With just days to go before Cage Warriors’ long-awaited return to Dublin, anticipation among MMA fans is reaching fever pitch.
And who can blame them? For over two decades, the brand with the famous yellow gloves has developed some of the biggest names in the sport, with many of them having made a name for themselves under the CW banner in Dublin.
In a night that will go down in Mixed Martial Arts history, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor knocked out Ivan Buchinger with a signature left hand to become Cage Warriors’ first ever ‘champ-champ’ on December 31st, 2012.
It was a moment that shot the former apprentice plumber into global superstardom in the UFC, opening the floodgates for a host of Irish athletes to be signed to the world leader and spearheading an Irish MMA revolution.
The likes of Chris Fields, Cathal Pendred, Neil Seery, Ais Daly, Joe Duffy, Paul Redmond, Neil Seery, Ian Garry and more count themselves among the Irish CW alumni that have gone on to compete on the world stage in either the UFC or The Ultimate Fighter.
The legendary Cage Warriors New Years Eve parties at Dublin’s Helix have entrenched themselves in MMA folklore, with the number of people claiming to have been in attendance outstripping the venue’s capacity multiple times over.
On April 29th, Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation makes its long-awaited return to Dublin after a six-year hiatus, bringing with it one of the biggest fights in European MMA history.
Broadcast the world over via UFC Fight Pass and a host of international broadcast partners, fans will bear witness to a welterweight title unification bout for the ages, as champion Rhys McKee takes on UKMMA legend and interim champion, ‘Judo’ Jim Wallhead.
With the pair facing off outside of the iconic 3Arena recently, the atmosphere at the live event will no doubt be even more electric.
Dublin’s rising star James Sheehan will also be in action on April 29th, in what could well be a title elimination against ‘The Welsh Gangster’ Oban Elliot.
Dublin’s Team KF will also be represented, with the Shelley Brothers, Leon Hill and Taka Mhandu also in action, as the best of Irish MMA faces elite European opposition.
Cage Warriors has developed and platformed some of European MMA’s biggest names in Dublin over the years; a tradition that looks set to continue at CW 153!