Voting is underway for the Cage Warriors Best of 2025 Awards, where you – the CW fans – get to have your say on the most deserving fights, fighters and moments from what has been a blockbuster 12 months for Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation!
Today we take a look at the nominees for what always proves to be the most divisive category: Fighter of the Year. The 2025 nominees might just be the most deserving and talent-rich cohort ever up for the award…we couldn’t pick a winner, but that’s where you come in!
The nominees are…
Omiel Brown
One of the first names on the list when it came to the Fighter of the Year nominations, 2025 was the year where it all came together for Spanish Town, Jamaica’s favourite fighting son, Omiel Brown.
After a demolition job against Yan Blasco and a Bulldog Choke that very nearly made the Submission of the Year list, Brown was scheduled to cap off his campaign against Lukas Cruz in Manchester. But when the injury bug bit and opportunity knocked, he answered in emphatic fashion, stepping up at the eleventh hour to take interim lightweight gold from Omar Tugarev.
Sean Clancy Jr
2025 will forever be remembered as the year that Sean Clancy Jr answered all the questions .In April he stepped up for his first ever main event, and a significant hike in competition against Italo Gomes in Glasgow. In December, he pulled off an all-time great knockout and captured his first world title at just 23 years of age.
Every obstacle that’s been put in front of the Paisley man, he’s smashed down with clinical ease. The scary part? 2026 might be even better.
Nicolas Leblond
Leblond’s first bout of the year against Mateus Brauns was about as low key as his final fight of the year was spectacular. His – literal – last minute comeback to snatch victory (and the flyweight world title) from the jaws of defeat against Shaj Haque will go down as the stuff of legend.
The sensational victory now sees the Frenchman ranked as Europe’s #1 at 125lbs. An exceptional all-rounder with the kind of one-shot stopping power rarely seen in the lower weight classes, a call to the UFC could well be on the menu for 2026.
Solomon Simon
The fourth nominee to experience his first taste of world championship glory in 2025, Solomon Simon surged through the featherweight pack to establish himself at the top dog at 145lbs. And while he’s always been known for his patient, cerebral approach, this was the year that the Team Ryano man ratcheted things up a notch.
First came the highlight reel KO of former lightweight title challenger Christian Iorga, a blistering shot that will live on in ‘Best of’ packaged for many years. And while it didn’t come against predicted opponent Bagley, Sol finally captured the gold in November, setting up the superfight of 2026 for February…
Justin Burlinson
Five for five on first time title winners, Justin Burlinson’s might have been the most emotional of all. Having fallen short against Rhys McKee when first challenging for CW gold, it had been a turbulent few years for the North East man. His biggest battle of course came in defeating testicular cancer, picked up when in hospital for a routine procedure.
As he has done in many fights inside the cage, Burlo roared back to claim an emphatic victory. Back in the Famous Yellow Gloves, he once again faced an Irishman on Irish soil for the welterweight title, this time getting the job done and taking home a well-earned bonus from That Prize Guy in tear-jerking scenes.
Let us know who gets your vote for this and the rest of the Best of 2025 Awards here!