With less than a week to go until Cage Warriors returns to The Toon, things are heating up in anticipation of another classic night of action in the famous yellow gloves!
Tickets for CW 172: Newcastle are available here!
Harry Hardwick will compete in his first ever main event, for the world title no less. Orlando Wilson Prins has stepped up at the eleventh hour for his chance at greatness. Kennedy Freeman returns in pursuit of a second CW victory, James Power looks to take a step towards contention and Leon Hill aims to right the wrong of last November!
With that in mind, here’s five standout moments from the stars of CW 172!
Leon Hill: On the Comeback Trail
After a misstep up at 170lbs last October in Dublin, Leon Hill returns to the lightweight division for his next outing in the Famous Yellow Gloves.
The Drogheda man came up short on his Cage Warriors debut, but the comeback was most certainly bigger than the setback.
Hill flew through his next his next six opponents; a run that kick-started whispers of future title contention.
His biggest scalp of that period was undoubtedly Italy’s Dumitru Girlean; a man currently knocking on the doors of title contention himself.
Should Hill rediscover that form next weekend, he’ll put himself right back in the conversation at 155lbs.
James Power: A Title Shot on the Horizon?
Speaking of title contention, one man looking to take another step in that direction is UK fan favourite James Power.
The ASW man has built a solid reputation as ‘one to watch’ during his thus far brief but wildly entertaining CW run, with his only defeat in four bouts coming at the hands of unbeaten prospect Michael Pagani in a close affair.
When push comes to shove, Power has both the skill and the will to mix it up with anyone at 155lbs, as evidenced by this barnstormer against fellow hopeful Adam Shelley in his 2022 debut.
The pair knocked lumps out of each other before the Englishman was able to turn up the heat in the second round, adding another work of art to his gallery of beautiful violence.
Kennedy Freeman: Forging Her Own Path
They say that big shoes are hard to fill…well, they don’t come much bigger than those of UK MMA pioneer Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman.
The man is a legitimate forefather of mixed martial arts in this part of the world, and the first Englishman to compete in the UFC.
Which makes it all the more heartening then, that his daughter, Kennedy Freeman (aka, ‘The Machine 2.0’) is forging her own path in the sport.
Considered something of a prodigy when she first started competing in 2015, Kennedy put together a 9-1 run across the amateur and professional ranks before taking a sabbatical to pursue other interests.
When she returned to the sport to defeat Annabruna Rados at CW 164 last November, it was like she never left.
Orlando Wilson Prins: Man of the Moment
When opportunity knocks, you answer. That’s the golden rule.
Just days ago, that’s exactly what happened for Groningen’s Orlando Wilson Prins, as he sat despondently waiting to find out if he’d be competing at all next Saturday after his original opponent withdrew.
What a difference a couple of days makes.
Prins is a tough out for anyone at 145lbs; strong in the clinch, a menace on the mat and with a striking game that seems to come on leaps and bounds.
What’s more, he’s about to step into the same arena where he pulled off the above finish against another local favourite just six months ago.
Harry Hardwick: Big Brother
Harry Hardwick watched on, cheering, barking instructions from the side lines as younger brother George captured Cage Warriors gold in the summer of 2022.
Now it’s his turn.
It’s been a long route to get here; they aren’t exactly lining up to test their mettle against the elder Hardwick’s relentless pressure.
When you add in the kind of naughty back take we saw against Vitor Estevam in London last July, and it’s a terrifying proposition for anyone at 145lbs.
Cage Warriors 172: Newcastle takes place at the Vertu Motors Arena on Saturday, May 25th! Tickets are available from CageWarriors.com, and all the actions airs live on UFC Fight Pass!