Harry Hardwick made the first successful defence of his Cage Warriors featherweight title in the main event of CW 181; a performance that served as the crown jewel on a landmark night for MMA in the North East of England.
With the dust barely settle on the bout, Hardwick caught up with Cage Warriors intrepid reporter Edith Labelle to discuss, among other things, how he felt taking on a devastating Brazilian knockout artist like Brazil’s Keweny Lopes.
“When someone is a bona fide knockout artist who’s put dozens of people to sleep in his his lifetime with his hands…when you feel that for the first time, there is a moment of ‘Oh damn!'”
“But my training was good, I had good training partners, we prepared well, did the appropriate things to put myself right back in the fight when the bad things happened. I stayed calm, I stayed composed.”
Ahead of the fight, those ‘in the know’ had made their prediction; if Lopes were to the capture the title, he’d need to get it done early.
The Brazilian did indeed come out of the gates hot, throwing wild hooks and heavy body-punches, but wasn’t able to find the sweet spot to put the champion away.
As the contest wore on, the momentum swung further and further in the Englishman’s favour and some early damage to the challenger’s nose began paying dividends.
“There’s a difference between someone breathing heavy and someone being tired…there a little bit of panic, a shallowness to it…and then when you’re mixing that with him inhaling his own blood and choking on it, I was like “Alright, this guy is drowning in here’.”
With the fourth round stoppage secured after referee Rich Mitchell was forced to rescue the Brazilian from Hardwick’s onslaught, the champ had a clear message for anyone doubting his credentials on the world stage.
“Tell me I’m not one of the best fighters in the world. Tell me it now. Tell me I don’t deserve to be on the biggest stage.”
“I’ve just won 10-8 rounds against and stopped a guy from Nova Uniao on an eleven-fight winning streak who was a champion in multiple weight classes in multiple organisations. I 10-8’d him, I battered him and I stopped him. Tell me I’m not one of the best fighters in the world!”
With all eyes now turning to 2025, whether it’s in Cage Warriors or the UFC, Hardwick believes his – and his brother’s – ascents are simply a matter of time…and if call doesn’t come straight away, he has a back-up plan in mind…
“They have to know (my name) now. And if they don’t come calling, I’m going to sit down with Graham (Boylan, CW President) and tell him that the perfect venue for Cage Warriors 200 is the Riverside Stadium in Middlesborough!”
“We (Harry and brother George) are coming. We’re not going anywhere, we’re two of the premier fighters in the world of MMA. Tell us otherwise! Tell us f**king otherwise…and UP THE ‘BOROUGH!”
Cage Warriors will return for more championship moments in 2025! Tickets are availible here!