He might not have delivered the explosive finish some expected pre-fight, but Cage Warriors bantamweight champion [autotag]Jack Cartwright[/autotag] showed another side as he showcased his grit and determination to outpoint Croatian challenger [autotag]Manuel Bilic[/autotag] over the full five-round duration at Cage Warriors 112 in Manchester.
The pair met in the main event at BEC Arena, with Cartwright claiming the unanimous decision by scores of 48-47, 49-46, 50-45 after a grueling encounter that saw the Bolton man light up the challenger with his heavy-handed boxing early on, then showcase his patience and defensive smarts in the championship rounds.
Cartwright (8-0) looked in superb form early on as he repeatedly dropped Bilic (15-7) with solid punches. It also played into the Croatian’s gameplan as Bilic repeatedly looked to trap the champion in a triangle choke as the Brit followed the challenger to the mat. But Cartwright, whose heavy hands disguise a fighter whose base comes from the wrestling and grappling realms, exercised calmness and composure in tricky situations to ensure he was never fully trapped against his opponent, who came into the bout on the back of two consecutive submission finishes.
The pace began to drop as the bout entered the championship rounds, but while the pace may have slowed, Cartwright’s mind stayed sharp to avoid Bilic’s submission attacks as the bout went all the way to the judges’ scorecards. All three judges scored the fight for the reigning champion, who completed his first title defense with the first decision win of his career.
After the fight, Cartwright told Cage Warriors co-commentator Josh Palmer he was happy to show he had the fight IQ – and the gas tank – to go all five rounds.
“It feels very good,” he said. “Everyone was wondering if I could last more than one round, so I thought I’d give people their money’s worth and give them five!
“It’s almost a mental game, isn’t it? Stay switched on the whole time, don’t make any silly mistakes. I know I’m more than capable of beating 99% of fighters in the world, so as long as I don’t rush and stay patient … I did that tonight, and I’m quite pleased with myself to not rush for the knockout the entire time, and just accept some positions and stay clever. It’s that self-belief and that grit that I know I’ve done this since I was 5 years old. If I’m feeling tired, they’re (expletive) exhausted.”
Cartwright then sent a message to UFC president Dana White, as he called for a chance to join the promotion and be a part of the upcoming fight card in Dublin.
“Dublin loves some fighters, don’t they? So, August 15, Dana White, give me a ring, and I’ll go and put on a show for those Irish fans (and) knock out some of your bantamweights, man,” he said. “Just give me a call!”
Proctor stays patient to secure decision win
Rising welterweight contender [autotag]Adam Proctor[/autotag] dominated proceedings throughout his co-main event bout with U.K.-based Latvian [autotag]Madars Fleminas[/autotag], but despite his efforts, “The Love Doctor” couldn’t quite secure the finish after 15 minutes of action.
Proctor (12-1) used his reach advantage well in the striking exchanges as he edged the first two rounds, but the main difference between the pair came when the South Shields man took Fleminas (7-1) to the canvas.
Proctor totally dominated on the mat, particularly during a lopsided third round, but found the previously-unbeaten Fleminas a tough nut to crack as the pair battled all the way to the scorecards, with the Englishman claiming 30-26 scores on all three scorecards to secure his seventh straight victory.
Smith secures slick submission
SBG Manchester’s [autotag]George Smith[/autotag] showcased his grappling acumen as he submitted England-based Pole [autotag]Lukasz Marcinkowski[/autotag] via armbar submission in the dying seconds of the opening round of their middleweight contest.
Smith (5-1) was caught by surprise when Marcinkowski (4-2) pulled guard and dragged the fight to the mat during the opening striking exchanges. But once the fight ended up on the mat, the Mancunian dominated proceedings and, after looking to lock up an omoplata, he swiftly transitioned to an armbar as Marcinkowski looked to roll his way to safety. The tap quickly followed as the 25-year-old stated his case as a dangerous contender in Cage Warriors’ 185-pound division.
Webb bounces back with dominant victory
Former middleweight champion [autotag]James Webb[/autotag] returned to action with a win as he dominated [autotag]Mick Stanton[/autotag] over three rounds to claim a dominant decision victory following his defeat to new champ Nathias Frederick at Cage Warriors 111.
Webb (7-2-1) hurt Stanton early with a knee to the liver, then proceeded to dominate the action on the mat throughout the three-round fight as he smothered “The Huyton Hammer” and scored with a host of ground strikes from mount, while also threatening with a host of submission attempts. Stanton (6-4) is not a man to be finished easily, however, and the gritty Liverpudlian showed his toughness as he took the fight all the way to the scorecards, and even threatened to turn the tables on the former champion with a couple of heel-hook attempts.
But the result was in little doubt when the scorecards were collated, as Webb earned scores of 30-26, 30-26, 30-27 to claim a shutout victory and put himself back on a path to his old belt.
Wilson claims landmark win
It was a night to remember for Liverpool’s [autotag]Adam Wilson[/autotag], who extended his unbeaten record with a rear-naked choke finish of former title challenger [autotag]Scott Malone[/autotag].
After a tricky opening round, Wilson (5-0) launched into attack mode at the start of Round 2. Almost immediately, he caught a kick from Malone (6-4), then launched into a flying back-take before locking up a tight rear-naked choke that eventually forced the tap 18 seconds after the restart.
Preliminary card
The star of the show on the preliminary card was undoubtedly [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] (5-0). The undefeated Irish featherweight finished [autotag]Youri Panada[/autotag] (4-2) with a thumping head kick in the second round before serving notice on the top names in the Cage Warriors 145-pound division, including reigning champion and former UFC 145er Mads Burnell.
Bantamweight [autotag]Nathan Fletcher[/autotag] (3-0) also produced an impressive display as he handed fellow undefeated prospect [autotag]Johan Segas[/autotag] (3-1) his first loss with a first-round TKO finish.
There were also notable inside-the-distance victories for [autotag]Steven Hooper[/autotag] (5-3) and [autotag]James Sheehan[/autotag] (2-2), who secured second-round submission finishes of [autotag]Tom Mearns[/autotag] (6-4) and [autotag]Kyran Sturrock[/autotag] (0-1) respectively, while in the featured prelim Danish debutant [autotag]Jonas Magard[/autotag] claimed a landslide unanimous decision win over [autotag]Liam Gittins[/autotag].
Full Cage Warriors 112 results include:
MAIN CARD
- Champion Jack Cartwright def. Manuel Bilic via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 50-45) – for bantamweight title
- Adam Proctor def. Madars Fleminas via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
- George Smith def. Lukasz Marcinkowski via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:47
- James Webb def. Mick Stanton via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
- Adam Wilson def. Scott Malone via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 0:18
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Jonas Magard def. Liam Gittins via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
- Nathan Fletcher def. Johan Segas via TKO (ground strikes) – Round 1, 2:36
- Steven Hooper def. Tom Mearns via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:11
- Paul Hughes def. Youri Panada via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 2:33
- James Sheehan def. Kyran Sturrock via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:27
