Another month is in the books, and with it another trio of epic instalments from Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation! September saw the brand with the Famous Yellow Gloves set up shop in Glasgow for a world title fight and a $50,000 PrizeFighter tournament, before Manchester was the destination for CW: Unplugged and the return of a certain Luke Riley…
The man with the best seat in the house, Play-by-Play commentator Brad Wharton, takes a look back at some of the month’s most memorable moments in the September Rewind!
CW 176: Glasgow
Ryan Hewitt: Invasion of the Bodysnatcher
You always want to kick off a big card in style, but at CW 176 in Glasgow, Ryan Hewitt took that notion literally.
No stranger to stepping into enemy territory, Hewitt was still up against it heading into the Braehead Arena, but the Fearless MMA man wasn’t about to let it get to him.
Buoyed by his early success, he soon found an opening to burry a vicious left kick into the body of opponent Redgie Hingston, and that was that.
Sean Clancy Jr: The Prodigal Son
You can only fight the man infront of you, as they say, and that’s exactly what Sean Clancy Jr did at CW 176.
It would have been easy for any hometown fighter in Clancy’s position to have been rattled, but to see him in action against his toughest test to date in Raphael Aronov, you wouldn’t have known it.
By the time he had the Israeli brawler’s back it was academic; Clancy remained undefeated, secured his fifth professional victory and reaffirmed his status as one Scottish MMA’s top prospects.
Omiel Brown: The PrizeFighter
“Time to throw those hands for fifty bands!” – Those were the somewhat prophetic words from Team Renegade’s Omiel Brown ahead of the welterweight PrizeFighter tournament.
He got his wish; competing twice in one night for a life-changing prize and securing a second shot at the Cage Warriors welterweight title.
The Jamaican secured the bag after three tense rounds against Bourama Camara in the finals, but it was his semi-final tilt against Henri Lintula where we got another demonstration of Brown’s phenomenal stopping power.
CW 177: Unplugged
Ollie Sarwa: Too Sweet To Be…Y’Know…”
The man with perhaps one of the all-time great Cage Warriors nicknames made a promotional debut that was as memorable as it was long-awaited.
Ollie ‘Sweet &…” Sarwa had been a multiple-time champion on the CW Academy, so it was surely only going to be a matter of time before he strapped on the famous yellow gloves for real.
It was definitely worth the wait; despite giving up a wealth of experience Sarwa came out of the corner as though he was running the show.
A crisp right hand signalled the beginning of the end against well-travelled Peruvian scrapper Percy Herrera, and Sarwa’s relentless ground ‘n’ pound closed the show.
Chasen Blair: Chasen Glory
‘Chasen Paper’ no more…a new moniker (‘Mestizo’, a nod to his Filipino heritage), but the same Chasen Blair we all know and love.
Seemingly unlocking his true potential at 155lbs, the American has looked flawless in recent performances.
Friday’s main event was no different; one slick triangle choke later and Blair became the latest CW alumni called up to Dana White’s Contender Series!
CW 178: Manchester
Gav Hughes: First of Many?
On a card full to the brim with potential, the lightweight clash between Gav Hughes and former featherweight champion Dean Trueman had a lot to do to keep it’s head above the parapet…
Thankfully the veteran pair did not disappoint, putting on one of the most compelling bouts of the entire double-header weekend.
It was a back and forth affair with a little bit of everything…Trueman came out looking like the Renaissance man and Hughes, cut bad and on the back foot, had everything to do.
Thankfully, he was able to do just that.
Ieuan Davies: The Rise Continues
Little good comes from rushing things in a sport as volatile as MMA, that’s why it’s great to see surging prospects like Ieuan Davies taking on tougher and tougher opposition as they look to climb the CW ladder.
This time out, the test was a little tougher that most; Brazil’s Amaury Junior – a BJJ blackbelt with 12 submissions from 16 victories – isn’t everyone’s first choice to test their ground game.
Davies isn’t just anyone, though. All over his more experienced opponent like a boa constrictor in the early offing, Junior was left with no choice but to call ‘no mas’.
That’s 6-0 for the Welsh prodigy, including four straight by submission in the Famous Yellow Gloves.
Luke Riley: The Life of Riley
It had to be flawless, nothing less would be acceptable. No slips, no falters, no minor imperfections.
When Luke Riley took to the Cage Warriors cage against Brazil’s Alexandre Junior in his first ever main event, the world would be watching.
The Widnes man knew this, and put on a show commensurate with expectations.
An absolute scorcher of a right hand folded Junior like last week’s laundry, ending the fight, the night and perhaps Riley’s Cage Warriors journey in one fell swoop.
With a stacked schedule for the remainder of 2024 featuring dates in Rome, London, Newcastle and San Diego, it’s time to make sure you’re part of the show with tickets to an upcoming CW event near you available here!