Weslley Maia crowned himself the new Cage Warriors bantamweight champion after edging a thrilling, Fight of the Year contender against Ollie Sarwa at Cage Warriors London.
The Brazilian veteran showed incredible resilience, somehow surviving a chaotic round three where he looked on the brink of defeat, only to rally back, and ultimately secure victory.
It was a wild, back-and-forth battle that saw both fighters push each other to the limit. By the final bell, foes had become friends, sharing mutual respect after five rounds of crazy action.
In the co-main event, Jordan Vucenic delivered the performance of his career, emphatically dispatching Daniel Konrad with a clinical knockout to stake his claim for a UFC call-up.
Manuel Del Valle added another standout moment to his CW run with a entertaining win over Italo Gomes, before passionately calling for “Cage Warriors Spain” during his post-fight celebrations.
There was also an impressive CW debut for Stefano Catacoli, who controlled Tariq Pell across three dominant rounds to earn a clear unanimous decision.
Leon Naumann picked up his first win in the Yellow Gloves with a slick submission victory over Steven Hill during the main card.
Opening the show, Marin Vetrila launched himself into lightweight contention with a devastating knockout win against Yusuf Ali-Taleb.
On the prelims, Connor Patterson and Cameron Stewart both secured quick finishes to return to winning ways.
Christian Soda made an explosive start, overwhelming his opponent with a flurry of punches to the delight of his star-studded corner, which included Shay Ingram and Oban Elliott.
Joe Middleton pulled off a remarkable submission win, recovering from an earlier scare to lock in a beautifully executed Japanese necktie.
Kicking off the night, Vic Yeo impressed on debut in the Yellow Gloves, earning a unanimous decision in a lively and action-packed opener.
MAIN CARD
Weslley Maia defeated Ollie Sarwa via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) after 5 rounds
Weslley Maia wins the Cage Warriors Bantamweight World Title
Jordan Vucenic defeated Daniel Konrad via KO (punches) after 1:31 of round 1
Manuel Del Valle defeated Italo Gomes via TKO (punches) after 4:44 of round 2
Stefano Catacoli defeated Tariq Pell via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after 3 rounds
Leon Naumann defeated Steven Hill via Submission (Triangle choke) after 1:28 of round 1
Marin Vetrila defeated Yusuf Ali-Taleb via KO (punches) after 4:41 of round 2
PRELIMS
Connor Patterson defeated Georgios Daskalakis via Submission (Rear-naked choke) after 1:29 of round 1
Cameron Stewart defeated Valentino Greco via Submission (Guillotine choke) after 1:04 of round 1
Christian Soda defeated Callum Haughian via TKO (knees and punches) after 1:13 of round 1
Joe Middleton defeated George McManus via Submission (Japanese Necktie) after 2:53 of round 1
Vic Yeo defeated Harry Shaw via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after 3 rounds