We’re just a week into the new year and the diary is already heating up for Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation. The Cage Warriors calendar kicks off with four epic events between now and the end of March, and bouts begin to roll off the matchmaking conveyor belt, fans look to be in for a treat!
Tickets for all of Cage Warriors announced 2026 events are available here!
Cage Warriors 200: Dublin
Cage Warriors 200 – a huge celebration of everything that has made the organisation so special over the last two-and-a-half decades – is rapidly approaching, and the deck is already stacked with a handful of absolute barn-burners!
Top of the bill are a pair of title fights with more than a little Irish interest, as Solomon Simon looks to defend his newly won featherweight world title against #1 contender Nik Bagley, while Paddy McCorry looks to dethrone long-reigning middleweight champion Dario Bellandi.
Bellandi has held the title since dethroning Mick Stanton in late 2023, and hasn’t tasted defeat in the cage in over five years. McCorry is – in the eyes of many – the division’s heir apparent, as he aims to follow in the footsteps of FAI teammates Joe McColgan and Paul Hughes to CW gold.
Simon vs Bagley is a bout that needs no introduction; the pair have been at loggerheads for some time, and the contest is widely seen as one of the most compelling matchups in European MMA at this moment in time.
Far from being a top-heavy affair, the remainder of the CW 200 card is beginning to fill out, as Ger Harris and Tannio Pagliariccio finally get to settle their score. The flyweights were scheduled to clash in November of last year, before an injury to Harris put paid to the bout. With ‘The GTA Selector’ now fighting fit, they’ll get a second chance to make a first impression.
Speaking of flyweights, another mouth-watering 125lb contest has been scheduled, as ‘Submission of the Year’ nominee Gary Rooney takes on Tom Creasey.
Cage Warriors 202: Manchester
The first bout for CW Manchester has just been announced, and its a naughty one. Shay Ingram and Torpal Merjoev have been jaw-jacking back and forth on social media in recent weeks, and now its official. The pair will meet at the BEC Arena, the venue where both made an impact on the Cage Warriors audience.
With Ingram undefeated and coming off a series of impressive performances, many see ‘The Fridge’ as the future of the division. The same could be said for Merjoev, who shocked the world with his defeat of Teddy Stringer at the BEC last June, before going toe-to-toe with UFC veteran and former CW champ Jordan Vucenic in a razor-close affair.
With the participants just 21 and 22 years old respectively, Merjoev vs Ingram represents the future of the division in action.
Cage Warriors 203: London
From twin titles in Dublin to twin titles in London, there’s plenty of CW gold on the line at Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation kicks off 2026.
Our first run of shows comes to a close in London with two more title bouts that have got the MMA community talking. Ollie Sarwa, the former Cage Warriors Academy Amateur and Pro champion, aims to keep his undefeated streak alive and capture his first world title, as he takes on CW mainstay Weslley Maia.
‘Sweet &’ Sarwa, a KO artist widely regarded as having the bet nickname in the organisation, has long been tipped as a future champion. Maia has been a constant fixture in the organisation since his 24-hours notice debut against Jack Shore, and is currently on a career-best run of form.
The evening’s second title bout is equally as enthralling, with Nicolas Leblond looking to maintain the momentum from one of the greatest comebacks of all time when he makes the first defence of his flyweight title. The heavy-handed Frenchman dropped and stopped Shaj Haque in the final minute of the final round of their December clash to claim the gold, and will put it up for grabs against former title challenger Jawany Scott in March.
Scott previously faced Haque for the title in the summer of 2025, narrowly losing out by way of split decision after a five round thriller.
The GB Top Team man will be hoping that the second time’s a charm as he looks to take the title back to East London on March 20th!