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’re taking a look at what is always a hotly contested category: Breakthrough Fighter of the Year! Which relative newcomer has made the biggest impression? Who will be surging towards the top of their division in 2026? Lets take a look…
The nominees are…
Shay Ingram
2025 was very much the year that Cage Warriors opened ‘The Fridge’. Shay Ingram debuted in the Famous Yellow Gloves in late 2024, but the last 12 months have seen him leave a significant mark on the promotion and cement himself as one of the lightweight division’s fastest rising stars.
A solid points win over Diamantis Chondronikolas opened his account, but it was the follow-up submission over Farukh Aligadzhiev that really set tongues wagging. Finishing the year with a stoppage of Wellington Lopez, ‘The Fridge’ has his sights set on the upper echelons of the division in 2026!
Jack Humphries
Another undefeated prospect, The Ripper is a product of the IMMAF amateur system; a so-called ‘novice’ pro who is anything but. After crashing onto the scene in 2024, 2025 was undoubtedly a breakout year for one of the biggest fan favourites in the organisation.
After emerging victorious from a clash of undefeated proaspects against Nik Baukema in March, The Ripper followed up with a stunning victory over veteran competitor Rory Evans, before closing his year in style against Joab Souza. Three wins, three slick submissions…bring on 2026!
Joe Fields
He may not be as bold and brash as some on this list, but the results are what matters and for Joe Fields, they can’t be denied. With all but one of his six professional bouts taking place in the Famous Yellow Gloves, Fields has had a trial by fire…one he’s passed with flying colours.
2025 saw him pick up career best wins over the super-talented Enrico Di Gangi and Davide Scarano. He ended the year 3-0, defeating his toughest test to date – 20-fight veteran Railson Paixão – with a brutal onslaught of elbows. Should his momentum continue, a title opportunity may be within his grasp.
Nell Ariano
Another understated member of the CW roster, Nell Ariano has been slowly but surely racking up the wins, and looks like a legitimate threat at 205lbs. A multi-sport athlete with heavy hands, explosive throws and a suffocating ground game, Ariano has a little of everything.
After besting fellow IMMAF vet Danny Hartwell to start the year, Ariano went on to stop both Charles Joyner and Riku Urholin to close out an impressive 2025 campaign. When the question of who’s next in line for light heavyweight gold is asked, you can be sure that the Frenchman will have an answer.
Max Lally
Hail Maximus! A breakout star on the Emerald Isle, Max Lally took the Cage Warriors scene by storm in 2025 with a pair of outstanding performances in the cage. Almost as impressive is the massive following he’s already amassed just a handful of fights into his pro career.
Lally raised the roof of the RDS in his debut at CW 188 in June, locking up a super-slick triangle to best Alexis Tsarmantidis. But nothing could have prepared us for the absolute war against Ben Ellis that followed in September. The pair tore the house down, with Ireland’s Lally earning the biggest win of his career against a true veteran.