‘Second time a charm’ is the key phrase going into two of CW 198’s biggest bouts, as we look to run an incomplete grudge match back from October, before Omiel Brown gets his second crack at a world title in what is just the champion’s second appearance in the Famous Yellow Gloves.
Omiel Brown was within a whisker of lifting CW gold back in the Autumn of 2023. Coming off a frankly disgusting knockout of Jesse Urholin that lives on in the ‘favourites’ tabs of true sickos to this day, Brown found himself facing off against fellow slugger Giannis Bachar in the great fighting city of London.
It was his first CW main event and his first opportunity at true greatness. It no secret what the title of Cage Warriors champion has done for countless athletes over the years and in Brown’s mind, he was just five rounds away from his own brush with greatness.
Maybe not event five rounds; the heavy-handed sniper had Bachar on the back foot in the opening seconds of their title tangle. Just as it appeared that he was about to land the kill shot, fate played its cruel hand. For those watching it was a live action reminder of why this sport is so thrilling. For Omiel though, it was a cruel end to the first chapter of his championship dreams.
Thankfully, there’s always a sequel.
And so began his second gold rush. Five fights, five demolition jobs. A $50,000 PrizeFighter tournament win. A new weight division. Perhaps not the most direct path, but the destination remained the same: A big, gold CW belt.
Second time a charm? On Saturday night he’ll get to put that old adage to the test.
One man hoping it wont ring true is Finland’s Omar Tugarev. He’ll be hoping for a second charm of his own; a second victory in a second title bout in just his second appearance in the Famous Yellow Gloves of Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation.
The 24-year-old prodigy shocked the world in June, drawing on his outstanding wrestling acumen to upset CW fan favourite James Power in the very same arena. On Saturday night he’ll be looking to go two-for-two against organisational mainstays, and in doing so emerge successful from a second successful world championship bout.
And all of this, from a man who made the leap to professional MMA barely two years ago. Maybe three isn’t the magic number after all.
Even if you don’t believe in charms or magic numbers, you can’t deny the fairy tale that Tugarev has been living. The story of a young man leaving his home an chasing his dream is one we’ve heard often, but with the raw talent and ability Tugarev possesses, his may be within a fight or two of coming true.
Speaking of second time a charm, tonight’s co-main event will the second time Chris Bungard and Simone Patrizi have been slated to throw down on a Cage Warriors show this year. Issues on the scales – for which they both blamed each other – nixed their proposed meeting in Newcastle this past September, but thanks to CW’s busy schedule, they’ll get the opportunity to run things back in Manchester.
If they didn’t like each other the first time around, there’s certainly no love lost now. This one has been simmering for weeks, with the online back and forth only adding to the sizzle. Bungard is jonesing for a square go; a good old fashioned punch up to settle the issue and get his had raised for an incredible 30th time in the cage.
For Patrizi, this is a pivotal career bout. He’s only dropped contests to extremely high level opposition, but if he still has aspirations of challenging for CW gold, then this is the kind of fight he absolutely has to win. Bungard has reached that level; a win over the Bad Guy could be just what The White Shark needs to kickstart a run of his own.
Things got heated at Friday’s weigh-in…all that’s left is for the pair to take to the cage.
Second time a charm.