The launch of Cage Warriors 2024 world tour is just a week away, as Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation once again hops the pond to California.
Tickets for CW 166: San Diego are available here!
The Sycuan Casino Resort once again plays host the action on Friday, February 23rd, as a card stacked to the brim with former CW champs, UFC title challengers and can’t miss prospects kicks off this year’s campaign.
Play-by-Play Commentator Brad Wharton weighs-in with 5 compelling reasons for you to check out the action on UFC Fight Pass!
1: Anthony Orozco will take his next steps in the professional ranks
Who doesn’t love being able to say “I was there from Day 1!” when a highly touted prospect lifts a title and hits the big time?
If you’re only just hearing about Anthony Orozco, you’re too late for Day 1 or Day 2, but the Day 3 bandwagon is very much ready for boarding.
The an elite amateur, the IMMAF veteran returns for his third professional run out at CW 166.
Opposite him on the night will be knockout artist Craig Willingham Jr; another amateur standout now making his way in the salaried ranks.
Will Orozco take his next step towards stardom, or does Willingham upset the applecart? Tune in on UFC Fight Pass to find out, and you too could be the one saying “I was there!” in a few years’ time…
2: Chasen Blair is on the comeback trail
Things didn’t go exactly to plan for Chasen Blair when he strapped on the Famous Yellow Gloves back in December.
Opponent Ahmad Hassanzada is a tough night at the office for anyone, and Blair was giving up a wealth of experience.
But instead of tucking tail, licking his wounds and feeling sorry for himself, Blair has opted to get straight back on the horse against Orlando Sanders at CW 166.
It’s another tough match up, but Blair is a competitor through and through; an athlete that craves challenge. Last time his dropped a bout, he bounced back with a devastating 12-second KO of Helio Hernandez…could we see history repeat itself?
3: Bobby Winther gets another step up in competition
Cage Warriors has a reputation for uncovering new stars, hidden gems and diamonds in the rough stretching back over two decades.
It’s looking increasingly likely that we’ll be adding Bobby ‘The Ghost’ Winther to that list.
Serving in the US Navy and teaching close combat, Winther’s entire life revolves around fighting, and it shows.
A flawless amateur run, plenty of pro grappling experience and now a perfect start to his MMA career, ‘The Ghost’ also has a groundswell of local support.
It’s not hard to see why, his first two Cage Warriors outings have been crowd-pleasers; a second round stoppage of Marcus Walston followed by a wild one-rounder that saw him submit Anthony Zaragoza in December.
Fans will once again be out in force at ‘The Ghosts’ looks to give fellow undefeated prospect Devin Goodale nightmares on Friday night.
4: Mason Jones is on a path of destruction
Welsh UFC veteran Mason ‘The Dragon’ Jones has been on a path of destruction since returning to Cage Warriors in the summer of 2023.
Welsh UFC veteran Mason ‘The Dragon’ Jones has been on a path of destruction since returning to Cage Warriors in the summer of 2023.
Two fights, two huge performances and two brutal finishes have put the division, and the world, on notice – Mason Jones is back.
A former double champ in the Famous Yellow Gloves after capturing the light and welterweight titles in back-to-back bouts in 2020, ‘The Dragon’ has a CW pedigree like few who have come before or since.
On Friday night he’ll face another tough test in the form of Bryce Logan; should Welsh War Wagon keep rolling on, a return to the UFC could well be on the horizon.
5: Wilson Reis is the Renaissance Man
With a martial arts career dating back quarter of a century, an MMA debut in 2007 and a first foray into Cage Warriors all the way back in 2012, it’s safe to say that Wilson Reis has been doing this for a while.
With the big 4-0 just around the corner, many would have lost the motivation, but not Wilson. Since returning to Cage Warriors in 2022, Reis is 3-1 with the promotion, his only loss coming by way of a contentious split decision to fellow UFC veteran Trevin Jones.
After a bout in December fell through, the San Diego-based Brazilian has jumped right back onto the horse at CW 166. With no signs of slowing down when it comes to his innate ability to inflict his crushing ground game on opponents, the world is still very much this renaissance man’s oyster.
All the action from CW 166: San Diego goes down this Friday night, live from the Sycuan Casino Resort, and airs live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners!