Giacomo Michelis extended his unbeaten run in the Yellow Gloves with the biggest victory of his career to date, edging out promotional newcomer Sado Ucar in a closely contested Rome main event on Saturday night.
The two fighters headlined for the first time, clashing live from the PalaPellicone in Roma. It was a high paced affair, featuring relentless scrambles and exchanges both on the ground and on the feet.
Ultimately, Michelis claimed a narrow split-decision victory in a bout that left fans divided online, as the margins made it one of the most intriguing fights of the year to watch.
In the co-main event, Ireland’s Ryan Shelley made a major statement in the featherweight division by silencing the Roman crowd with a slick rear-naked choke finish over hometown favourite Simone D’Anna.
Ireland’s strong showing on the main card continued as Paddy McCorry made a triumphant return. Dominating from bell to bell, McCorry swept the scorecards and capped off his performance by calling for a spot on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Earlier in the night, Gary Rooney kicked off Ireland’s 3-0 run with an eye-catching armbar submission, setting the tone with a standout prelim finish.
Nicolo Solli delivered a spectacular Cage Warriors debut, setting the crowd with a wild, high-paced fight that ended in a submission win and sent his travelling supporters into a frenzy.
Fellow Italian prospect Khadim Dia also turned heads with a dominant, one-sided performance in the welterweight division, overpowering fan favourite George McManus in brutal fashion.
Giuseppe Ruggeri opened the main card with a successful homecoming, notching his tenth professional victory and solidifying his place as a local favourite.
The prelims brought their share of fireworks, with Luca Borando and Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo adding devastating finishes to their growing highlight reels.
Meanwhile, Pietro Mochetti delivered one of the most unique submissions of the night with a rare Von Flue choke which was his first finish under the Cage Warriors banner.
FIGHT RESULTS
Main Card
Giacomo Michelis defeated Sado Uçar via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Ryan Shelley defeated Simone D’Anna via Submission (rear-naked choke) after 3:22 of round 2
Nicolò Solli defeated Sulo Hilaj via Submission (rear-naked choke) after 4:12 of round 1
Paddy McCorry defeated Shuki Farage via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Khadim Dia defeated George McManus via TKO (referee stoppage in-between rounds) after 5:00 of round 2
Giuseppe Ruggeri defeated Nicolas Barna via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Prelims
Nicolas Leblond defeated Mateus Brauns via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo defeated Mervan Gencer via TKO (punch followed by hammerfists) after 1:41 of round 1
Luca Borando defeated Jan Mašek via TKO (Body kick followed by punches) after 4:21 of round 2
Gabriele Lionetti defeated Kevin Caperna via TKO (Caperna did not answer the bell for round 2) after 5:00 of round 1
Matteo Martignoni defeated Luca Tarabori via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Salvatore Bellotta defeated Fabio Condidorio via Unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Gary Rooney defeated Enrico Di Gangi via Submission (armbar) after 4:06 of round 1
Francesco Tumminello defeated Umberto di Munno via TKO (ground and pound – punches) after 0:56 of round 1
Emanuele Tetti defeated Rodrigo Rivoin via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)
Antonino Amodeo defeated Manuel Lancioli via Unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Pietro Mochetti defeated Dimitris Tzeiranidis via Technical submission (Von Flue Choke) after 0:47 of round 1
Alessandro Ortolani defeated Valerio Anzà via Submission (Rear-naked choke) after 2:58 of round 2