With CW 187: Glasgow in the books, fans didn’t have long to wait for their next instalment of action from Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation. CW 188 rolled into Dublin’s iconic RDS just one week later, and a capacity crowd was treated to a rollercoaster-ride of emotions from bell-to-bell.
With Rome on the horizon, its time to take a last look back at some highlights from our trip to the Emerald Isle!
Burlinson Finishes the Story
What a journey it’s been for Sunderland’s Justin Burlinson. The last time he fought an Irishman on Irish soil, Rhys McKee snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Burlo got back on the horse with a win over Jamie Richardson the following year, but little did he know that his biggest fight was about to occur outside the cage.
Diagnosed with Testicular Cancer following a routine operation, Burlinson recovered and returned to the cage in a thriller against Theodor Berggren last year. With a second title shot earned, all he had to do was execute.
James Sheehan had other ideas; the Dubliner dominated the early rounds of their championship bout, up 30-26 on all three scorecards going into the fourth round, largely due to a devastating hook that had come within a hair’s breadth of finishing his opponent in the second.
Forever made of stern stuff though, Burlo persevered. Unbeknownst to him, he’d popped Sheehan’s jaw in a previous round, and even the teak-tough ‘Jimbo Slice’ couldn’t battle through the agony when he clamped down on a guillotine choke.
The icing on the cake? A £5,000 bonus courtesy of That Prize Guy which, in emotional scenes, Burlinson promised to use to take his family on holiday.
Solomon Simon Beats More than the Buzzer
Last time out, Solomon ‘King’ Simon beat the buzzer with a crazy Ninja Choke just seconds prior to the end of his bout against the vastly more experienced Walter Cogliandro. While the scorecards were never in doubt, it kept up a run of finishes that has been the calling card for Simon’s pro career thus far.
Always looking to go one better, the Waterford man found himself squared-off against former title contender at CW 188, and turned in a performance fitting the occasion.
Not only did Simon extend the unbeaten, all-finishes tally to six, he did so in dramatic fashion, thumping the legs out from under Christian Iorga in dramatic early scenes.
Daniela Sanchez Causes the Upset
Despite the inevitable heartbreak, we all love a good upset every now and then. Not many in the packed-out RDS were backing Portugal’s Daniela Sanches to pull it off in enemy territory, but the 23-year-old had plans to shock the partisan crowd and remind us why we love this unpredictable sport to much.
In the opening exchanges of the bout it looked like Eimear Darcy was set to outclass her less experienced opponent on the feet, but a thundering hook in the second round floor the home fighter, allowing her Sanches to pounce.
Max Lally Impresses
Those ‘in the know’ on the Irish circuit have been high on Max Lally for some time, and rightfully so. 9-0 as an amateur, picking up some respected regional titles along the way.
With a similar start to his pro career, anticipation was high when Lally confirmed that he’d signed a long-term, exclusive deal with Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation, and by the time he’d strapped on the Famous Yellow Gloves and made the walk, things had reached fever pitch.
Alexis Tsarmantidis didn’t let him have it all his own way, but ultimately Max’s ground game was just too strong. A triangle choke led to a fourth pro win, all within the distance, all within the first round.
Things wont get any easier from here on out, but based on his first outing under the CW banner, Lally is the man for the job.
You can take a closer look at all the action from CW 188 with Unfiltered!