March is in the books, and the first month on the CW calendar couldn’t have been more action packed. With four events in three cities across just 13 days, there was never going to be a shortage of crazy KOs, slick submissions or all out wars, and it all played out true to form.
So much so, in fact, that we’ve got two editions of the CW Rewind for your reading pleasure!
A Return to Rome
What better place to kick off the year than in the Eternal City, with one of the biggest showcases of Italian MMA ever assembled under one roof?
Aiden Lee Turns Back the Clock
It’s odd to talk about turning back the clock in the context of a guy who’s yet to turn 30, but that speaks to the incredible longevity Aiden Lee has had at the highest levels of the sport from a very young age.
Pitted against Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo – a man in whom many saw a younger version of Lee himself – many felt that the veteran fighter was up against tall odds.
Lee had other ideas though; he wasn’t there to be anyone’s stepping stone. By the time the dust had settled, it was clear that the CW featherweight division had yet another dangerous contender in its midst.
Liam Gittins Turns Up the Pressure
It was an atmosphere reminiscent of the first Cage Warriors bantamweight title fight to take place on Italian soil in October 2022. Sadly for the Italian fans, it wouldn’t have the same fairy tale outcome.
Alessandro Giordano undoubtedly gave as good as he got as proceedings got underway, but defending champion Liam Gittins had snapped too much spaghetti to leave Rome anything but victorious.
The Nightmare went through the gears at an alarming rate, alternating between scientific and savage in the blink of an eye, picking his man apart before breaking him down.
Giuseppe Ruggeri Turns Out the Lights
Don’t call it a comeback. Giuseppe Ruggeri could have very easily become disheartened after Brazilian veteran Amaury Junior blotted his copybook back in March of ’24. It may have been a year since he last saw action, but the 25 year old Italian prodigy returned looking like he hadn’t missed a step.
In fact, scratch that, he looked better than ever, clattering former title contender Orlando Wilson Prins in less than a round and a half.
Should ‘Gear Fifth’ be able to capitalise on the momentum with a speedy return to the cage, his future could be very bright indeed!
Cage Warriors: Unplugged
All the greats have played Unplugged, and on a chilly Friday in March, a bunch of future greats had the opportunity to strut their stuff for the entertainment of a specially invited guest audience…and fans tuning in around the world on UFC Fight Pass of course.
Anthony Orozco
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when its time to step up and test their mettle. For rising US star Anthony Orozco, that time was CW Unplugged’s main event.
Having found out just days before that he would be stepping into the headline slot for the very first time, the San Diego man took the opportunity in his stride like a true professional.
When the time came to throw down against notoriously difficult Brazilian veteran Andrey Augusto, Orozco didn’t miss a beat, effortlessly going through the gears to dominate every aspect of the bout for the full fifteen minute duration.
Mantas Kondratavičius
There’s nothing quite like being caught by surprise…unless you’re on the receiving end of a hellacious right hand from Mantas Kondratavičius.
That’s what CW fan favourite Michael Tchamou had to deal with at Unplugged, as the Lithuanian newcomer shocked him – and the world – with an absolute screamer of a straight right to mark his explosive promotional debut.
To say that it came out of nowhere would be quite the understatement, but it certainly won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Damon Wilson
There was an air of frustration around Damon Wilson late last year as he arrived to the Sycuan Casino Resort ahead of CW 182. ‘The Nomad’ had endeared himself to fans with a series of show-stealing stoppages, but since the promotion had taken up residence at that particular venue just over a year prior, those thrilling knockouts had eluded Wilson.
Everything changed that night though; ‘The Nomad’ marked his first main event with a brutal finish that came under serious consideration for a KO of the Year nomination. The question was, would he be able to keep the momentum up at Unplugged?
See for yourself…
With the next edition of CW: Unplugged scheduled to go down on Friday, June 27th, be sure to sign up to the CW mailing list below for updates and keep it locked to our social accounts @CageWarriors to find out how you could bag an invite!