November was a month filled to the brim with insane Cage Warriors action from fight nights in no less than three of Europe’s famous fighting cities!
With a trio of jam-packed, critically acclaimed events in Rome, London and Newcastle providing more action than the average MMA fan could shake a stick at, there was no shortage of bone-jarring finishes to pick through in the month that concluded the European leg of our 2024 World Tour.
Still, resident Play-by-Play Commentator Brad Wharton has done just that, selecting a few choice cuts from each card to remember, remember, the month of November!
CW 179: Rome
Konstantinos Ntelis vs Simone Patrizi
Let’s start the Rewind with a bang…literally!
Konstantinos Ntelis impressed on his debut, before ultimately falling short against Belgian finisher Jan Quaeyhaegens.
Simone Patrizi was also on the comeback trail, looking to build upon the momentum of his July win over Diego Dickson to re-establish himself as a contender at 155.
With so much on the line, there was always the potential for something crazy to happen…and something crazy did.
Stefano Paterno vs Jorge Bueno
A ‘KO of the Year’ contender is a hard act to follow, but that didn’t deter Italian superstar Stefano Paterno.
Facing off against rugged Brazilian contender Jorge Bueno, Paterno stepped out practically brimming with confidence in front of the sold out Rome crowd.
Perfect defence, lightening-fast hands and clinical ground ‘n’ pound were the order of the day, and it wasn’t long before the former champion was doing significant damage.
The finish felt like it was always just a shot away, until it was.
Alessandro Giordano vs Emanuele Zaccaria
Elsewhere on the card in Italy, fans at the PalaPellicone were treated to a sure-fire ‘Fight of the Year’ contender when Alessandro Giordano took on Emanuele Zaccaria.
‘Thug’ had stepped in on just a week’s notice, but from the offset it was clear that he wasn’t just there to make up the numbers.
The pair set a blistering pace from the first bell until the last, knocking lumps out of each other to the delight of a divided crowd.
With Giordano taking the first and Zaccaria the third, it all came down to a razor-close second round.
The fans were split and so were the judges, but when all was said and done it was the Naples man taking home a points victory, and another step up the bantamweight ladder.
CW 180: London
Tariq Pell vs Danny Blundell
Tariq Pell was a man on a mission heading into CW 180, but he wasn’t going to have things all his own way.
The debuting Danny Blundell was taking a serious step up against the former CW Academy champion, and gave a good account of himself in the opening exchanges.
Pell looked cool, calm and collected though, coiled and ready to strike when an opening presented itself.
That moment came four minutes into the opening round, when a brutal body kick laid waste to Blundell and put the division on notice that Tsunami Season had arrived.
Giovanni Fernandez vs Jimmy Quinn
November was quite the month when it comes to material for our End of Year awards.
With one ‘Fight of the Year’ contender already in the books in Rome, the London crowd were treated to a second at CW 180 as Jimmy Quinn and Giovanni Fernandez left fans speechless with their rollercoaster ride of fistic fury.
The Englishman landed a plethora of what looked to be fight ending shots in the first round, in addition to coming close with various submission attempts.
Fernandez was teak-tough though, wading through the offensive onslaught to make it to the end of the round.
Everything changed in the second when the Frenchman took his turn on offence, opening up with a wild right hand before pulling off the comeback of the century…
Paddy McCorry vs Tye Palmer
It’s been quite the year for Ireland’s Paddy McCorry.
First, a solid showing and international exposure via his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter, followed by a triumphant return to Cage Warriors.
Strapping on the Famous Yellow Gloves for the first time since his dramatic guillotine choke victory over Samir Kadi in October 2023, the FAI man got right back to work against well-travelled veteran Tye Palmer.
Catching his man cold in the first minute of the fight, McCorry made sure his comeback was a memorable one, putting himself firmly back on the middleweight ladder in the process.
CW 181: Newcastle
Sean Clancy Jr vs Andrey Augusto
Brazil’s Andrey Augusto is a tricky customer…even if you’re getting the better of him, it’s tough to look good doing so.
That’s how Sean Clancy Jr must have felt in the early offing of their main card clast at CW 181; never in danger struggling to put the rugged Brazilian away.
As he seemingly always does though, the Scottish prodigy solved the puzzle in due course.
A crushing body-shot closed the show, removing any doubt that the Paisley man is capable of holding his own with elite international opposition.
James Power vs Dumitru Girlean
It was dubbed ‘The People’s Main Event’ and it didn’t disappoint.
There’s always the worry that when two highlight-reel kings face off, anything less than the spectacular will feel like a damp squib.
Hellacious body kicks, choke attempts…with barely minutes off the clock it quickly became clear that this one would live up to billing.
By the time the second round was underway, Power had begun to put his foot on the gas and when the finish came, it was stereotypically violent.
Daniel Konrad vs Aiden Lee
In a sport with as many variables as mixed martial arts, its tough to turn in a flawless performance.
When you add in an opponent boasting the ability and experience of former CW title challenger Aiden Lee, the odds get drastically worse.
Never the less, that’s what ‘The Swiss Army Knife’ Daniel Konrad did, dominating proceedings against the midlands man.
The entry, the takedowns, the transitions and the eventual submission were all on point, and the lightweight division has almost certainly found itself a new contender.
Cage Warriors returns for one last time in 2024 on Friday, December 13th from the Sycuan Casino Resort in San Diego, California.
Tickets are availible here, with all the action airing live on UFC Fight Pass.