There’s a lot on the line when it comes to Cage Warriors 180’s main event, much more than mere wins and losses.
For the champion, it’s a mission for validation; cementing his legacy in the Famous Yellow Gloves and completing the journey from starry-eyed amateur to defending champ.
Last remaining tickets for CW 180: London are availible here!
For the challenger, it’s a journey of redemption; the chance to prove that he’s still part of the elite cohort and as dangerous as the best of them.
For the winner, the glory…for the loser, it’s a long road back.
Clamp the Champ
Andy Clamp’s Cage Warriors journey is the absolute personification of the long and winding road to the top.
When he first stepped into the hallowed cage for the promotion it was over a decade ago, and the sport was in a very different place.
McGregor mania was running wild, and Cage Warriors was making it’s debut in Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
While the venue would later become synonymous with a certain Paddy Pimblett, on that night another UK MMA icon – Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley – was under the spotlight.
Clamp, then still partway through a glittering amateur career, was deep on the undercard.
Standing opposite him was the imposing, heavily tattooed Luke ‘The Animal’ Taylor.
The pair had both made their names on the North West’s burgeoning amateur circuit, but now it was time to meet under the bright lights.
After a competitive first round the bout had to be called; Taylor had injured his leg and was unable to continue, and that was that.
Still, a win for ‘The Vice’, and on to the next one…except things wouldn’t be quite that simple.
When Clamp finally strapped on the Famous Yellow Gloves for the first time as a professional it was 2022, and he’d fought – and won – a battle outside of the cage far greater than any he’d face within it.
MMA fights don’t seem so daunting once you’ve contended with brain surgery and the endless bureaucracy and red tape that follows.
Still, Clamp pushed through it all, got cleared and returned to the cage.
When he finally snaked his arms around the neck of the undefeated Ghassan Abdenabi to register his first CW victory, the emotions were palpable.
Pride, joy…relief.
By the time he’d lined up opposite Matty Byfield to fight for the title in Manchester earlier this year, you could almost see the weight lifted off his shoulders.
Not that the bout was a walk in the park; the pair left everything in the cage for thirteen torrid, exhausting minutes.
By the time the referee had seen enough in the third round, Clamp could barely stand, let alone speak.
But as his long time coach Tom Blackledge embraced him and he celebrated with teammates, friends and family at cage side, you could see exactly how much it meant to him.
Now the dust and settled, and there’s one final challenge in front of him; one more chapter to complete the story.
It’s time to defend the title, time to make it his.
James Webb has other ideas.
Doubling Up
Andy Clamp isn’t the only one with a legacy on the line in Friday’s main event.
Colchester’s Webb is daring to be great, having moved up in weight to pursue glory in a second division.
Precious few achieved what he’s currently aiming for; a second term with a CW title.
Should he pull it off, he’ll be in fine company.
Dan Hardy at welterweight, Steve Ray at 155lbs, Nic Dalby, who held a world championship and interim championship at 170lbs, and Modestas Bukauskas, who twice won the very same light heavyweight prize that now sits firmly in Webb’s sights.
Quite the exclusive list, and quite the addition to a fighter’s legacy.
Webb is, of course, no stranger to big fights; many of his biggest have taken place in the very same cage, in the very same venue, in front of the very same fans he’ll compete before on Friday night.
If you believe in homefield advantages, you’d certainly be giving it to Webb.
The Lion’s Share of his early CW run took place in The indigo, as did his greatest triumph; the night he captured the middleweight title against Thomas Robertsen.
The Norwegian wrecking machine was considered a significant favourite going into the bout, but ended up being no match for the Englishman’s bullying style.
The venue was also the site of Webb greatest heartbreak, losing his championship to Nathias Frederick.
What better way to earn a measure of redemption then, that capturing a second title at the scene of the crime?
Webb has sacrificed a lot to get here; he’s always travelled to train, either with mentor Chris Fields and the Team KF family in Dublin, or more recently in the now legendary ‘Big Lads’ collective where he shares the mats with some of the biggest, baddest men in the sport.
He has a young daughter at home now; those trips away are going to sting that little bit more.
All the more reason to make them count, to make them worth it.
The stage is set for an epic showdown in London this Saturday night, only one question remains: “And new”, or “and still”?
Clamp versus Webb is the main event of CW 180: London, taking place this Friday night at The indigo at The O2.
Tickets are availible here, with the entire event airing live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners.