Tag: George Hardwick

Dana White’s Contender Series 58 results: 5-for-5 on contracts for second week in a row

Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series continues Tuesday, and MMA Junkie will have live results from on-site at the UFC Apex.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reported live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 58 event.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.

The second episode of Season 7 saw 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. A lightweight contest between George Hardwick (12-1) and Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (14-3) served as the featured bout of the five-bout lineup.

Although there were two decisions, all five winners received UFC contracts from White for the second week in a row.

Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 58 below:

  • Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady def. George Hardwick via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Ibo Aslan def. Paulo Renato Jr. via knockout (punches) –  Round 1, 2:22
  • Hyder Amil def. Emrah Sonmez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Eduarda Moura def. Janaina Silva via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:00
  • Charalampos Grigoriou def. Cameron Smotherman via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:00

Continue reading below for more details about each fight.

Cage Warriors champ George Hardwick to face Fury FC champ Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady on Dana White’s Contender Series

The second week of Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 7 will feature a Cage Warriors champ vs. Fury FC champ showdown.

The second week of Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 7 will feature a champion vs. champion battle.

Cage Warriors lightweight champ [autotag]George Hardwick[/autotag] (12-1) meets Fury FC lightweight champ [autotag]Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady[/autotag] (14-3) at Dana White’s Contender Series 58 on Aug. 15. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report by MMA Mania.

Winner of his past eight, Hardwick has defended his lightweight title twice, most recently scoring a first-round TKO of Yann Liasse at Cage Warriors 152 in April. The 26-year-old has stopped his past six opponents.

Al-Selwady, a former BRAVE FC lightweight champ, captured the Fury FC 155-pound title in his past outing when he defeated Michael Murphy by unanimous decision in February. The Fortis MMA fighter has won four straight.

With the addition, the DWCS 58 lineup includes:

  • Charalampos Grigoriou vs. Cameron Smotherman
  • Paulo Renato Jr. vs. TBA
  • Hyder Amil vs. Emrah Sonmez
  • Eduarda Moura vs. Janaina Silva
  • Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. George Hardwick

On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with April wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator, or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping-stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

  • A Cage Warriors champion might be the best unsigned prospect in MMA and he hopes to continue showing it one body punch at a time.
  • One of the top regional female fighters in Canada hopes to win LFA gold – then make her UFC debut in her home country.
  • A Texas-based lightweight who has overcome numerous life hurdles looks to pick up his fourth victory in a row and get on the UFC’s radar once again in the process.
  • A heavyweight who also works as a professional wrestler and celebrity body guard takes on his biggest test to date as he tries to figure out which avenue he wants to go down.
  • Michigan’s prodigal MMA son returns as he looks for his ninth pro win in as many fights – at 21 years old.

Cage Warriors 141 results: George Hardwick crumples Kyle Driscoll with slick body punch to win vacant title

George Hardwick resorted to his signature weapon at Cage Warriors 141 when he defeated Kyle Driscoll by TKO due to body shot.

[autotag]George Hardwick[/autotag] is known for his sharp body shots and he showed why in his first major regional promotional title fight Friday in London.

At Cage Warriors 141, Hardwick (10-1) went to his bread-and-butter attack when he blasted AKA’s [autotag]Kyle Driscoll[/autotag] (13-4) with a series of punches to the body and head to claim the promotion’s vacant lightweight title at 1:25 of Round 4.

The fight was closely contested in the early stages. Slowly but surely that changed as Hardwick maintained a high energy level and quick movements. Driscoll’s range was excellent early, but as the fight continued he appeared to slow down.

In Round 3, Hardwick dropped Driscoll with a body shot that swung the momentum clearly in his favor. Driscoll succeeded in wild exchanges when he had no other option, but Hardwick’s attack proved relentless.

In the next round, Hardwick finally got the job done. A left hook to the right side of Driscoll’s body sat him against the cage. A couple of light follow-up punches were enough for referee Marc Goddard to step in.

With the victory, Hardwick extended his winning streak to six. Five of those wins came inside the distance. As for Driscoll, his eight-fight winning streak is no longer.

“Maybe this will get me into the UFC, but I’m a competitor first,” Hardwick told MMA Junkie before the fight. “I want to have an active schedule first. I want to have defenses. I’ve seen some champions that win the belt and then they just sit on the sidelines. I’ve seen some champions win this and think it’s a ticket to the UFC. They sat on their arse for like two years. You only get one career. You don’t want to lose two years of fights. I’m a competitor first. I want to compete. I want to go through the competitive process as much as possible.”

The full Cage Warriors 141 results include:

  • George Hardwick def. Kyle Driscoll via TKO (punches) – Round 4, 1:25
  • Jim Wallhead def. Daniel Skibinski via TKO (right hook) – Round 1, 1:15
  • Mike Figlak def. Agy Sardari via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mick Stanton def. Darren Stewart via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Samuel Bark def. Tobias Harila via TKO (knee) – Round 2, 2:30
  • Steve Aimable def. Jeremy Petley via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Reece McEwan def. Kingsley Crawford via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Will Currie def. Naglis Kanisauskas via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Adam Amarashinghe def. Sam Spencer via unanimous decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Madars Fleminas def. Jesse Urholin via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:10
  • Lone’er Kavanagh def. Ander Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Omiel Brown def. Alexander Lindgren via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:51

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Cage Warriors 134 results: Jordan Vucenic pulls off beautiful standing submission to defend title

Jordan Vucenic continues to make a strong case he’s owed a UFC call.

[autotag]Jordan Vucenic[/autotag] continues to make a strong case he’s owed a UFC call.

In the Cage Warriors 134 main event, Vucenic (9-1) used a beautiful back-take to move into position for a submission of [autotag]James Hedin[/autotag] (6-2) via rear-naked choke.

The finish came 1:36 into Round 2 and marked Vucenic’s first title defense as Cage Warriors featherweight champion a successful one. Vucenic first attempted a standing arm-triangle choke. He used the threat and momentum to quickly backpack Hedin. From there, Vucenic worked and worked for the proper grip – and eventually got it.

Check out that finish below:

The event took place Friday at the Indigo at 02 Arena in London.

Vucenic, 26, has now won seven fights in a row, including a title-clinching victory over popular French fighter Morgan Charriere. Cage Warriors 134 marked his first submission victory since May 2017.

“I believe I’m going to be one of the best in the world,” Vucenic told MMA Junkie before the fight. “I believe I’m going to be one of the all-time best fighters to do it, not just out of the U.K., but worldwide. This is just, again, another fight to solidify what I believe. … I believe I’m ready to hang with the top 10n guys already, let alone the starters of the UFC roster.”

The full Cage Warriors 134 results include:

  • Champ Jordan Vucenic def. James Hedin via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:36
  • [autotag]Will Currie[/autotag] def. [autotag]Patrick Vallee[/autotag] via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:56
  • [autotag]George Hardwick[/autotag] def. [autotag]Lukasz Kopera[/autotag] via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:00
  • [autotag]Tobia Harila[/autotag] def. [autotag]Decky McAleenan[/autotag] via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:55
  • [autotag]Ben Ellis[/autotag] def. [autotag]Nik Bagley[/autotag] via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • [autotag]Kingsley Crawford[/autotag] def. [autotag]Aidan James[/autotag] via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 1:28
  • [autotag]Lone’er Kavanagh[/autotag] def. [autotag]Ryan Morgan[/autotag] via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 1:13

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Cage Warriors 131: Joe McColgan vacates, Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar vs. George Hardwick set for title

Lightweight champion Joe McColgan has vacated his Cage Warriors title, setting up a new championship bout next month.

Lightweight champion [autotag]Joe McColgan[/autotag] has vacated his Cage Warriors title, setting up a new championship bout next month.

McColgan (8-3-1) vacated the belt “due to personal matters affecting his ability to train,” according to an announcement from Cage Warriors. So a vacant lightweight title bout between [autotag]George Hardwick[/autotag] (8-1) and [autotag]Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar[/autotag] (5-0-1) will take place at Cage Warriors 131.

The promotion announced the new title fight Tuesday for the event, which is set for Dec. 10 at York Hall in London. The card is the first of back-to-back Cage Warriors events for its end-of-year “Double Trouble” doubleheader. The events will stream on UFC Fight Pass.

“Life has Joe McColgan busy and he’s just about got enough time to get into the gym to help his training partners get ready for their fights,” Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan said in a release from the promotion. “Joe doesn’t want to hold the division up and has decided to vacate the belt providing he can fight the new champ on his return, which he expects to be around April or May next year. I have the utmost respect for the champ for allowing the division to move on in his absence.

“Contender wise, we have two excellent fighters. George Hardwick is on a four-fight win streak with his last two fights ending within the distance. Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar is undefeated in Cage Warriors, winning three fights and drawing a fourth. That draw just happened to be a ‘Fight of the Year’ with Joe McColgan back in 2019.”

Hardwick has four straight wins on the heels of the lone loss of his career, which came by decision at Cage Warriors 109 to Madars Fleminas. Since then, he has a pair of Bellator wins over Richard Kiely and Nicolo Solli in 2020 and a pair of second-round finishes for Cage Warriors this year. He stopped Dean Trueman with a TKO at Cage Warriors 124 in June, then submitted Jakub Dohnal at Cage Warriors 129 in October.

Lakhdhar is 3-0-1 under the Cage Warriors banner. He’ll fight Hardwick a year to the date since his most recent fight, which was a first-round knockout of Stevie McIntosh at Cage Warriors 117. After a perfect 4-0 start to his career, including a pair of 2018 Cage Warriors wins, he fought to a majority draw with McColgan in September 2019.

McColgan won the lightweight title in June with a third-roundn guillotine choke finish of champion Agy Sardari after more than four years of up, down and up again results for Cage Warriors.

Full fight card announnced for Bellator Europe 8 in Milan

The full fight card for Bellator Europe 8, set for Milan, Italy on Sept. 24, has been confirmed.

The fight card for the first leg of Bellator’s Italian triple-header is now set.

Bellator Europe 8 takes place Sept. 26 at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy, with a 10-fight preliminary card setting the stage ahead of a three-bout all-middleweight main card.

Headlining the event is a battle of European middleweight contenders as England’s [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) takes on the Netherlands’ [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA).

Co-main event support comes in the form of an Italy vs. England clash, as former Venator middleweight champion [autotag]Pietro Penini[/autotag] (9-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) faces off against former BAMMA 185-pound champ [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA). Kicking off the main card is a battle between hard-hitting 185-pounders as Ireland’s Will Fleury (7-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) takes on England’s Kent Kauppinen (12-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).

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The preliminary card features a battle between British lightweight prospects as [autotag]Alfie Davis[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Akonne Wanliss[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), while former Cage Warriors featherweight tournament champion Aiden Lee (8-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) takes on seasoned Canadian veteran Jeremy Petley (13-8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA)

With the additions, the Bellator Europe 8 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

  • Fabian Edwards vs. Costello van Steenis
  • Pietro Penini vs. Mike Shipman
  • Will Fleury vs. Kent Kauppinen

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie)

  • [autotag]George Hardwick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nicolo Solli[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ion Pascu[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stefano Paterno[/autotag]
  • Alfie Davis vs. Akonne Wanliss
  • [autotag]Gavin Hughes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Daniele Scatizzi[/autotag]
  • Aiden Lee vs. Jeremy Petley
  • [autotag]Frans Mlambo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cory Tait[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alex O’Toole[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Luke Trainer[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Harry Hardwick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Richie Smullen[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksandra Toncheva[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Claire Lopez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danni Neilan[/autotag]