21/12/2012
James Brum (pictured) has been named Fighter of the Year in the Cage Warriors Awards for 2012.
The English bantamweight picked up 49% of the votes cast here on the Cage Warriors website over the past two weeks, which was just 4% more than Jim Alers who finished in second place, while CWFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor was third.
Brum (10-2) is the only fighter to have won three CWFC bouts this year, having overcome Leandro Gontijo, Thomas Back and James Saville to climb to fourth place in the European bantamweight rankings.
The 25-year-old could clinch his fourth victory of 2012 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve when he takes on Moktar Benkaci at Cage Warriors 51.
“I’m absolutely delighted to have won this award and I want to thank my friends, family and team-mates for all their support at every step along the way,” said Brum.
“Winning something like this when the competition is so tough gives me a great sense of achievement, because Cage Warriors has had an abundance of superstars fighting on their cards this year.
“My goal is to finish 2012 unbeaten with four wins and prove I’m worthy of this accolade. Roll on New Year’s Eve.”
Brum will be rewarded with new training gear and equipment courtesy of London Fight Store, who sponsored the Fighter of the Year category.
The meeting of Mohsen Bahari and Piotr Ptasinski at CWFC Fight Night 7 was voted Fight of the Year with 51% of the votes.
The pair battled it out for three exciting rounds at the New Boxing Arena in Jordan on September 1 before Bahari came away with a unanimous decision victory.
Both fighters will receive training gear and equipment from Caged Steel, who generously sponsored the Fighter of the Year category.
Pavel Kusch picks up the Submission of the Year award for his omoplata victory over Alexander Starikov at Cage Warriors 46 in Kiev back in February.
Kusch received 39% of the votes and will receive training gear and equipment sponsored by London Fight Store.
The KO of the Year award goes to Dale Hardiman for his stunning stoppage of Ido Pariente at Cage Warriors 48 in London in July.
Hardiman picked up 44% of the votes, which earns him a five-month supply of V-Pack supplements from Ectomuscle, who sponsored the KO of the Year category.
The Moment of the Year award went to Jay Furness for stepping up on weigh-in day to fight - and then defeat - Artem Lobov at CWFC Fight Night 7.
Furness, who received 48% of the votes, will also be rewarded with training gear and equipment from category sponsors London Fight Store.
Having taken 42% of the votes, Glasgow’s Cage Warriors 50 was named Event of the Year.
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship would like to thank Caged Steel, Ectomuscle and London Fight Store for their generous sponsorship of the Cage Warriors Awards 2012.
Photo: Dolly Clew
Cage Warriors 51: Brum v Benkaci
14/12/2012
James Brum celebrates September’s win against James Saville in Jordan (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
JAMES BRUM will aim for his fourth CWFC win of 2012 when he takes on Moktar Benkaci at Cage Warriors 51 on New Year’s Eve.
The pair will clash in a bantamweight bout on the December 31 card at The Helix in Dublin for Cage Warriors’ second visit to the Irish capital this year.
The event will be co-headlined by a pair of title bouts as Chris Fields defends his middleweight strap for the first time against Jesse Taylor, followed by the meeting of Conor McGregor and Ivan Buchinger for the vacant lightweight belt.
Brum (10-2), who trains alongside UFC flyweight Phil Harris at Portsmouth’s Gym 01, has made massive strides in the 135lbs division this year, rising to fourth in the European rankings courtesy of wins over Leandro Gontijo, Thomas Back and James Saville.
Benkaci (8-3), a highly-rated Frenchman with an impressive CV, moves down to bantamweight to face Brum having dropped a decision loss to top-ten European featherweight Joni Salovaara in October.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 are on sale HERE. With more bouts still to be announced, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
MAIN CARD
McGregor v Buchinger
Fields v Taylor
Daly v Kankaanpaa
Sheil v Mason
James v Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD
Redmond v Roddy
Brum v Benkaci
Mulpeter v Quinn
Watts v Fadipe
Cage Warriors Awards 2012
12/12/2012
VOTING is now open in the Cage Warriors 2012 Awards, as we celebrate the most successful year in CWFC’s 10-year history by rewarding our fighters for providing us with some remarkable entertainment over the past 12 months.
We’re polling for the best fight, fighter, KO, submission, moment and event of the year. The awards are being sponsored by London Fight Store, Caged Steel and Ectomuscle, who have put some excellent prizes on the line for the victorious fighters.
You can cast your votes by clicking HERE and registering (if you haven’t already done so). Polling closes on Friday, December 21.
Cage Warriors 51: Fields v Taylor
11/12/2012
The CWFC middleweight champion will put his belt up for grabs at The Helix on December 31 (Photo: Tommy Lakes).
CHRIS FIELDS will make his first defence of the CWFC middleweight title in his hometown of Dublin on New Year’s Eve.
Fields, who captured the vacant title courtesy of his win over Pavel Kusch in the final of this year’s middleweight tournament, will put the belt on the line against Jesse Taylor at Cage Warriors 51, as the organisation brings the curtain down on a hugely successful year with a 12th event.
Taylor (23-9), who fights out of Team Quest in California, is a UFC, Strikeforce and Dream veteran who holds notable victories over the likes of Tom Watson and Chris Camozzi.
The 28-year-old has returned to 185lbs since his welterweight loss to Gael Grimaud at CWFC Fight Night 6: Bahrain in May, embarking on a three-fight win streak to catapult himself into middleweight title contention.
Jesse Taylor will aim to become CWFC middleweight champion on New Year’s Eve (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
Fields (10-4), dominated Kusch in September at CWFC Fight Night 7: Jordan, forcing a third-round referee stoppage to secure the title.
The 29-year-old Irishman also impressed back in February with a first-round TKO of Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 45 in London.
“Our middleweight tournament has made it a very busy year for the division and we’ve had to deal with a lot of injuries to our top contenders, but Jesse Taylor has put together some very impressive wins recently and will be a worthy challenger for the belt on New Year’s Eve,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
Conor McGregor, a team-mate of Chris Fields at SBG Ireland and the reigning CWFC featherweight champion, will aim to make history in the co-main event at Cage Warriors 51 by also clinching the lightweight title at the expense of Ivan Buchinger.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 are on sale HERE. With more bouts still to be announced, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
MAIN CARD
McGregor v Buchinger
Fields v Taylor
Daly v Kankaanpaa
Sheil v Mason
James v Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD
Redmond v Roddy
Mulpeter v Quinn
Watts v Fadipe
Results: Cage Warriors 50
08/12/2012
Wilson Reis celebrates his win over Owen Roddy at Cage Warriors 50 (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
Report from MMAJunkie.com.
Brandon Hempleman ruined Paul McVeigh‘s night in more ways than one.
The American headed overseas and scored a decision victory over McVeigh in the headliner of tonight’s Cage Warriors 50 event. It marked McVeigh’s first loss in the promotion while also spoiling a 6-0 run his Dinky Ninjas teammates had put together heading into the 130-pound main event. The event took place at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland, and streamed live on MMA Junkie.
The fighters proved evenly matched in a first round full of punches and kicks. Hempleman suffered a cut near his right eye, but his quick feet and hands made him a hard target to reach. McVeigh instead focused on low kicks, but Hempleman effectively countered.
The second round played out with a similarly frantic pace as neither fighter slowed a step. Hempleman found a home for his lunging punches, but McVeigh made him pay with knees to the body during the round.
With both fighters bloodied and bruised heading into the final frame, the stand-up war continued. Hempleman’s jabs and combos landed more frequently. McVeigh (18-8) continued attacking the body with knees and kicks, but Hempleman (9-1) was the aggressor and pushed the pace throughout much of the fight. In the end, the Idaho-based fighter was rewarded for his aggression and took the unanimous-decision win via 30-27 scores.
“I was about as nervous as I’ve ever been, but I felt about as great as I’ve ever felt,” said Hempleman, a longtime gymnast who said his background in the sport has greatly impacted his fighting skills. “Paul is a tough SOB, so this means a lot.”
Despite the loss, McVeigh, a former Cage Warriors champion who was 8-0 in the promotion, was smiling after the fight: “He did a really good job of kicking the s*** out of my leg,” he said. “It made it really hard to push off anything. It wasn’t my best performance, but I really enjoyed that fight.”
Reis chokes Roddy unconcious
Wilson Reis kept his Cage Warriors’ debut from being a complete loss. After surrendering 40 percent of his purse because he failed to make the bantamweight limit at Friday’s weigh-ins, and though opponent Owen Roddy initially gave him everything he could handle, Reis used an impressive third-round sequence to get the win in the night’s co-main event.
The former EliteXC champion and nine-time Bellator competitor continually tried to force the fight to the mat via whatever method possible. But a crafty Roddy kept the action close, defended against submissions, and landed some solid shots as Reis began to tire in the second round.
But Reis got his opening in the final frame. The jiu-jitsu black belt first scored a knockdown and then pounced on his opponent while unloading elbows and punches. Then, he moved to Roddy’s back and put him to sleep with a rear-naked choke at the 1:32 mark of the round.
“I was just waiting for the opening,” he said after the fight. “My hands are heavy, and I was waiting. I gassed in the second, but I just looked for that opening.”
Reis (16-4) now has won four straight fights since his Bellator release in 2011. Roddy (11-4), meanwhile, snaps a seven-fight win streak.
Johnston and Askham among other main-card winners
Aaron Wilkinson fired off many submission attempts from his back, but fellow welterweight Alan Johnston largely controlled the action from the top and mixed in some solid body blows to edge “The Ultimate Fighter 12” cast member via decision. Despite three close rounds, Johnston was the unanimous-decision winner via 30-28, 30-27 and 29-28 scores.
Despite some late-fight fatigue issues, Scott Askham (8-0) outlasted fellow middleweight Denniston Sutherland (18-9) in a gruelling three-rounder. Askham won via unanimous decision with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 scores. He remains undefeated with the win, which marks his first time going to a decision.
In a featherweight bout, Graham Turner (21-7) scored a takedown and then battered Nathan Beer (13-5) as he forced a TKO stoppage at the 4:30 mark of the opening round. The action-packed win marks Turner’s fourth victory in five fights and his 13th knockout in 21 career wins.
In the night’s opening bout, Dan Hope (9-5) easily got top position and rarely let it go as he topped fellow 175-pounder Avi Jack (6-2) via dominant unanimous decision (29-27 scores across the board, due to Hope’s third-round point deduction for blows to the back of the head).
MAIN CARD
Brandon Hempleman def. Paul McVeigh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Wilson Reis def. Owen Roddy by submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 1:32
Alan Johnston def. Aaron Wilkinson via unanimous decision (30-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Scott Askham def. Denniston Sutherland via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Graham Turner def. Nathan Beer via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 4:30
Dan Hope def. Avi Jack via unanimous (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Alex Enlund def. Ahsan Gilani via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:39
Mark Connor def. Andy Young via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alex Davidson def. Sean McDonald via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 1:58
Watch Cage Warriors 50 LIVE!
08/12/2012
Cage Warriors 50 takes place tonight - Saturday, December 8 - at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
Click HERE to watch the main card live on MMA Junkie at 9pm (UK).
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 50
07/12/2012
PAUL McVeigh and Brandon Hempleman are ready to clash in tomorrow night’s Cage Warriors 50 main event after they had no problems making weight this afternoon in Glasgow.
Both fighters tipped the scales at 130.7lbs ahead of their 130lbs catchweight bout, which headlines Cage Warriors’ first ever event in Scotland on Saturday at the Kelvin Hall.
Several fighters failed to make weight, including co-main event competitor Wilson Reis. The Bellator veteran weighed in at 140.2lbs for his bantamweight meeting with Owen Roddy. Reis opted not to cut any more weight so 40% of his purse will pass to Roddy.
Denniston Sutherland came in heavy at 187.9lbs for his middleweight bout against Scott Askham. Sutherland was still off the mark at 186.6lbs when he returned two hours later and therefore surrenders 25% of his purse to Askham.
Nathan Beer had 3.2lbs to cut for his featherweight encounter with Graham Turner. Beer returned to the scales at 148.2lbs so 25% of his purse passes to Turner.
On the preliminary card, Ahsan Gilani stepped in as a late replacement to fight Alex Enlund and Enlund agreed to a 141.2lbs catchweight to accommodate Gilani.
Alex Davidson was 0.8lbs over at the first attempt for his featherweight fight against Sean McDonald but returned 20 minutes later on the mark at 145.1lbs.
MAIN CARD
130lbs catchweight: Paul McVeigh (130.7lbs) v Brandon Hempleman (130.7lbs)
Bantamweight: Wilson Reis (140.2lbs) v Owen Roddy (135.1lbs)*
Welterweight: Aaron Wilkinson (170.8lbs) v Alan Johnston (170.7lbs)
Middleweight: Denniston Sutherland (186.6lbs) v Scott Askham (185.3lbs)**
Featherweight: Nathan Beer (148.2lbs) v Graham Turner (145.6lbs)***
175lbs catchweight: Avi Jack (176lbs) v Dan Hope (174.8lbs)
PRELIMINARY CARD
141.2lbs catchweight: Alex Enlund (140.7lbs) v Ahsan Gilani (141.2lbs)****
Flyweight: Andy Young (125.6lbs) v Mark Connor (125.9lbs)
Featherweight: Sean McDonald (145.8lbs) v Alex Davidson (145.1lbs)*****
* Reis misses weight, surrenders 40% of purse to Roddy
** Sutherland misses weight, surrenders 25% of purse to Askham
*** Beer misses weight, surrenders 25% of purse to Turner
**** Revised catchweight agreed as Gilani was a late replacement
***** Davidson initially weighed in at 146.8lbs
A limited number of tickets for Cage Warriors 50 will be available tomorrow at the Kelvin Hall subject to availability. The main card will stream live and worldwide on MMA Junkie at 9pm (UK).
View our gallery of weigh-in photos HERE.
Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 50: Glasgow
05/12/2012
ANOTHER new destination will taste Cage Warriors action this weekend when the organisation hosts a show in Scotland for the first time.
Cage Warriors 50 will take place at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Saturday night, with nine professional fights down for decision.
The event, our 11th of the year, will be headlined by the meeting of rising US star Brandon Hempleman (8-1) and home favourite Paul McVeigh (18-7, pictured) at a 130lbs catchweight, which will be the 100th professional Cage Warriors bout of 2012.
Also featuring the likes of Wilson Reis, Aaron Wilkinson and Denniston Sutherland, the Cage Warriors 50 main card will stream live on MMA Junkie this Saturday night at 9pm (UK).
In contrast to recent events, the stream will be available to viewers in the UK and Ireland, which has previously been prevented by the terms of Cage Warriors’ broadcast deal with Sky Sports.
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan has reached an agreement with Sky which will allow CWFC fans worldwide to tune in to Saturday’s free live stream.
“We believe we have an excellent product here at Cage Warriors and we want people all over the world to be able to tune in and enjoy it free of charge,” said Boylan.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, viewers in Ireland and the UK haven’t been able to do so lately but we’re delighted to have been able to change that for this weekend.
“We’ve had to incur some expense in order to do that but it’s a worthwhile investment to ensure that the Cage Warriors fans who can’t make it to the show can enjoy what’s set to be another superb event from the comfort of their homes.”
Tickets for Cage Warriors 50 will be available to buy online from CageWarriors.com until midday on Thursday, December 6. Subject to availability, tickets will be available to buy at the venue on Saturday.
Doors open at 6pm, with the first amateur undercard bout scheduled to begin at 7pm.
MAIN CARD (MMAJunkie.com at 9pm)
Paul McVeigh v Brandon Hempleman
Owen Roddy v Wilson Reis
Aaron Wilkinson v Alan Johnston
Denniston Sutherland v Scott Askham
Graham Turner v Nathan Beer
Avi Jack v Dan Hope
PRELIMINARY CARD (non-televised)
Ahsan Gilani v Alex Enlund
Mark Connor v Andy Young
Sean McDonald v Alex Davidson
Photo: Andrew Dobbie
Cage Warriors 51: Sheil v Mason
30/11/2012
Jack Mason will be aiming for his fifth win of the year on New Year’s Eve (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
AN ANGLO-IRISH welterweight bout between John Michael Sheil and Jack Mason has been added to the main card for Cage Warriors 51.
The New Year’s Eve event, which takes place at The Helix in Dublin, will be CWFC’s second this year in the Irish capital following the outstanding success of Cage Warriors 47 back in June.
Headlined by the meeting of Conor McGregor and Ivan Buchinger for the vacant CWFC lightweight title, the Cage Warriors 51 main card will stream live on MMA Junkie following prelims on Facebook.
Sheil (8-1) will be fighting at welterweight for the first time since making the decision to move down from the 185lbs division.
The SBG Ireland member tasted defeat for the first time in his professional career in his last outing, suffering a decision loss to Faycal Hucin at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff last month.
The 27-year-old has recorded notable wins over the likes of top European middleweight Victor Cheng and two-time UFC veteran Ross Pointon.
John Michael Sheil will have home advantage against Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 51 (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
Mason (21-11), who made the switch to welterweight earlier this year, will be fighting under the Cage Warriors banner for the seventh time in his career.
The 30-year-old English veteran, who has had six outings already this year, submitted Alexei Roberts on top UK promotion Shock ‘N’ Awe in October to clinch their welterweight title.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 will go on sale on Thursday, December 6, with more bouts still to be announced. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
MAIN CARD
Conor McGregor v Ivan Buchinger
Aisling Daly v Katja Kankaanpaa
John Michael Sheil v Jack Mason
Liam James v Alan Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD
Philip Mulpeter v Tommy Quinn
Charlie Watts v Henry Fadipe
Cage Warriors 51: McGregor v Buchinger
28/11/2012
CWFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor could make history in Dublin on New Year’s Eve (Photo: Tommy Lakes).
A LIGHTWEIGHT title bout between Conor McGregor and Ivan Buchinger will bring the curtain down on a hectic 2012 for Cage Warriors.
The pair will clash in the main event at Cage Warriors 51 at The Helix in Dublin on New Year’s Eve, as the organisation makes its second visit to the Irish capital this year.
McGregor, the reigning CWFC featherweight champion, had been due to defend the 145lbs belt for the first time against Jim Alers on the December 31 card.
However, a hand injury has now forced Alers out of the fight. It marks the second occasion the meeting of McGregor and Alers has had to be postponed. The pair were originally scheduled to clash at CWFC Fight Night 7 in Jordan back in September, but McGregor sustained a facial injury.
However, the Dublin native remains on course for a title bout in front of his hometown crowd, with the 24-year-old set to take on Buchinger for the CWFC lightweight strap.
The belt is up for grabs once again following a mutual agreement between Cage Warriors officials and previous champion Ivan Musardo, who clinched the title with a victory against Joseph Duffy over 12 months ago.
Buchinger (21-3), who’s signed exclusively to Cage Warriors, had an impressive second-round TKO victory over Diego Gonzalez at May’s CWFC Fight Night 6 in Bahrain.
Ivan Buchinger will aim to ring in 2013 by capturing the CWFC lightweight belt (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
Currently ranked as one of Europe’s top ten lightweights, the 26-year-old Slovak has secured 19 of his 21 wins by stoppage, with two of his three losses coming via decision against UFC duo Anton Kuivanen and Akira Corassani.
McGregor (11-2), who fights out of SBG Ireland, was crowned CWFC featherweight champion at June’s Cage Warriors 47 in Dublin when he submitted Dave Hill in the second round of their clash for the vacant title.
The Irishman is ranked as one of Europe’s top ten featherweights but also fights regularly at lightweight. Two of McGregor’s four bouts under the Cage Warriors banner have been at 155lbs.
Victory over Buchinger on New Year’s Eve would see McGregor become the first fighter to simultaneously hold Cage Warriors titles in two unified weight classes.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 will go on sale on Thursday, December 6, with more bouts still to be announced. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
MAIN CARD
Conor McGregor v Ivan Buchinger
Aisling Daly v Katja Kankaanpaa
Liam James v Alan Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD
Philip Mulpeter v Tommy Quinn
Charlie Watts v Henry Fadipe
Cage Warriors 50: Whiteford v Fishgold off; Sutherland, Connor and Enlund get new opponents
28/11/2012
INJURIES have forced Cage Warriors officials to make several changes to the card for Cage Warriors 50, which takes place at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall on Saturday, December 8.
The highly anticipated featherweight meeting of Robert Whiteford and Chris Fishgold has been removed from the card and will not go ahead.
Whiteford was injured while training in the US with American Top Team. Cage Warriors sourced a suitable replacement but Fishgold then also sustained an injury and was subsequently ruled out of action.
As a result, the clash of Graham Turner and Nathan Beer will be promoted to the main card from the prelims.
Another change to the main card sees a new opponent for Denniston Sutherland (pictured) after Mats Nilsson had to withdraw with an injury. Sutherland will now take on unbeaten Englishman Scott Askham.
On the undercard, Mark Connor will now fight Northern Irish prospect Andy Young instead of Niko Gjoka, while Rob McCrum steps in to replace James MacAlister against Alex Enlund at a catchweight of 140lbs.
MAIN CARD
Paul McVeigh v Brandon Hempleman
Wilson Reis v Owen Roddy
Aaron Wilkinson v Alan Johnston
Denniston Sutherland v Scott Askham
Graham Turner v Nathan Beer
PRELIMINARY CARD
Rob McCrum v Alex Enlund
Mark Connor v Andy Young
The Cage Warriors 50 main card will be live on MMA Junkie at 9pm local time on Saturday, December 8.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 50 can be purchased HERE. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 50: McVeigh v Hempleman
27/11/2012
Paul McVeigh will feature in the Cage Warriors 50 headliner on December 8 (Photo: Andrew Dobbie).
THE main event at Cage Warriors 50 will see Paul McVeigh return to CWFC action against American opposition.
Cage Warriors 50, which takes place at the Kelvin Hall on Saturday, December 8, will mark the first time the organisation has held a show in Scotland.
McVeigh (18-7), a former CWFC featherweight and bantamweight champion, will headline the event in his hometown of Glasgow.
The Irish-born jiu-jitsu black belt will take on rising star Brandon Hempleman in a 130lbs catchweight bout, as McVeigh begins the gradual cut to flyweight.
Thirty-year-old McVeigh will be fighting for the first time since a decision loss to the UFC’s Erik Perez last December.
The former TUF contestant, who made his CWFC debut in 2003, is unbeaten in his eight fights under the Cage Warriors banner, the last of which saw him secure a second-round TKO victory against Andreas Bernhard in February 2011.
Hempleman (8-1), who hails from Idaho, is on a five-fight win streak and most recently disposed of 36-12 veteran Olly Bradstreet.
Brandon Hempleman will aim for his sixth successive victory on his Cage Warriors debut (Photo: Bob Norbutt).
Rated as one of the most promising fighters in the US in the bantamweight division, 25-year-old Hempleman fights out of Primal Tribe MMA/Team Sklavos.
The Cage Warriors 50 main card will be live on MMA Junkie at 9pm local time on Saturday, December 8, following prelims on Facebook.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 50 can be purchased HERE. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Cage Warriors signs McDonough, Long and Mulpeter
21/11/2012
CAGE WARRIORS have added another three fighters to their exclusive roster of talent having completed the signings of Martin McDonough (pictured), Lewis Long and Philip Mulpeter.
The trio, who have signed five-fight contracts, are among the top prospects in the UK and Ireland in their respective divisions.
McDonough (9-4), who’s ranked as one of the UK’s top ten bantamweights, made an impressive debut for the organisation last month at Cage Warriors 49 in his native Wales.
The 24-year-old, a team-mate of CWFC flyweight Kris Edwards at Tillery Combat, earned a Submission of the Night bonus for his first-round victory over Dino Gambatesa in Cardiff on October 27.
McDonough is currently on a three-fight win streak since dropping a decision loss to Cage Warriors bantamweight veteran James Brum last year.
Nicknamed Mr Pink, all nine of McDonough’s wins have come via stoppage - eight of them in the first round.
Long (6-2), another Welshman, fights out of the Trojan Free Fighters camp in Cheltenham.
A judo and kickboxing black belt, 23-year-old Long has recorded notable wins over CWFC veteran Jacek Toczydlowski and the highly-ranked Diego Vital.
Despite suffering a loss to Paul Redmond at Cage Warriors 49, Long remains one of the brightest prospects in the lightweight division.
Both McDonough and Long will return to Cage Warriors action early in 2013.
Mulpeter (5-2), a welterweight fighting out of SBG in Dublin, will make his CWFC debut at Cage Warriors 51 on New Year’s Eve.
The 24-year-old has had an impressive year competing for top Irish promotion Battlezone, defeating CWFC veteran John Donnelly to win their welterweight belt via unanimous decision after an exciting five-round battle back in March.
A team-mate of Cage Warriors champions Conor McGregor and Chris Fields, Mulpeter successfully defended his title courtesy of September’s fourth-round TKO of Richie Gorey.
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship and ESPN International renew broadcast deal
20/11/2012
CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP is pleased to announce that it has extended its relationship with ESPN International.
The agreement will see the global sports media company continue to deliver coverage of Cage Warriors events on its ESPN television networks in Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific Rim and the Caribbean, as well as via their broadband platform in Latin America until the end of 2014.
The relationship between Cage Warriors and ESPN International began earlier this year through an agreement for coverage of all CWFC events in 2012. Ten events have already been staged across eight different countries, with two more still to come before the end of the year.
Cage Warriors has cemented its place as Europe’s leading MMA organisation in 2012, showcasing top up-and-coming fighters such as Conor McGregor, Gael Grimaud and Brad Scott, as well as established stars like Phil Harris, Jesse Taylor, Lucio Linhares and David Bielkheden.
“This year has been the biggest in the 10-year history of Cage Warriors and we’re delighted that our events have been shown in so many parts of the world thanks to the success of our relationship with ESPN International,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.
“We believe we have an outstanding product so we obviously want as many people as possible to enjoy that product from the comfort of their own homes, especially as the appetite for MMA continues to grow across the globe.
“Cage Warriors is only going to get bigger and better over the coming months, as we have done in 2012, so I’m pleased that ESPN International will be there to bring that continued growth to their viewers over the next two years. The best is still to come.”
Cage Warriors’ busy schedule will continue in 2013. Nineteen events are planned, with several more destinations set to play host to Europe’s biggest MMA promotion.
Cage Warriors 51: Daly v Kankaanpaa, James v Philpott
20/11/2012
Liam James will aim for his first win at bantamweight in Dublin on December 31 (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
THE card for Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve is beginning to take shape with today’s addition of two exciting bouts to the end-of-year extravaganza in the Irish capital.
Cage Warriors 51, which will take place at The Helix on Monday, December 31, is set to be headlined by a highly-anticipated featherweight title bout between Jim Alers and defending champion Conor McGregor.
That clash will be joined on the main card by a women’s 120lbs catchweight bout, with McGregor’s SBGi team-mate Aisling Daly returning to Cage Warriors action against CWFC debutant Katja Kankaanpaa.
On the preliminary card, Liam James will collide with top Northern Irish bantamweight Alan Philpott.
Daly (13-4), who’s currently eighth in the world in the women’s flyweight rankings, will be fighting under the Cage Warriors banner for the fifth time in her decorated career.
Aisling Daly will look to return to winning ways at Cage Warriors 51 (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
The 24-year-old Dubliner will be keen to secure a victory in front of her hometown crowd after suffering a decision loss to Rosi Sexton at June’s Cage Warriors 47 in Dublin.
Daly, who has also fought for the likes of Bellator and Invicta, defeated fourth-ranked women’s flyweight Jessica Eye to capture the NAAFS title last year.
Kankaanpaa (6-0-1) has yet to taste defeat since making her professional debut in March 2010.
A native of Finland, Kankaanpaa’s last outing was against Simona Soukupova in the main event at Botnia Punishment 12, which ended in a draw.
Unbeaten Katja Kankaanpaa is one of the world’s top female fighters in the 115lbs division (Photo: Marko Tuominiemi).
Sixth in the women’s world strawweight rankings, Kankaanpaa will be making her first appearance on a Cage Warriors card in Ireland next month.
Meanwhile, the meeting of James and Philpott on the Cage Warriors 51 prelims is a significant bout in the organisation’s bantamweight division.
Philpott (7-3) had a stunning victory over highly-ranked Welshman Kris Edwards at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff last month.
The 21-year-old, who hails from Ballymena in Northern Ireland, submitted Edwards in the first round despite taking the fight on less than a week’s notice following the withdrawal of Mark Platts due to injury.
The exciting Alan Philpott at will be back in action at Cage Warriors 51 on New Year’s Eve (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
That victory catapulted Philpott into 14th place in the UK’s bantamweight rankings.
James (6-4), who’s 18th in the rankings, will be fighting on a Cage Warriors event for the third time in 2012.
Hailing from Newcastle in England, the 28-year-old earned a Fight of the Night bonus and an exclusive Cage Warriors contract following his dramatic featherweight win over Jean N’Doye at CWFC Fight Night 5 back in April.
James then dropped to 135lbs for his clash with French veteran Olivier Pastor at September’s CWFC Fight Night 7 but suffered a second-round submission defeat.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 will go on sale later this month, with more bouts to be announced shortly. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Cage Warriors 50: Reis v Roddy
16/11/2012
Bellator veteran Wilson Reis will fight in Glasgow on December 8 (Photo: BadBoy.com).
SCOTLAND will host an intriguing bantamweight bout when Cage Warriors makes its first ever trip to the country next month.
Wilson Reis and Owen Roddy will meet on the main card at Cage Warriors 50 at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall on Saturday, December 8.
Reis (15-4), who hails from Sao Paulo in Brazil, fought nine times for Bellator between 2009 and 2011, clocking up a 5-4 record in the organisation.
The 27-year-old BJJ black belt, who’s a former EliteXC bantamweight champion, holds notable wins over current UFC competitors Henry Martinez and Bryan Caraway, as well as former Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky.
A BJJ world champion as a brown belt in 2004, Reis fights out of Philadelphia, USA, and is on a three-fight win streak.
Roddy (11-3), who signed an exclusive five-fight contract with Cage Warriors earlier this year, will drop to bantamweight for his debut with the organisation.
Owen Roddy will go in search of his eighth consecutive win at Cage Warriors 50 (Photo: Tommy Lakes).
A member of the renowned SBG Ireland camp alongside current CWFC champions Conor McGregor and Chris Fields, the 29-year-old has been victorious in his last seven bouts.
Currently ranked as one of Europe’s top ten featherweights, Roddy’s last outing saw him secure a unanimous decision victory over UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty.
More exciting Cage Warriors 50 bouts are still to be announced.
MAIN CARD
Robert Whiteford v Chris Fishgold
Wilson Reis v Owen Roddy
Aaron Wilkinson v Alan Johnston
Mats Nilsson v Denniston Sutherland
PRELIMINARY CARD
Graham Turner v Nathan Beer
Mark Connor v Niko Gjoka
James MacAlister v Alex Enlund
The Cage Warriors 50 main card will be live on MMA Junkie at 9pm local time on Saturday, December 8, following prelims on Facebook.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 50 can be purchased HERE. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Pendred set for 2013 title shot
16/11/2012
Cathal Pendred will fight for the CWFC welterweight title in 2013 (Photo: Cage Warriors/Dolly Clew).
CAGE WARRIORS CEO Graham Boylan has confirmed that Cathal Pendred’s next Cage Warriors outing will see him challenge for the CWFC welterweight title.
Pendred (11-2-1), who is undefeated in five fights on Cage Warriors, has had a particularly impressive 2012, which has seen him dispose of two highly-ranked opponents.
In June he secured a unanimous decision win over three-time UFC veteran David Bielkheden at Cage Warriors 47 in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland.
The 25-year-old followed that up with another win by unanimous decision against Bruno Carvalho in the main event at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff last month.
“Cathal has always delivered the goods on Cage Warriors and has never backed down from any challenge that we’ve put in front of him,” said Boylan.
“He’s been fighting guys of the highest calibre and there’s no doubt that he’s earned the title shot he’s been looking for.”
Pendred will be aiming to become the third Cage Warriors champion from the SBG Ireland camp. The welterweight strap is currently held by Frenchman Gael Grimaud (17-5).
Pendred’s team-mates Conor McGregor (11-2) and Chris Fields (10-4) are the current CWFC featherweight and middleweight champions respectively.
While no date has yet been confirmed for Pendred’s title challenge, it is likely to take place early in 2013.
Cage Warriors 50: Turner v Beer
14/11/2012
Graham Turner, left, in action during his victory over Ashleigh Grimshaw at Cage Warriors 44 (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
TWO of the UK’s top featherweights will collide on the Cage Warriors 50 prelims when the organisation visits Scotland for the first time next month.
Graham Turner will take on Nathan Beer at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall on Saturday, December 8, a bout that will stream live around the world on Facebook.
Turner (20-7), who’s ranked sixth in the UK, will be aiming for his third consecutive win having recently captured titles on two separate promotions.
The 24-year-old Scot defeated Adam Stevenson in September to clinch the Vision FC lightweight title, before adding the On Top featherweight strap by submitting Gianluca Scottoli last month.
A member of the Dinky Ninjas camp, Turner has won 12 of his last 14 bouts, with the only losses coming at the hands of the UFC’s Akira Corassani and Cage Warriors veteran Matteus Lahdesmaki.
Beer (13-4), a native of Cwmbran in Wales, will be appearing on a Cage Warriors card for the first time since making his professional debut in 2008.
Ranked 13th in the UK, the 35-year-old defeated two-time UFC veteran Dave Hill to win the UCMMA featherweight title last year. Beer is also a former Shock ‘N’ Awe title holder.
More Cage Warriors 50 bouts will be announced in the coming days.
MAIN CARD
Robert Whiteford v Chris Fishgold
Aaron Wilkinson v Alan Johnston
Mats Nilsson v Denniston Sutherland
PRELIMINARY CARD
Graham Turner v Nathan Beer
Mark Connor v Niko Gjoka
James MacAlister v Alex Enlund
The Cage Warriors 50 main card will be live on MMA Junkie at 9pm local time on Saturday, December 8, following prelims on Facebook.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 50 can be purchased HERE. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Cage Warriors 50: Nilsson v Sutherland
13/11/2012
Mats Nilsson, left, is currently eighth in the European middleweight rankings (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
CAGE WARRIORS officials have today confirmed the addition of an exciting middleweight bout to the main card for Cage Warriors 50, which takes place at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Saturday, December 8.
Mats Nilsson and Denniston Sutherland will face each other in the Scottish city after both fighters were successful in their debut Cage Warriors appearances earlier this year.
Nilsson (9-2-1), who hails from Helsingborg in Sweden, scored an impressive second-round submission win against two-time UFC veteran Tommy Speer at CWFC Fight Night 3 in Beirut back in February. That win earned the 28-year-old a five-fight Cage Warriors contract.
A black belt in judo, Nilsson is currently eighth in the European middleweight rankings. His only losses – both by decision – have come against top Scandinavian pair Tor Troeng and Timo Suhonen.
Sutherland (18-8) disposed of Brett Sizeland by first-round TKO at July’s Cage Warriors 48 in London. The 39-year-old went on to comprehensively defeat Leeroy Barnes by unanimous decision in September.
Denniston Sutherland will be searching for his third consecutive win of 2012 at Cage Warriors 50 (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
A Jamaican fighter based in England, Sutherland is ranked 11th in the UK and has recorded other notable victories over Cage Warriors veterans John Phillips and Jack Mason, as well as former UFC middleweight Mark Weir.
Cage Warriors 50 will also feature the likes top Scottish-based pair Paul McVeigh and Graham Turner, with more fights set to be announced this week.
MAIN CARD
Robert Whiteford v Chris Fishgold
Aaron Wilkinson v Alan Johnston
Mats Nilsson v Denniston Sutherland
PRELIMINARY CARD
Mark Connor v Niko Gjoka
James MacAlister v Alex Enlund
The Cage Warriors 50 main card will be live on MMA Junkie at 9pm local time on Saturday, December 8, following prelims on Facebook.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 50 can be purchased HERE. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Cage Warriors 50: Wilkinson v Johnston
06/11/2012
Aaron Wilkinson will be aiming for a fourth consecutive win at Cage Warriors 50 (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
AARON WILKINSON will return to action at Cage Warriors 50 next month to face top Scottish prospect Alan Johnston in a welterweight bout.
Cage Warriors 50 will take place at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Saturday, December 8, as the organisation hosts a show in Scotland for the first time.
Wilkinson (10-5) signed a five-fight contract with Cage Warriors earlier this year and debuted for the organisation with a first-round victory against Leigh Cohoon at Cage Warriors 48: London back in July, earning a Submission of the Night bonus in the process.
The 25-year-old Wolfslair/SBG member, who hails from Manchester, came to prominence in 2010 as a member of Team Koscheck on The Ultimate Fighter 12 and subsequently fought once for the UFC, suffering a loss to current UFC competitor Cody McKenzie.
Johnston (6-1-1), who fights out of the Griphouse/Dinky Ninjas camp, will be making his first appearance on a Cage Warriors card having won six of his last seven bouts.
A Cage Warriors debut in his native Scotland awaits Alan Johnston on December 8 (Photo: On Top Promotions).
Ranked as one of the UK’s top 20 welterweights, 21-year-old Johnston’s most recent victory came in June courtesy of a stunning KO of highly-rated German welterweight Jessin Ayari.
Cage Warriors 50 will also feature the likes top Scottish-based pair Paul McVeigh and Graham Turner, with more fights to be announced in the coming days.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 50 can be purchased HERE.
Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for more Cage Warriors 50 news and updates.
Scottish role for Tam Collins
06/11/2012
TAM COLLINS has been named Head of Operations for Cage Warriors in Scotland.
The appointment comes ahead of the organisation’s first ever Scottish show, Cage Warriors 50, which takes place at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Saturday, December 8.
Tam has extensive experience as both a fighter and promoter, having served as director of leading Scottish organisation On Top for the last two years.
Outlining what his role will entail, Collins said: “I’ll be providing consultancy and co-ordinating the provision of local services for Cage Warriors 50 here in Glasgow.
“We’ve used the Kelvin Hall before so I’ll be able to assist on actual venue practices and production layouts. We have a reliable team of people who work with us at On Top, whose services we can recommend to Cage Warriors.
“On Top is a reputable brand name in Scotland so the link between the two promotions will help us both.”
Collins added that Cage Warriors’ debut show in the country will represent a significant step in the right direction for mixed martial arts in Scotland.
“MMA fans in Scotland are very passionate about their sport and can create a great atmosphere. They’re very knowledgeable and really enjoy the shows.
“Cage Warriors’ production is second to none and they have the largest television footprint in Europe, so I think that will be appreciated by the fans.
“Cage Warriors 50 will be quite special for Scottish MMA. Scotland is a hotbed of talent and this is the best platform for the fighters to show their skills off.”
Cage Warriors 50: Whiteford v Fishgold
02/11/2012
Robert Whiteford will make his Cage Warriors debut in his native Scotland on December 8.
ROBERT WHITEFORD and Chris Fishgold will square off in a featherweight bout when Cage Warriors visits Scotland for the first time on Saturday, December 8.
The pair will make their respective debuts for the organisation at Cage Warriors 50, which takes place at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.
Whiteford (9-1), who hails from Armadale in Scotland, will be fighting for the first time since his stunning first-round TKO victory against top-ten-ranked European featherweight Martin Svensson in September.
The 29-year-old, now ranked as Europe’s number three featherweight, is on a nine-fight win streak and also holds a notable victory over Cage Warriors-contracted star Liam James.
Fishgold (7-0), who signed a five-fight contract with Cage Warriors this year, has established himself as a potential future star since making his professional debut two years ago.
Unbeaten Chris Fishgold will face his toughest challenge to date at Cage Warriors 50.
The 20-year-old, a member of the Next Generation camp, has picked up wins on prominent UK shows such as OMMAC and BAMMA.
His last outing saw him secure a second-round submission victory against Andy De-Vent just over 12 months ago. Six of Fishgold’s seven wins have come via submission.
Cage Warriors 50 will also feature the likes of former UFC competitor Aaron Wilkinson, as well as top Scottish-based pair Paul McVeigh and Graham Turner.
Further fight card and ticket details will be released next week. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Tickets: Cage Warriors 50
01/11/2012
CAGE WARRIORS 50, the organisation’s first ever show in Scotland, takes place at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Saturday, December 8, 2012.
Featuring Paul McVeigh, Robert Whiteford, Aaron Wilkinson and more, current fight card details can be found HERE. To purchase tickets for Cage Warriors 50, click HERE.
Please note that your ticket(s) will not be posted to you. Your Google Checkout receipt must be printed and brought to the Kelvin Hall on the night of the event, along with proof of ID. Your ticket(s) will then be issued to you at the venue.
Reserved table bookings are also available. E-mail Tam Collins for details: tcollins@ontoppromotions.co.uk.
Bonuses: Cage Warriors 49
30/10/2012
Martin McDonough submits Dino Gambatesa via armbar at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff on Saturday night (Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
CAGE WARRIORS CEO Graham Boylan has opted to award two Submission of the Night bonuses for Cage Warriors 49.
The event, which took place in Cardiff, Wales last Saturday night, featured 10 professional bouts, five of which ended via submission.
The Cage Warriors boss has subsequently decided to award two bonuses for Submission of the Night, with Boylan personally covering the cost of doubling the regular bonuses as announced before the show.
The bonuses have been handed to Martin McDonough and Merv Mulholland for their respective victories over Dino Gambatesa and Daniel Thomas.
McDonough made an impressive Cage Warriors debut to take his record to 9-4, submitting fellow Welshman Gambatesa via armbar after 1:53 of round one of their Facebook prelim.
Mulholland (10-4) went to 2-0 on Cage Warriors by overcoming Thomas on the main card. The 21-year-old Northern Irishman combined a triangle with some vicious strikes to win by technical submission after 1:22 of round one.
It was decided by Graham Boylan and Cage Warriors officials not to award bonuses for Fight or KO of the Night.
Results: Cage Warriors 49
27/10/2012
Cathal Pendred (right) and Bruno Carvalho in action during the main event at Cage Warriors 49 (Photo: Cage Warriors/Dolly Clew).
Report from MMA Junkie:
Cathal Pendred considers himself Europe’s top welterweight fighter outside the UFC, and he wants to prove it when he gets an expected next crack at Gael Grimaud’s Cage Warriors welterweight title.
After showing some moxie in the bout, Pendred (11-2) made a convincing case tonight with a hard-fought win over Bruno “BC” Carvalho (14-6). The bout headlined Cage Warriors 49 at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, Wales. The main card streamed on MMA Junkie following prelims on Facebook.
After a strategic first round spent almost entirely on their feet with both fighters doing damage from the clinch, Pendred took the lead early in the second round with power shots as he often pushed the pace. Carvalho often was pressed against the cage, where he was forced to defend takedowns and could offer little more than occasional counter shots.
Pendred ultimately got the takedown, but Carvalho sought out submission attempts while transitioning from an armbar to a deep triangle choke before returning to an armbar. Pendred, though, miraculously survived the nearly two-minute sequence, even as his arm appeared hyper-extended from the deep submission hold.
In what was likely the deciding third round, Pendred showed no ill effects from the armbar and unloaded with more frequency. Although slowed a bit by a battered leg, he landed lunging punches in quick bursts. However, after Pendred’s slip late in the round due to a low kick, Carvalho took top position and closed out the fight with some ground and pound.
With no clear winner, both fighters raised their arms in victory and awaited the judges’ decision. In the end it went to Pendred via unanimous decision. “I would have liked to stop him, but he was a tough, tough guy,” Pendred said. “He’s really tough.”
Newman controversially taps Loughran
After an 11-month layoff, Welsh fighter Tim Newman (9-3) returned to the win column with a victory over Northern Ireland’s experienced Greg Loughran (22-19). The lightweight co-headliner came with some controversy, though.
Newman used a well-balanced attack in the opening round of their fight. In addition to some clean strikes, he twice locked in guillotine chokes that Loughran only narrowly escaped. However, the third time was a charm.
After hurting Loughran with a body shot and charging forward with a series of punches, Newman briefly was stunned with a counter shot. But he quickly continued the assault, forced the fight to the mat and then torqued a deep a guillotine choke while pulling guard.
Loughran appeared to tap twice but argued when referee Marc Goddard intervened and said he never submitted. The ref, though, told him he had, and the bout officially ended at the 4:45 mark of the opening round.
“Everything was working in grappling competitions, but it hadn’t worked in a cage fight,” Newman said. “It feels great. I’ve been knocking on the door for so long. I’ve been taking fights against guys ranked higher than me and it finally paid off.”
Hucin back in win column
Faycal Hucin (8-3) had his hands full, but he ultimately delivered John Michael Sheil (8-1) his first career loss. Fighting for the first time since a semi-final loss to Victor Cheng in Cage Warriors’ eight-man middleweight tournament, Hucin ate a number of punches and kicks in the opening round.
The Frenchman, though, got through his own blows in the second round, and a big uppercut put Sheil on wobbly legs. Hucin followed up with additional power punches but couldn’t get the stoppage. Then, after avoiding Sheil’s continued stream of strikes in the third round, he finished strong with some ground and pound that likely stole the round and the fight. The judges ultimately awarded Hucin the split decision over the Irish fighter via 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 scores.
Irish fighters submit Welsh opposition
Irish lightweight Merv Mulholland (10-4) spent most of the fight on his back but looked good nonetheless. After Welsh fighter Daniel Thomas (19-9-1) scored a quick takedown, Mulholland unloaded a quick barrage of elbows from his back and then slapped on a deep triangle choke that ultimately put his opponent to sleep.
The slick submission, which was accompanied by a flurry of punches, came at the 1:22 mark of the opening round. It marked a third straight win for Irish fighters over their Welsh opposition.
In lightweight action, Paul Redmond (4-3) avoided his opponent’s judo, striking and size advantage, and he choked out heavily favoured Welsh fighter Lewis Long (6-2). The Irish fighter used a modified rear-naked choke to get the tapout at the 3:34 mark of the second round.
In the night’s opening bout, Alan Philpott (7-2) pulled off an upset with a first-round submission victory over Kris Edwards (8-4). After surviving some early submissions attempts, Philpott worked his way to top position, opened a deep forehead laceration with a slicing elbow, and then tapped out Edwards with a rear-naked choke at the 3:53 mark of the round. It marked the 20-year-old’s second win in seven days.
The full Cage Warriors 49 results included:
MAIN CARD
Cathal Pendred def. Bruno Carvalho via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Tim Newman def. Greg Loughran via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 4:45
Faycal Hucin def. John Michael Sheil via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Merv Mulholland def. Daniel Thomas via submission (triangle choke) - Round 1, 1:22
Paul Redmond def. Lewis Long via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 3:34
Alan Philpott def. Kris Edwards via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:53
PRELIMINARY CARD
Lee Caers def. Kevin Reed via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 4:52
Martin McDonough def. Dino Gambatesa via submission (armbar) - Round 1, 1:53
Neil Seery def. Karl Harrison via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Brett Johns defeats Sam Gilbert via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Submission of the Night bonuses: Martin McDonough and Merv Mulholland
Photo gallery HERE.
Cage Warriors 49: Cardiff
27/10/2012
CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship’s first event in Wales takes place tonight at St David’s Hall in Cardiff.
Cage Warriors 49, the organisation’s 10th show of 2012, will be headlined by the clash of top welterweight contenders Cathal Pendred (10-2-1) and Bruno Carvalho (14-5-0).
Weigh-in results can be found HERE. Subject to demand, there may be a limited number of tickets available on the door at St David’s Hall tonight. Doors open at 6pm.
Three preliminary fights will be streamed live worldwide on our Facebook page at 8pm (UK), followed by the six main card bouts which will be broadcast live on MMAJunkie.com at 9pm.
However, due to the terms of our broadcast deal with Sky Sports, the main card is unfortunately not available to viewers in the UK & Ireland. The main card will be broadcast on Sky Sports 3 this Tuesday night, October 30, at 10pm (UK).
Alternatively you can keep track of the action by following our regular play-by-play updates on Twitter.
MMAJunkie.com main card (9pm, not available to watch in the UK & Ireland)
Bruno Carvalho -v- Cathal Pendred
Tim Newman -v- Greg Loughran
John Michael Sheil -v- Faycal Hucin
Merv Mulholland -v- Daniel Thomas
Lewis Long -v- Paul Redmond
Kris Edwards -v- Alan Philpott
Facebook prelims (8pm)
Lee Caers -v- Kevin Reed
Dino Gambatesa -v- Martin McDonough
Neil Seery -v- Karl Harrison
Non-televised prelim (7.30pm)
Sam Gilbert -v- Brett Johns
Weigh-in results: Cage Warriors 49
26/10/2012
Cathal Pendred and Bruno Carvalho square off at the Cage Warriors 49 weigh-ins in Cardiff (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
HEADLINERS Bruno Carvalho and Cathal Pendred both hit the mark at today’s weigh-ins for their Cage Warriors 49 showdown.
The pair clash in tomorrow night’s main event at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, as Cage Warriors Fighting Championship hosts an event in Wales for the first time in its 10-year history.
With the exception of Karl Harrison, all fighters made weight at the first time of asking this afternoon in the Welsh capital.
Harrison, who takes on Neil Seery in a flyweight bout, initially tipped the scale at 126.9lbs but returned just over half-an-hour later within the limit at 125.8lbs.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 49 can be purchased from the St David’s Hall box office. Three preliminary fights will be streamed live worldwide on our Facebook page at 8pm (UK), followed by the six main card bouts which will be broadcast live on MMAJunkie.com at 9pm.
However, due to the terms of our broadcast deal with Sky Sports, the main card is unfortunately not available to viewers in the UK & Ireland. The main card will be broadcast on Sky Sports 3 this Tuesday night, October 30, at 10pm (UK).
Click HERE to view a gallery of weigh-in photos from Cage Warriors photographer Dolly Clew.
Check out the weigh-in video below…
MAIN CARD
Bruno Carvalho (170.6lbs) -v- Cathal Pendred (170.9lbs)
Tim Newman (154.5lbs) -v- Greg Loughran (154.6lbs)
John Michael Sheil (183.9lbs) -v- Faycal Hucin (185.9lbs)
Merv Mulholland (154.2lbs) -v- Daniel Thomas (153.5lbs)
Lewis Long (156lbs) -v- Paul Redmond (155.2lbs)
Kris Edwards (135.7bs) -v- Alan Philpott (135.4lbs)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Lee Caers (169.8lbs) -v- Kevin Reed (170lbs)
Dino Gambatesa (135.4lbs) -v- Martin McDonough (135.6lbs)
Neil Seery (124.5lbs) -v- Karl Harrison (125.8lbs) - Harrison weighed in at 126.9lbs on his first attempt
Brett Johns (144.7lbs) -v- Sam Gilbert (144.7lbs)
Cage Warriors on board with SAFE MMA
25/10/2012
(SAFE MMA press release: London,October 25, 2012) The Centre of Health and Human Performance at 76 Harley Street, London, is proud to announce the launch of SAFE MMA.
SAFE MMA is a not-for-profit organisation established to improve the safety of MMA fighters in the UK. Under the SAFE MMA banner, the medical centre provides a secure, centralised and confidential database for fighter medical records, and coordinates affordable, standardised blood and medical tests for all registered fighters. Additionally, SAFE MMA members will have access to advice from leading world experts in sports medicine.
UK promotions Cage Warriors, BAMMA and UCMMA united to help found the project and have agreed that from January 1, 2013, all fighters on their cards must be registered to SAFE MMA and undergo annual medical tests and bi-annual blood tests. The promotions have agreed only to use fighterswho are deemed medically safe to fight under the SAFE MMA (green light) system and not to use fighters who are suspended due to injuries, such as concussion, or who are overdue for blood tests, for example.
Additionally, the promotions have pledged to have medical professionals carry out pre- and post-fight tests with all results to be submitted to the confidential medical database at 76 Harley Street. Medical data will never be transmitted to anyone but SAFE MMA will be able to give a rapid and all-hours service to inform authorised promotions of who is medically safe to fight and who needs to be rechecked, at the time of enquiry.
Nominal annual registration fees for fighters (£235 + GP medical), fighters’ gyms (£60 - £240) and new promotions (£600) cover the running costs of the project, which is not for profit; and annual accounts will be published publicly on the SAFE MMA website. All other UK promotions will be able to apply for Safe MMA membership.
The British Medical Association now wants MMA banned. 76 Harley Street will speak out in defence of SAFE MMA promotions. The SAFE MMA project involves the collation of anonymous statistics for medical research into fighter safety, injuries, rehabilitation and performance. If a severe accident or fatality occurs and a promotion falls under investigation, statistical back-up via the SAFE MMA database can be drawn on, appropriate safety measures can be shown to be in place and medical expert opinion can be sought.
SAFE MMA is run on a voluntary basis, headed by leading experts from the world of Sports Medicine. Professor Greg Whyte is the preeminent authority on Physiology, Sports Performance and Rehabilitation in the UK. Alongside Clinical Director, Dr Jack Kreindler, Professor Whyte specialises in optimising athletic performance for Olympic and extreme sports.
Dr. Michael Loosemore provides medical expertise to the Amateur Boxing Association of England and has travelled extensively with national squads to Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and World and European Championships. Loosemore is the Chief Medical Officer for the Commonwealth Games. 76 Harley Street attracts a host of elite international and celebrity sports names that include, among many others, Usain Bolt and David Williams of London’s recent Thames Swim.
Alongside the founding promotions, MMA advisors to the project include top world ranked flyweight fighter and osteopath, Dr. Rosi Sexton, and internationally renowned referee, Marc Goddard, both of whom have been involved in the British MMA scene since its inception and active in the promotion of fighter wellbeing. Marc Goddard runs the only accepted MMA referee course in the UK. Additional support to the project has been provided by Cage Warriors commentator John Gooden and Izzy Carnwath (BAMMA PR).
SAFE MMA is working closely with the newly-formed UK MMA Federation, with Marc Goddard and Rosi Sexton having interim membership to both boards.
Benefits to SAFE MMA members include:
• yearly medical & six-monthly blood tests
• active confidential database for fighters well-being and current medical status
• member promotions using athletes found only within the confidential, medical database and whose gyms are SAFE MMA registered
• listed promotions enforcing medically advised suspensions to athletes under the register
• an affordable cost
• access to sports-based medical advice that fighters can trust
Cage Warriors, BAMMA and UCMMA urge all fighters, UK promotions and gyms to register to the project and help establish health and safety standards for MMA in the UK.
Cage Warriors director Graham Boylan said: “This initiative is a huge step in the right direction for MMA in the UK. The sport in this country is still in its infancy to an extent so we at Cage Warriors welcome the introduction of SAFE MMA and we’re very pleased to be involved.
“The safety and well-being of fighters is our utmost priority. We’ve always endeavoured to do things the right way for the good of fighters’ health. Last year we introduced mandatory blood-testing, which one is just one example of what needs to be done.
“Fighters sacrifice so much and really put themselves on the line, so the onus is on the likes of us to introduce measures to ensure that it’s possible for them to showcase their talents in as safe an environment as possible.
“The introduction of SAFE MMA will bring UK MMA another step closer to where it needs to be and I would urge all fighters, gyms and promotions to get involved. This really is essential for the future of our sport. As long as this is in place and supported well it will be a game-changer for MMA in this country.”
Pendred: I’ll have too much for Carvalho
23/10/2012
Cathal Pendred (left) on his way to victory over David Bielkheden at Cage Warriors 47: Dublin in June (Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
CATHAL PENDRED says he’s confident of extending his unbeaten Cage Warriors streak to five fights this weekend.
The Irish welterweight (10-2-1) will headline a CWFC event for the first time in his career when he tackles BJJ black belt Bruno Carvalho (14-5-0) in the main event at Cage Warriors 49 at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, Wales on Saturday night.
Pendred, who impressively overcame David Bielkheden at Cage Warriors 47: Dublin back in June, has trained in Iceland alongside UFC welterweight Gunnar Nelson in the build-up to Saturday’s fight, under the watchful eye of SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh.
A victory over Carvalho would represent another big scalp for 25-year-old Pendred, who told Your MMA: “I’m really looking forward to getting in there now. I have that fire in my belly that only comes around just before my physical fitness peaks.
“I think he [Carvalho] is a good all-rounder and a good test for me. Although, I know I’m going to be too much for him everywhere.
“I always have some sort of game-plan for each fight, but you also have to be able to adapt to it. The main thing is that I’m coming to fight and impose my will on Bruno from the start.”
Read the full interview with Cathal Pendred HERE.
Brazilian welterweight Bruno Carvalho, who makes his Cage Warriors debut against Cathal Pendred in the main event at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff, Wales this Saturday night.
Meanwhile, you can check out what Carvalho had to say ahead of the bout when he spoke to MMA Viking by clicking HERE.
MAIN CARD (9pm local)
Bruno Carvalho -v- Cathal Pendred
Tim Newman -v- Greg Loughran
John Michael Sheil -v- Faycal Hucin
Merv Mulholland -v- Daniel Thomas
Lewis Long -v- Paul Redmond
Kris Edwards -v- Alan Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD (7.30pm local)
Lee Caers -v- Kevin Reed
Dino Gambatesa -v- Martin McDonough
Neil Seery -v- Karl Harrison
Sam Gilbert -v- Brett Johns
Click HERE to purchase tickets for Cage Warriors 49. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Gaff out of Cage Warriors 49 title showdown
19/10/2012
SHEILA GAFF has withdrawn from her scheduled meeting with Rosi Sexton at Cage Warriors 49.
The pair were due to clash for the vacant CWFC women’s flyweight title at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, Wales on Saturday, October 27.
However, the fight has now been removed from the card after Cage Warriors Fighting Championship officials were informed by Gaff’s representatives this morning that the 22-year-old German fighter has been ill.
“Sheila has been feeling very unwell and has not received clearance to fight after seeking medical advice,” said Gaff’s management.
“She would like to apologise to Cage Warriors, Rosi Sexton and the fans for letting everyone down. Sheila is heartbroken having worked hard and waited so long for this chance.”
Gaff (10-4-1) and Sexton (13-2-0), who currently occupy the top two places in the women’s world flyweight rankings, were both victorious in their respective tournament semi-final bouts earlier this year to set up their title showdown.
Gaff had a first-round KO victory over Jennifer Maia at CWFC Fight Night 4 in Dubai back in March, while Sexton defeated Aisling Daly by unanimous decision at June’s Cage Warriors 47 in Dublin.
Both fighters had been undergoing a drug-screening procedure conducted by the Volunteer Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in the build-up to next weekend’s scheduled fight.
The flyweight clash of Kris Edwards (8-3-0) and Mark Platts (10-8-0) has now been promoted from the prelims to the main card for Cage Warriors 49.
MAIN CARD (9pm local)
Carvalho -v- Pendred
Newman -v- Loughran
Sheil -v- Hucin
Mulholland -v- Thomas
Long -v- Redmond
Edwards -v- Platts
PRELIMINARY CARD (7.30pm local)
Caers -v- Reed
Gambatesa -v- McDonough
Seery -v- Harrison
Gilbert -v- Johns
Click HERE to purchase tickets for Cage Warriors 49. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors 49: Long v Redmond
12/10/2012
Lewis Long in action during his win against Jacek Toczydlowski last November (Photo: Huw Fairclough).
THE line-up for Cage Warriors 49 has today been finalised with the addition of a lightweight bout between Lewis Long and Paul Redmond to the main card.
Cage Warriors 49, which takes place at St David’s Hall in Cardiff on Saturday, October 27, will be the organisation’s first ever show in Wales.
Long (6-1-0), who hails from Wales but currently fights out of the Trojan Free Fighters camp, is ranked as one of the UK’s top 20 lightweights and will be making his Cage Warriors debut following impressive victories over the highly-rated Diego Vital and CWFC veteran Jacek Toczydlowski.
Redmond (4-3-0) will be return to CWFC action for the first time since dominating Yuri Malko at Cage Warriors 47 in June in his hometown of Dublin, where the Team Ryano fighter picked up a second-round TKO win.
Paul Redmond celebrates following his win against Yuri Malko at Cage Warriors 47: Dublin in June (Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors).
The meeting of Long and Redmond will be one of six fights on the Cage Warriors 49 main card, which will be co-headlined by the clash of top welterweight contenders Cathal Pendred and Bruno Carvalho, and the women’s flyweight title tournament final between Rosi Sexton and Sheila Gaff.
Following the enforced withdrawal of John Phillips due to injury, the lightweight contest involving Daniel Thomas and Merv Mulholland has now been promoted to the main card from the prelims.
MAIN CARD (9pm UK)
Bruno Carvalho v Cathal Pendred
Rosi Sexton v Sheila Gaff – women’s flyweight title bout
Tim Newman v Greg Loughran
Lewis Long v Paul Redmond
John Michael Sheil v Faycal Hucin
Merv Mulholland v Daniel Thomas
PRELIMINARY CARD (7pm UK)
Kris Edwards v Mark Platts
Lee Caers v Kevin Reed
Dino Gambatesa v Martin McDonough
Neil Seery v Karl Harrison
Sam Gilbert v Brett Johns
Click HERE to purchase tickets for Cage Warriors 49. Keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
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