Category: MMA & Other Fight Sports

UFC veteran Joe Giannetti vs Paddy Pimblett confirmed for CW111

Post author By f/s
Post date November 14, 2019

With Donovan Desmae out of CW111 due to injury, UFC and ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ veteran Joe Giannetti (8-2) steps in as a late replacement opponent for Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett (14-3) in London.

We have an international showdown signed and sealed for our final event of the year!

American lightweight Joe Giannetti, fighting out of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on the dotted line earlier this week and will soon board a plane to London.

With back-to-back submission wins over John Gunther and Allan Zuñiga on The Ultimate Fighter Season 27, Giannetti believes his ground game will rival that of ‘The Baddy’, and predicts an upset victory on November 22nd.

“This is a fight that international fight fans have wanted for a while,” says Giannetti.

“I’ve got a goal to get back into the UFC, Paddy’s got a goal to get to the UFC, so we’re going to find out who’s the others’ stepping stone.

“I hope he’s not expecting an easy night because I got the call last minute – we bring a different type of energy in Boston!”

Pimblett is known for his spectacular fight style, and pulled off a highlight-reel flying triangle submission at CW90 in February – his 10th finish since his pro debut in 2012. He’s provided Cage Warriors fans with some of the most memorable scenes in the promotion’s history, with the highlight of his career undoubtedly being his knockout win over Johnny Frachey which won him the World Featherweight Title at CW78.

He said: “Stepping in on ten days notice, most people wouldn’t do it.

“Considering everyone says they want to fight me, when the opportunity came up, they all went missing.

“I’m grateful to Joe for stepping up, but it’s a bad decision for him. I don’t think he’s been finished before, so this will be the first time he’s been finished in his career.”

Pimblett’s previous opponent, Donovan Desmae, was forced to withdraw from the card due to injury. In an official statement, he stated his intention to recover quickly and honour the contract in the near future.

The CW111 card is topped by 3 world title fights in the light-heavyweight, middleweight and featherweight divisions, and takes place at the London Indigo at the O2 next Friday night, the 22nd November.

Main Card

James Webb vs Nathias Frederick II – Middleweight Title Fight

Mads Burnell vs Steve Aimable – Featherweight Title Fight

Modestas Bukauskas vs Riccardo Nosiglia – Light-Heavyweight Title Fight

Paddy Pimblett vs Joe Giannetti – Lightweight

Alex Lohoré vs Joilton Santos Lutterbach – Welterweight

Pro Prelims

Cory Tait vs Ayton de Paepe – Bantamweight

Mike Ekundayo vs Luca Iovine – Bantamweight

Josh Onwordi vs Harry Davies – Lightweight

Johan Segas vs Adam Amarasinghe – Flyweight

Matthew Bonner vs Warren Kee – Welterweight

Jordan Barton vs James Hendin – Featherweight

Kingsley Crawford vs Scott Butters – Featherweight

Emrah Sonmez vs Daryl Golding – Featherweight

Tickets are limited but still on sale HERE

Cage Warriors confirm Belfast and Cork dates for 2020 schedule

Post author By f/s
Post date November 11, 2019

After their sold-out success at the Neptune Stadium last weekend, Europe’s leading MMA promotion will return to Cork on 25th July, and hit Belfast for two dates at the SSE Arena on 16th May and 26th September 2020.

The Irish MMA resurgence continues!

On the live broadcast at CW110 in Cork this past weekend, Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan announced that his promotion would return to Irish shores next year.

Now, those dates have been officially announced, with Boylan confirming that his 2020 schedule will include 15 dates across Europe – a record number of shows for Cage Warriors.

In a history-making year for the promotion, Cage Warriors will return to Cork on July 25th after their massive success at CW110, and to the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on May 16th and September 26th.

“A sell-out for our return to Ireland at CW110 proved that the demand for MMA is huge in the country, and that fans want more of Cage Warriors,” said Boylan.

“So, it’s only right that we put more shows in place not just for the fans, but for Irish fighters wanting a proven platform to develop and showcase their skills to the world.

“We are open to working with everyone, and want to make Cage Warriors a platform for Irish fighters all across the country.

“We want to thank everyone in the Irish MMA community for welcoming us back home”.

Past Irish Cage Warriors alumni who have risen through the ranks to UFC stardom include 2-weight Champion Conor McGregor, Joe Duffy, Neil Seery, Paul Redmond and Cathal Pendred.

After their performances at CW110 this past weekend, many expect a new crop of Irish Cage Warriors prospects including Rhys McKee and Ian Garry to reach the UFC in coming years.

It has also been teased that further dates and locations will be announced during CW111 fight weekend, which takes place next Saturday the 22nd November in London.

CW110 fight card and broadcast details

Post author By f/s
Post date November 4, 2019

Cage Warriors long-awaited return to Irish shores is just days away. Here’s your full CW110 fight card and how to watch around the world.

Many of Ireland’s hottest rising stars head to the Cork Neptune Stadium this Saturday night for an electric night of fights in the Rebel County.

Headlining the card is Rhys McKee, who moves up in weight after back-to-back wins over Jefferson George and Perry Goodwin since signing for Cage Warriors last year. With a 100% finish rate across all 9 of his professional wins, McKee has established himself as a formidable force on the European scene. He’ll take on Norwegian challenger Hakon Foss, who made headlines with his stunning knockout over Jack Mason at CW93.

The card also features appearances from Irish prospects Joe McColgan, Decky McAleenan and Ian Garry, who trains alongside current and former Cage Warriors champions James Webb, Chris Fields and Cathal Pendred.

Pendred is just one of the Irish Cage Warriors alumni who have risen through the ranks to UFC stardom. Others include 2-weight Champion Conor McGregor, Joe Duffy, Neil Seery and Paul Redmond.

All eyes are on the next generation of talent this weekend, with fans hoping to witness future global superstars in action.

CW110 will take place at the Cork Neptune Stadium this Saturday night, the 9th November. The last remaining tickets are limited, but still on sale HERE.

Doors open at 4.30PM. The night will begin with a 7-fight Amateur Card commencing at 5.15PM, before the Pro Prelims at 7PM and the Main Card at 9PM (timings subject to change).

Check out how you can tune in from home below.

How to Watch

MAIN CARD (from 9PM) will be broadcast live on UFC FightPass globally and on a host of territorial broadcast partners including:

Eleven Sports Network: Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Taiwan

Viaplay: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden

RMC Sport: France, select other Francophone territories

K+: Vietnam

C+: Myanmar

Cignal: Phillipines

D Sports: India

CYTA: Cyprus

Gol TV: Spain

SSports: Turkey

StarTimes: Sub Saharan Africa

Max Sport: Bulgaria

Mola TV: Indonesia

SportKlub: Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Macedonia

Setanta Eurasia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

BFBS: British Forces Overseas

FightPass exclusive territories include UK, Eire, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the Americas.
Pro Prelims (from 7PM) will be broadcast live and free on the Cage Warriors Facebook Page.

Main Card

Rhys McKee vs. Håkon Foss – Welterweight

Joe McColgan vs. TBC

Ian Garry vs. Mateusz Figlak – Welterweight

Eric Nolan vs. John Mitchell – Lightweight

Nathan Fletcher vs. Ciaran Mulholland – Bantamweight

Pro Prelims

Manny Akpan vs. Jack Maguire – Featherweight

Decky McAleenan vs TBC

Ismar Blagoje vs. Cathal Manning – Middleweight

Tomasz Wojtyna vs. Omran Chabaan – Welterweight

Amateur Card

Adam Kearne vs Jay Taylor – Lightweight

Kevin Finn vs Conor Saunders – Bantamweight

Graham Sheehan vs Tomas Cignac – Welterweight

Mikey O’Dea vs Keith Deane – Middleweight

Micheal Prendergast vs Maga Zurabov – Welterweight

Patrick Lehane vs Shane Geraghty – Welterweight

For the latest Cage Warriors news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CW109 fight card and broadcast details

Post author By f/s
Post date October 21, 2019

All the fights to look out for this Saturday night, and how to tune in around the world.

The Resorts World Arena will play host to Cage Warriors’ return to Birmingham, headlined by hometown lightweight champion Jai Herbert in his first title defence.

Having won the belt in spectacular fashion by finishing Jack Grant earlier this year, Herbert now gets his first taste of former UFC competition when he takes on Californian challenger Cain ‘The Insane’ Carrizosa.

Herbert has been training for his first defence alongside UFC names Tom Breese and Leon Edwards, and believes a victory this Saturday night could see him join them very soon.

In the co-main event, ex- featherweight champion Dean Trueman comes up against rising French contender Morgan Charriere.

Trueman’s aggressive and high-energy fight style has made him a fan favourite in the featherweight division in recent years, but a loss to UFC veteran Mads Burnell at 106 has seen him make adjustments to his game which will be showcased this weekend. Charriere narrowly lost out to Søren Bak in an Interim Featherweight title fight at CW103, but has since bounced back with a win over Lewis Monarch and looks to continue his path back to the title.

The CW109 card also features an appearance from former title challenger Brian Bouland, who takes on Birmingham native Chris Miah.

Cage Warriors 109 will take place at the Birmingham Resorts World Arena this Saturday night, the 26th October. Tickets are still on sale HERE.

Check out how you can tune in from home below.
How to Watch
MAIN CARD (from 9PM) will be broadcast live on UFC FightPass globally and on a host of territorial broadcast partners including:
Eleven Sports Network: Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Taiwan

Viaplay: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden

RMC Sport: France, select other Francophone territories

K+: Vietnam

C+: Myanmar

Cignal: Phillipines

D Sports: India

CYTA: Cyprus

Gol TV: Spain

SSports: Turkey

StarTimes: Sub Saharan Africa

Max Sport: Bulgaria

Mola TV: Indonesia

SportKlub: Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Macedonia

Setanta Eurasia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

BFBS: British Forces Overseas

FightPass exclusive territories include UK, Eire, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the Americas.

PRO PRELIMS (from 7PM) will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass, free for non-subscribers as well as account holders.
Main Card

Jai Herbert vs Cain Carrizosa – Lightweight World Title Fight

Dean Trueman vs Morgan Charrière – Featherweight

Brian Bouland vs Chris Miah – Bantamweight

Perry Goodwin vs Sameer Alekozai – Featherweight

Michael Younis vs Mick Stanton – Middleweight

Pro Prelims

Jordan Vucenic vs Konmon Deh – Featherweight

Madars Fleminas vs George Hardwick – Welterweight

Jenaid Ebanks vs George Smith – Middleweight

Amateur Card

Alistair Fitzharris vs. Kieran Timmins – Featherweight

Greg Williams vs Marcus Mee – Middleweight

Drew Graham vs Keith Barston – Light Heavyweight

Levi Steedman vs. Danielle Hutton – Women’s Flyweight

Issac Downs vs. Jerum Agbude – 150lbs Catchweight

7 NEW FIGHTS CONFIRMED FOR IRISH RETURN

Post author By f/s
Post date October 16, 2019

7 NEW FIGHTS CONFIRMED FOR IRISH RETURN

The CW110 card is stacking up, with opponents now confirmed for Ireland’s Ian Garry, Decky McAleenan and more.

Cage Warriors’ long-awaited return to Ireland is less than a month away.

On November 9th, many of Ireland’s hottest rising stars head to the Cork Neptune Stadium for an electric night of fights in the Rebel County.

A new list of signed bouts includes an exciting lightweight clash between Irish prospect Ian Garry and Poland’s Mateusz Figlak. Both men are undefeated in their first 2 professional fights, and head to CW110 fresh off the back of first-round finishes in their last outings.

Garry trains under the guidance of two former Cage Warriors champions in Chris Fields and Cathal Pendred, and promises another unforgettable performance on November 9th.

Also just confirmed on the card is Irishman Decky McAleenan, who splits his fight camps between Newry and California, where he trains alongside UFC legend Urijah Faber. He’ll take on Jared Southwell of Wrexham, Wales.

A number of Cork natives will walk out for the home crowd, including John Mitchell and Jack Maguire, both making their Cage Warriors debuts against travelling opposition.

In the CW110 main event, top Northern Irish name Rhys ‘Skeletor’ McKee welcomes Norwegian challenger Håkon Foss to the Emerald Isle in what promises to be a headline fight to remember.

Cork native and Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan has confirmed that he has big plans for his promotion’s return to Ireland, and is set to play an integral role in developing the sport once again.

“Our mission hasn’t changed,” says Boylan. “We’re coming back to offer the top talent in Ireland a chance to shine and showcase their skills to the world.”

CW110 tickets are on sale here.

CW110 Fight Card

Rhys McKee vs. Håkon Foss – Welterweight

Joe McColgan vs TBC – Lightweight

Ian Garry vs. Mateusz Figlak – Welterweight

Decky McAleenan vs Jared Southwell – Featherweight

Eric Nolan vs. John Mitchell – Lightweight

Ismar Blagoje vs. Cathal Manning – Middleweight

Nathan Fletcher vs. Ciaran Mulholland – Bantamweight

Tomasz Wojtyna vs. Paul Lawrence – Welterweight

Manny Akpan vs. Jack Maguire – Featherweight

CW108 Fight Night Results

Post author By f/s
Post date October 14, 2019

CW108 Fight Night Results

Cage Warriors retuned to Cardiff with an electric card topped by a main-event win for the still-unbeaten Welsh prospect Mason ‘The Dragon’ Jones.

It was a main event that lived up to the hype, and arguably the most mature performance of Jones’ undefeated career so far.

The Welshman bested Aleksi Mantykivi over three rounds at the top of the bill, controlling the Fin with razor sharp striking and a solid ground offence. ‘The Dragon’ is evolving, and has his eyes set on the very top of the division. He’ll no doubt be watching lightweight champion Jai Herbert’s title defence at CW109 very closely.

Another Welsh prospect remained unbeaten in the co-main, when Oban Elliott submitted James Lilley to the roar of the home crowd. Elsewhere on the main card, Shaun Luther shocked the crowd with a definite contender for knockout of the year, and Josh Reed returned to form with a submission win over Ivan Zidar.

Highlights from the Pro Prelims included a devastating knockout win for Wales’ own Ben Ellis, who improves to 2-0 in the featherweight division after a similarly perfect 8-0 unbeaten run as an amateur.

It was undoubtedly one of Cage Warriors most exciting Welsh cards ever, with all but 2 of the 19 bouts ending within the distance.

In a breaking news announcement, Light-Heavyweight champion Modestas Bukauskas joined fans at the arena to confirm he will be defending his belt on November 22nd at CW111. That’s three world title fights now confirmed for the London Indigo at the O2, with James Webb and Mads Burnell putting their titles on the line. Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett will also make his return on the card, which is shaping up to be one of Cage Warriors’ biggest this year.

Next up for Cage Warriors is a return to Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena for CW109 on October 26th, headlined by lightweight champion Jai Herbert in his first title defence.

Full CW108 results

Main Card

Mason Jones defeated Aleksi Mäntykivi via unanimous decision

Oban Elliott defeated James Lilley via Submission (rear-naked choke) – R1

Shaun Luther defeated Martin McDonough by KO (Punches) – R1

Josh Reed defeated Ivan Zidar via Submission (Bulldog Choke) – R2

Chris Sterling defeated Dan Kneil via Submission – R1

Pro Prelims

George Giannakidis defeated Jordan Peake via Submission (armbar) – R1

Rory Evans defeated Brad Evans via Submission (rear-naked choke) – R1

Ben Ellis defeated Rafail Skouras via KO (punches) – R1

CWA Wales Amateur Card

CW Academy Wales Welterweight title

Josh Hudson defeated Daniel Morris via TKO (punches) – R2

CW Academy Wales Light Heavyweight title

Shane Price defeated Tom Jones via Submission (rear-naked choke) – R1

Mitchell Goode defeated Rikki Wyatt via Submission (rear-naked choke) – R2

Alex Gill defeated Kacper Zdunczyk via TKO (punches from rear mount) – R1

Danny Dixon defeated Tom Carnell via TKO (punches) – R1

Johnny Bryant defeated Callum Hanman (England) via unanimous decision

Rhys Hughes defeated Will Bladen (Wales) via Submission (rear-naked choke) – R1

Jack Bryant (England) defeated Cai Evans (Wales) via Submission (rear-naked choke) – R3

Zach Holman (England) defeated Grant Ogbourne via submission (rear-naked choke) – R2

Jordan Taylor defeated Jack Allen-Smith via submission (armbar) – R1

Levi Batchelor defeated Charlie Huckson (England) via sunission (D’Arce choke) – R1