Cage Warriors returns to Manchester for an incredible double header next week, and it all kicks off with the latest edition of Unplugged.
Think Nirvana in ’94, Alice in Chains in ’96 or…uhm, KISS in ’95; a stripped back, intimate version of the usually bombastic Cage Warriors experience, where a specially invited audience (and fans watching on from home) can here every punch, kick, knee and elbow in all its visceral glory.
If you haven’t been one of the lucky few to find an invite in their inbox don’t despair; fans can catch all the action on UFC Fight Pass and tickets for CW 168 the following night are still available from CageWarriors.com!
However you’re watching, why not get yourself hyped for what’s instore with our list of five reasons not to miss Cage Warriors: Unplugged!
1: Omiel Brown is on the comeback trail
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching the early years of Omiel Brown’s career, it’s that the comeback is always greater than the setback. When the Renegade man dropped a split decision to James Sheehan early in his CW run, he bounced back with a swift stoppage of Dan Hepworth.
And when he came out on the wrong side of the scorecards to Daniel Skibinski, we were gifted this beauty…
Should history repeat itself, Friday night could be a bad time to stand opposite Omiel Brown.
2: Teddy Stringer takes his next steps…
Long considered one of the UK’s brightest amateur prospects, Teddy Stringer had a wealth of international level competition under his belt before hitting the professional ranks.
With close to 25 fights’ worth of experience behind by the time he first strapped on the famous yellow gloves, it was no surprise that he hit the ground running.
Having kicked off his pro career by adding a pair of flawless victories to his ledger, Stringer will be looking for win number three on Unplugged.
3: …as does Anthony Orozco
Speaking of hot prospects, they don’t come much hotter than Stringer’s MMA Fight Academy teammate Anthony Orozco.
The 2022 IMMAF Pan-American Championships Gold Medallist has also made incredible headway in the salaried ranks, notching up a pair of TKO victories within six months of turning pro.
He’d have liked to have made it three back in February, but the chance was taken away from him on fight day when his opponent wasn’t medically cleared.
On Friday night he’ll look to take any lingering frustrations out on his toughest test to date in eleven-fight veteran Lucas Rodriguez.
4: A former champion seeks redemption
Its been quite the Cage Warriors journey for Michele Martignoni. He lost to top bantamweight contender Nathan Fletcher, but after bouncing between fly and bantamweight in his next few contests, received a somewhat unexpected 135lb title shot in the headliner of CW’s first foray into Italy.
‘The Italian Thunder’ took the ball and ran with it, surviving some torrid moments in the early stages to mount an epic comeback and give the fans in attendance their first home-crowned Italian champion.
After vacating the belt so that training partner Dylan Hazan could have a crack at it while he perused flyweight gold, Martignoni now returns to the bantamweight division on the hunt for the title he never lost.
5: The Return of Stefano Paternò
One of the most devastating punchers in European welterweight history returns to Cage Warriors following an absence just shy of six years.
Stefano Paternò hits like a truck, as evidenced by the time he nearly separated Ross Huston from his soul during the fourth round of their classic title bout at CW 98.
Opponents also have to be wary of his power on the ground, as Mehrdad Janzemini discovered when the pair faced off for the vacant title in the Italian’s promotional debut.
With the welterweight division wide open, and a fellow finisher in Scottie Stockman standing opposite him in Unplugged’s main event, the stage is set for Paterno to kick off a new wave of the Italian MMA revolution on Friday night in Manchester!
Cage Warriors: Unplugged is an exclusive, invite only event that airs live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners.