Cage Warriors – Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation – has long-prided itself on its ability to showcase the MMA superstars of the future. From Michael Bisping to Paddy Pimblett, Ian Garry to Jack Della Madelena, whether its for a long time or a good time, many of MMA’s best prospects from the UK, Europe and beyond have at some point strapped on the Famous Yellow Gloves.
Tickets for CW 189: Rome are available here!
Next week it’s once again the turn of the Italians to step into the global spotlight and show the world what they’re capable of. So as the countdown commences, Play-by-Play commentator Brad Wharton takes a look at some of the athletes vying to make a name for themselves as the Summer Series begins!
Giacomo Michelis vs Mush Aslani
CW 191 represents a huge platform for many up and coming Italian talents, but perhaps none more so than Giacomo Michelis.
‘The Boar’ is set to compete in his first ever Cage Warriors main event; it’s a prestigious position to be in, and one that he knows comes with equal amounts of pressure and opportunity.
Looking back on his previous performances though, it’s tough to say that he hasn’t earned his stripes. The Imperia man is now 3-0 in Europe’s leading MMA organisation, and should he be to replicate the kind of form that saw him relentlessly chancing the finish against Mush Aslani at CW 174, even bigger fights could be just around the corner!
Luca Borando vs Nicolae Mezdrea
With wins over Baris Adiguzel and Weslley Machado under his belt, then undefeated prospect was looking like one to watch in the Cage Warriors featherweight division.
Unfortunately for the surging prospect, he hit a speed bump in the shape of superior grappler Matty Elliott at CW 174 last summer. Undeterred though, the Aurora MMA man jumped straight back into the fire in November, mixing it up with Nicolae Mezdrea.
Nicolas Leblond vs Michelangelo Lupoli
Just Nicolas Leblond doing Nicola Leblond things. The French flyweight is a terror in the division, often leaving fans bewildered by virtue of the fact that his punches sound like they’re being landed by a middleweight.
Opponents are often left feeling the same way. Case in point, Michelangelo Lupoli, who had engaged in a ludicrously entertaining back and forth with Leblond before falling victim to his crushing power punching in the third round.
Khadim Dia vs Leon Aliu
After starting his Cage Warriors run in the middleweight division, Khadim Dia made the drop to 170lbs as he looked to make a serious attack on the promotional rankings.
After outworking heavy-handed wrestler Mush Aslani in his debut performance at 170lbs, Dia drew his toughest test to date in the shape of Leon Aliu at CW 179.
The Italian rose to the occasion, making his more experienced opponent say ‘No Mas’ after two rounds of action.
Giuseppe Ruggeri vs Orlando Wilson Prins
Cage Warriors 167 wasn’t exactly the comeback Giuseppe Ruggeri had in mind after two years on the side-lines. So after falling in action to Brazilian submission specialist Amaury Junior, Ruggeri knew that he would need to pull something special out of the bag to erase it from memory.
Special doesn’t quite do his performance against former title contender Orlando Wilson Prins.
After a competitive first six minutes, the Italian took things up to Fifth Gear, cracking his man with a left hand that proved to be much more devastating than it looked at first glance.
Not only did it erase the memory of his previous defeat, it set the 25-year-old up as one of the most dangerous up-and-coming threats in the division.
Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo vs Hossein Mousavi
He may be a mere handful of fights into his CW tenure, but Giuseppe ‘The Demon’ Mastrogiacomo has already set the right tongues wagging and rallied a solid fanbase behind him thanks to a series of show-stealing performances.
The young lion is an absolute joy to watch, dazzling spectators with a rarely seen fluidity of movement in the MMA cage. Don’t be fooled though, as visually pleasing as his style is, there’s plenty of steak to go with the sizzle.
Case in point, this third round demolition job of Hossein Mousavi from CW 175. And while Mastrogiacomo may be on the comeback trail following a clash with Aiden Lee that proved to be a little too much, too soon, smart money says that with a kid this talented, the comeback will be bigger than the set back.
The Italian stars above, plus many more, will be in action at the Palapellecone on Saturday, May 31st! Tickets for the event – which airs live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners – are availible here!