Cage Warriors legend Modestas Bukauskas is back in action at UFC 315 this weekend, looking to strike while the iron is hot following his stunning KO of Raffael Cerqueira in February. Stepping up against a fellow CW veteran and the man many argue is his toughest test to date, the ‘Baltic Gladiator’ will be gunning for another signature win in the world famous Octagon.
So before he steps back into the Ultimate proving ground, what better time to take a look back at some of Moddy’s finest handiwork in the Famous Yellow Gloves of Cage Warriors?
Vs Pelu Adetola
Bukauskas’ CW debut may not have gone to plan, but it was all fuel to the fire under the young athlete to make sure that the first time he had his hand raised in the Famous Yellow Gloves, it’d be a memorable moment.
Facing hard-nosed scrapper Pelu Adetola at CW 92, Bukauskas stayed calm under pressure before styling out a slick rear-naked choke finish in the very first round.
Vs Kristian Lapslay
With a first victory in the Famous Yellow Gloves under his belt, Bukauskas was keen to get back into action as quickly as possible and build upon the positive momentum.
Barely a month removed from his triumphant return, he found himself heading to Gothenburg, Sweden to face Kristian Lapsley after original opponent Kenneth Bergh was forced to withdraw.
Modestas made quick work of the striking specialist, out-landing him on the feet before taking their tussle to the mat. From there it was a second consecutive rear-naked choke victory, and the start of a championship run.
Vs Marthin Hamlet
With another pair of wins under his belt, it was time for Bukauskas to take a big step forward and challenge for CW gold at the legendary Night of Champions 2.
Stepping in as the underdog, he’d drawn Marthin ‘The Dark Horse’ Hamlet as his opponent – The Norwegian was then undefeated, and packed a serious set of wrestling credentials that Modestas would have to overcome.
Cardio and a solid defensive gameplan proved to be the orders of the day. ‘The Baltic Gladiator’ withstood everything Hamlet had to throw at him in the early offing and as the championship rounds rolled around, ‘The Dark Horse’ crumbled in the face of his opponent’s superior speed and power.
Vs Riccardo Nosiglia
With Cage Warriors gold wrapped firmly wrapped around his waist, it was time for Modestas to defend his championship and cement his status as a CW great.
It was another tough draw for the Lithuanian; Brazil’s Riccardo Nosiglia, a then 8-1 powerhouse whose sole defeat had come at the hands of future UFC star Michał Oleksiejczuk, would step into the bout as the bookmaker’s favourite.
This time around we wouldn’t have to wait until the championship rounds for a spectacular finish. A series of trademark elbows from the champ landed with devastating effect, slumping the Brazilian into unconsciousness as he attempted a takedown against the cage.
It would serve as an eerily prophetic victory; Bukauskas was called up to the UFC off the back of it and his first Octagon victory – a TKO of Andreas Michailidis – played out in a strikingly similar manner.
Vs Chuck Campbell
Having been victorious in his first fight back under the CW banner, it was time for Modestas’ coup de grace in the Famous Yellow Gloves; a chance to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Nik Dalby and Dan Hardy as a two-time champion.
American KO artist Chuck Campbell was the only thing standing between him and his date with destiny, but there was even more on the line than met the eye. The pair were headlining CW 148; a New Year’s Eve spectacular that featured a ‘Best of Five’ series pitting Team USA against Team Europe.
With everything level at two apiece heading into the main event, tensions were high.
They remained that way for the opening three rounds; the two big hitters engaged in a battle of jabs and feints, each displaying supreme respect for the other’s power.
Modestas broke the status quo in the fourth however, exploding with a combination that melted his man into canvas face first, less than a minute into the championship rounds.
You can catch up with all of Modestas Bukauskas’ Cage Warriors and UFC performances on demand and in full on UFC Fight Pass, before this Saturday night’s mouth watering clash with Ion Cutelaba at UFC 315!
And if you want to be first in line to witness the next generation of future MMA superstars following in his footsteps, check out our events page for tickets to all upcoming Cage Warriors shows!
