Tag: Cage Warriors 122

Cage Warriors 122: Jordan Vucenic edges Morgan Charriere, captures featherweight title in London

England’s Jordan Vucenic went toe to toe with rising French star Morgan Charriere for five rounds and came out victorious as the man known as “The Epidemic” claimed a split-decision win, and the featherweight title, at Cage Warriors 122 in London. …

England’s [autotag]Jordan Vucenic[/autotag] went toe to toe with rising French star [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] for five rounds and came out victorious as the man known as “The Epidemic” claimed a split-decision win, and the featherweight title, at Cage Warriors 122 in London.

Vucenic (8-1) started strongly and used his range and jab to good effect to bank the early rounds against reigning champion Charriere (16-8-1), who was making his first defense of the title. The Frenchman upped his intensity through the middle rounds and briefly stunned the challenger, but he was unable to shake the composure of the 25-year-old, who dealt with everything the champion threw at him and kept firing back over the full five-round duration to earn the split-decision win with scores of 46-49, 48-47, 48-47 from the cageside judges at York Hall.

“I put everything that I’ve got into this sport. I love it, man. I don’t have a life outside of it. I put so much into it, it’s nice to get (the belt). It’s been a lifelong dream,” he said after his victory.

“I just treated it like sparring. It might look like I was being cocky to people at home when I talk and smile, but I just love being in there. It was just amazing to be in there. That was the best I’ve ever felt in there, as well. No pent-up emotion, no nothing.”

When it was suggested that a potential matchup with former featherweight champ Paddy Pimblett could be a possibility, Vucenic instead highlighted the fighter he thinks should get the first shot at his title.

Vucenic defeated Paul Hughes via split decision at Cage Warriors 119 to earn his shot at the title, and the Irishman bounced back from that loss on Thursday with a unanimous decision win over James Hendin. Now Vucenic says the time is right for a rematch, with the title on the line.

“Listen, I’m the champion, I’ve gotta fight whoever,” he said. “I like Paddy, but I think we all know who’s next in line, and I’m not going to deny who’s next in line, and it is Paul Hughes. I’m not going to shy away from anybody, I’m not scared of defending it against anybody. He deserves it, so he’ll get the shot.”

https://twitter.com/CageWarriors/status/1373403109549039624

Cage Warriors 122: Paddy Pimblett tells UFC bosses to give him a call after 97-second win

Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion Paddy Pimblett called for a shot in the UFC after a 97-second win at Cage Warriors 122.

Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] says he’s ready to step up to the big time with the UFC.

Pimblett needed just 97 seconds to finish Italy’s [autotag]Davide Martinez[/autotag] in the lightweight co-main event of Cage Warriors 122 in London as the proud Liverpudlian delivered a statement performance, then approached one of the cageside cameras and delivered a message to UFC president Dana White and matchmaker Sean Shelby, telling them to give him a call and get him signed.

Pimblett looked relaxed and calm as he assessed the range and timing of his opponent in the opening seconds of the bout, then the Englishman exploded into life with a remarkable sequence of techniques that ended with a submission finish.

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Pimblett connected with a big head kick, then followed up with punches as he backed Martinez up against the cage. He then launched into a flying knee and landed in the clinch, then followed up with a judo throw as he took his man down to the canvas. Once the fight was on the mat, Pimblett swiftly transitioned to Martinez’s back and locked up a rear-naked choke to force the tap at the 1:37 mark.

https://twitter.com/CageWarriors/status/1373390722846576640

Before the fight, Pimblett declared that it would be his final bout for Cage Warriors and that he would end up being signed by the UFC. After his eighth submission victory, and the 12th inside-the-distance win of his career overall, Pimblett is clearly hoping his latest finish will finally see him get his shot on the world stage.

Watch Cage Warriors fighter growl, snarl, goad opponent, then get TKO’d in 52 seconds

Snarling Liam Gittins came out all guns blazing in his bout at Cage Warriors 122, but his opponent Brian Bouland had the perfect response.

We’re only three months into 2021, but we’ll be hard pushed to find a crazier one-minute fight than the bantamweight bout between Belgium’s [autotag]Brian Bouland[/autotag] and England’s [autotag]Liam Gittins[/autotag] at Cage Warriors 122.

Gittins (6-2), whose last Cage Warriors appearance saw him submit former bantamweight title challenger Josh Reed at Cage Warriors 118 last year, decided to come out all guns blazing as he charged across the cage and unloaded a barrage of wild hooks in a bid to catch Bouland (10-3) cold at the start of the fight.

Initially, it looked like his approach was partly successful, as Gittins forced Bouland onto the back foot and connected with some heavy punches that forced the Belgian to backpedal in an attempt to create some space for himself.

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Gittins set off in pursuit and unloaded more wild punches, as he growled, snarled, and even roared at his opponent. He even dropped his hands and goaded Bouland as he continued to push the pace in a bid to claim a first-round finish.

But Gittins’ high-octane approach eventually came back to haunt him as Bouland found just enough time and space to be able to plant his feet and unload a perfectly timed uppercut that sent Gittins crashing to the canvas.

Referee Rich Mitchell dived in to spare the Englishman further punishment and, despite the Englishman’s subsequent protestations, Bouland was declared the TKO winner.

It was a wild encounter, with Bouland proving that when it comes to landing strikes in four-ounce gloves, quality beats quantity if you can land one clean.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Cage Warriors 122 live results

France’s Morgan Charriere puts his featherweight title on the line on the final leg of Cage Warriors’ first “Trilogy” event of 2021.

The final leg of Cage Warriors’ first “Trilogy” series of 2021 features one of the biggest rising stars of European MMA as he looks to defend his newly won title.

France’s [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] (16-7-1) captured the Cage Warriors featherweight title with a body-shot knockout of Perry Goodwin at Cage Warriors 119 in December and now “The Last Pirate” will return to action at Cage Warriors 122 as he puts his belt on the line for the first time against top contender, England’s [autotag]Jordan Vucenic[/autotag] (7-1), in the main event.

Also set to return is another of Cage Warriors’ most recognizable stars. Former featherweight champion [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] (15-3) is has his sights set on a UFC contract, and will be looking to deliver another irresistible performance when he takes on Italy’s [autotag]Davide Martinez[/autotag] (8-2) in the co-main event.

Cage Warriors 122 takes place Saturday at York Hall, Bethnal Green, London. The card streams on UFC Fight Pass.

Full Cage Warriors 122 results include:

MAIN CARD (4:00 p.m. ET, UFC Fight Pass)

  • Champ Morgan Charriere vs. Jordan Vucenic – for featherweight title
  • Davide Martinez vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Tobias Harila vs. Aidan Stephen
  • Brian Bouland vs. Liam Gittins
  • Corrin Eaton vs. Jean N’Doye

PRELIMINARY CARD (2:30 p.m. ET, UFC Fight Pass)

  • Nathan Fletcher vs. Michele Martignoni
  • Yassine Belhadj vs. Tom Mearns
  • Nicolas Leblond vs. Darren O’Gorman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CjpxuSlLJY

Cage Warriors signs featherweight champion Morgan Charriere to exclusive deal

Cage Warriors featherweight champion Morgan Charriere has signed an exclusive deal with the U.K.-based promotion.

One of the hottest prospects in European MMA has committed his immediate fighting future to Cage Warriors.

French featherweight [autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag] captured the Cage Warriors 145-pound title and was named the promotion’s 2020 Fighter of the Year following his body-shot knockout of Perry Goodwin at Cage Warriors 119 last December.

Now the 25-year-old has signed an exclusive three-fight contract with the U.K.-based promotion, and is set to make his return to action during the upcoming “Trilogy” series in London in March.

Charriere (16-7-1) will face top contender Jordan Vucenic (7-1) in the main event of Cage Warriors 122 on Saturday, March 20 in the final event of the promotion’s three-night run at York Hall.

“Cage Warriors are committed to showcasing the best European fighting talent, so I am delighted that Morgan will continue to compete under our banner,” said Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan, via press release.

“As a fan-favorite and our featherweight champion, he is integral to our plans in France, and we are working hard to give our army of French supporters the chance to watch him live in action.

“However, he has a tough fight against Jordan Vucenic on March 20th, first, and I can’t wait to see how that plays out.”

Cage Warriors 120, 121 and 122 take place from March 18-20 at York Hall, London. All three events will stream on UFC Fight Pass.

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Cage Warriors 122: Davide Martinez vs. Paddy Pimblett confirmed for London finale

Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion Paddy Pimblett will return to action in London against Italy’s Davide Martinez.

One of Cage Warriors’ biggest stars is locked and loaded for the final leg of the U.K. promotion’s latest “Trilogy” series.

Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] returns to action against in-form Italian [autotag]Davide Martinez[/autotag] in a lightweight bout at Cage Warriors 122, which takes place Saturday, Mar. 20 at the York Hall in London. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass.

After a frustrating spell on the sidelines that saw four fights scrapped, Pimblett (15-3) returned to action last March and defeated short-notice opponent Decky Dalton at Cage Warriors 113 after Martinez (8-2) was unable to travel to the U.K. for the bout due to COVID restrictions in Italy.

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Now the pair have been rebooked to face off on the third night of Cage Warriors’ latest three-night residency at the iconic London boxing venue, with Pimblett stating his happiness at finding an opponent willing to step up to face him.

“I hope he’s ready for a scrap come fight night, because I’m coming to make a statement,” said Pimblett, via press release. “I’m happy to have a new opponent to focus on, and want to thank Davide for taking the fight as he’s the only person to actually want to fight me. Everyone else talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.”

Martinez, who is set to make his Cage Warriors debut, is riding a six-fight winning streak, but has not competed since July 2019.

With the addition, the fight card for Cage Warriors 122 includes:

  • Champion Morgan Charriere vs. Jordan Vucenic – for featherweight title
  • Davide Martinez vs. Paddy Pimblett