We’re just over a week away from Cage Warriors’ return to Scotland’s second city, and with a world title fight, a $50k PrizeFighter tournament and a card packed full of home-grown and international talent, there’s going to be a lot to keep fans happy at the Braehead Arena on September 7th!
Tickets for CW 176: Glasgow are available here!
Cage Warriors have wheeled out some big guns alongside a wealth of Scotland’s best, so don’t be surprised to see some additions to the CW highlights reel before the night is done.
Speaking of highlight reels though, it’s time to join the man with the best seat in the house, Play-by-Play Commentator Brad Wharton, as he looks back at some of the marquee moments from the stars of CW 176!
George Hardwick: KO of Kyle Driscoll
Surprise, surprise, the King is back! It’s been a while, but the lightweight legionnaire, the bastion of the body shot and Prince of Parmos will once again strap on the Famous Yellow Gloves of Cage Warriors.
Hardwick will make the first defence of his 155lbs title since recovering from a broken jaw earlier this year.
What better time to look back to the night he first lifted the big gold belt, the cumulation of a sixteen and a half minute war with Kyle Driscoll.
Chris Bungard: Submission of Perry Goodwin
Scotland’s own Chris Bungard has had no shortage of memorable moments during his Cage Warriors career, from brawls with Erik Silva and George Hardwick, to his foundation shaking walkouts in Newcastle and his home nation.
‘The Bad Guy’s clash with fellow CW vet Perry Goodwin in Newcastle last year gave us the best of both.
The crowd support for both men was deafening, but the roof came off when Bungard sat his man down with a jab and latched onto a fight-ending triangle armbar.
Reece McEwan: Submission of Sam Spencer
It was quite the Cage Warriors debut for Greenock’s Reese McEwan, both in terms of the opportunity and the outcome.
With his rise through the pro ranks seemingly set to be curtailed due to covid shutting down the regional scene, the chance to compete in the Famous Yellow Gloves couldn’t have come at a better time.
There was no small task ahead of him though; one of the UK’s best ‘Smooth’ Sam Spencer, stood in his way.
McEwan rose to the challenge, closing off rear-naked choke with less than thirty seconds left in the third round.
Sean Clancy Jr: Submission of Milton Cabral
It’s crazy to think that Sean Clancy Jr is just two fights into his Cage Warriors career, yet already being spoken about as one of the biggest threats in the division.
Crazy, that is, until you see the kid fight.
Barely into his 20s, Clancy already has a stellar amateur career behind him and remains perfect as a professional.
If you want to see exactly why the tongues are wagging, you need look no further than his CW debut against the always dangerous Milton Cabral, a man who’s knocked out every opponent he’s beaten.
Charles Joyner: KO of Albert Serpeti
There are few things more wince-inducing in combat sports than a well placed gut-shot.
The dull chop of it landing, the brief delay in the pain registering, and the look of realisation on the opponent’s face as they crumple to the mat feeling like the soul has just been snatched out of their body.
When Charles Joyner made his CW debut in Newcastle earlier this year, the big fella delivered a classic of the genre.
Rafael Aronov: Submission of Jamie Richardson
‘The Cop’s fans manifested it, and it came to pass: Rafael Aronov is in the $50,000 PrizeFighter.
The Israeli has enjoyed a rollercoaster time in the famous yellow gloves, picking up impressive victories over the likes of Ben Petches-Kelly and former middleweight title challenger Jamie Richardson in the process.
His lone loss? A wild barn-burner against Omiel Brown…a man he may yet get a shot at redemption against, should the dice fall in his favour as the tournament progresses…
Omiel Brown: KO of Jesse Urholin
Speaking of Omiel Brown, the midlands-based mauler might just be the bookmakers favourite to win the whole thing on September 7th.
Stuck for reasons why? Look no further than one of the most beautiful slices of violence in Cage Warriors history.
Brown uncorked this absolute scorcher of an uppercut on Jesse Urholin back at CW 157, instantly cementing his place on MMA highlight reels for years to come.
The initial impact was bad enough, but the vertical drop as the Finn was relieved of his senses, sending his head crashing down into his own knee, was the icing on a particularly gruesome cake.
A couple more shots like that could be the only thing standing between Brown and a comically oversized cheque for 50 Gs!
Kier Harvey: Submission of Manny Akpan
Following a frustrating three year hiatus from Cage Warriors punctuated by fight cancellations and mixed results, Scotland’s Kier Harvey made a successful return to the promotion in April, dominating his way to a unanimous points victory over Brazilian spark-plug Kaique Modesto.
But with that win still fresh in the mind, why not cast our gaze back a little further to Harvey’s first outing in the Famous Yellow Gloves at CW 123?
Going into the bout as an underdog, the Scotsman shocked the world with an arm triangle in the opening frame, putting opponent Manny Akpan to sleep before he could tap!