Cage Warriors 59 - Fight Card Updates

[Keithlewis]

Bantamweight Title Tourney Announced for Cage Warriors 59


A four-man tournament will be contested at Cage Warriors 59 to determine a new CWFC bantamweight champion. The vacant title will be up for grabs when Cage Warriors returns to the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, 14 September, 2013. Englishman James Pennington and Sweden’s David Haggstrom will join Welsh pair Martin McDonough and Brett Johns in aiming to clinch a belt that was vacated last year by Paul McVeigh prior to his move to flyweight. The victorious fighter will need to overcome two opponents in one night for the right to be crowned Cage Warriors bantamweight champion, with semi-final pairings to be announced in due course. Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final. The semi-finals will feature on the night's preliminary card, with the final forming part of the co-main event. A reserve bout will also be added to the card in order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals.


THE CONTENDERS


BRETT JOHNS (7-0)

The youngest participant in the tournament, undefeated Brett Johns is likely to have plenty of support at the Motorpoint Arena on September 14.

A native of Swansea, Wales, the 21-year-old is a judo black belt with a 2-0 record under the CWFC banner.

Following a comprehensive decision win against Sam Gilbert at Cage Warriors 49 last October, Johns picked up an impressive second-round TKO of James MacAlister at May's Cage Warriors 54.

"I want to thank Cage Warriors for this massive opportunity. It's a pleasure to be involved in this tournament in my own country in front of my family and friends," said Johns.

"It's going to be a tough night as the tournament is filled with high-level opposition. But this chance is a dream come true for me and I can't wait for it."


DAVID HAGGSTROM (7-1-1)

Currently ranked sixth in Europe, David Haggstrom will be returning to action for the first time since a TKO victory against Artemij Sitenkov in December.

The 27-year-old, a native of Umea in Sweden, also holds notable wins over CWFC veterans James Doolan and Janne-Elonen Kulmala.

"I'm really looking forward to fighting in Wales for Cage Warriors, which is Europe's best promotion," said Haggstrom.

"My aim is to fight the best fighters, win that belt and prove to everyone that I'm the best bantamweight in Europe."


JAMES PENNINGTON (7-1)

James Pennington, who fights out of Gym 01 in Portsmouth, is sixth in the UK's bantamweight rankings on the back of his impressive win against James Doolan at Cage Warriors 53 in April.

A team-mate of UFC flyweight Phil Harris and fellow Cage Warriors bantamweight James Brum, 26-year-old Pennington will compete for the CWFC bantamweight title almost three years to the day since making his professional debut.

Six of Pennington's seven wins have come via submission, five of them in the first round.

Pennington said: "I can't wait for this tournament to come. It's a huge opportunity for me.

"I'll show everyone that I'm the best bantamweight in the UK and I'll do it in style too. Watch this space."


MARTIN McDONOUGH (11-4)

The CWFC bantamweight title tournament's most experienced participant, McDonough will aim for Cage Warriors title success just 25 miles from his hometown of Abertillery, Wales.

With a 3-0 record on Cage Warriors, the 24-year-old has picked up Submission of the Night bonuses for each of his CWFC wins to date.

McDonough, ranked ninth in Europe, has overcome Dino Gambatesa, Alex Enlund and Mark Platts since making his debut for the promotion in October of last year.

"I'm really happy to be back fighting in Cardiff again because the atmosphere there is second to none," said McDonough.

"Fighting for a world title is something I've dreamt of since starting MMA so I'm thankful to Cage Warriors for this chance. I'm also excited by the four-man tournament format as it will really test the endurance and mental strength of the fighters."

The bantamweight belt isn't the only CWFC strap that will be on the line via a four-man tournament at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff on September 14. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.

Priced from just £25 (plus booking fee), tickets for Cage Warriors 59 are on sale HERE now!

[Keithlewis]

Alers-Svensson, Hill-Moore Set for Cage Warriors 59 in Wales


A pair of featherweight bouts have been booked for Cage Warriors 59, including an inaugural CWFC title defence for Jim Alers. Cage Warriors 59, which will also feature a four-man bantamweight title tournament, is set to take place at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 14 September, 2013.

Having clinched the vacant featherweight title by submitting Joni Salovaara at Cage Warriors 53, Alers will put the belt on the line against Martin Svensson, while former 145lbs title challenger Dave Hill returns to action to take on CWFC debutant Brian Moore.

Alers (10-1) is unbeaten in his five outings under the Cage Warriors banner and is currently on a six-fight win streak in total following his victory over Salovaara.

The 26-year-old American, who also holds notable CWFC wins over Marcio Cesar and Matteus Lahdesmaki, has taken eight of his 10 victories via submission.

“I’m really excited about this fight as I’m looking forward to showing the world exactly why I’m the Cage Warriors champion,” said Alers. “I respect all of my opponents but in this fight I’ll be out to make a statement.”

Svensson (12-3) is a fellow submission specialist who hails from Malmo in Sweden and has defeated the likes of Paul Reed, James Saville and John Cullen during his five-year professional career.

The 28-year-old, who has dropped just one loss in his last eight bouts, said: “It’s a great honour to be fighting for the Cage Warriors belt and I’ll be bringing it home to Malmo. This is going to be a great fight but I’m going to put on a show.”

Elsewhere, Dave Hill fights for the first time since June of last year when he was submitted by Conor McGregor in a bout for the CWFC featherweight belt at Cage Warriors 47.

His next opponent, Brian Moore, is an SBG team-mate of McGregor’s so Hill will be keen to return to winning ways against the Irishman, particularly given that his previous loss came at the hands of Artem Lobov, another SBG product.

Hill (10-3), a 27-year-old Englishman, said: “I’m really looking forward to showcasing my skills on a stage as big as Cage Warriors again as the professionalism and quality of the production is second to none that I’ve experienced. Coming off a loss for the title, I’ve taken some time off to reflect and rebuild so this is a huge fight for me.”

Moore (7-2) is a highly-rated Irish prospect who, similar to Hill, recently signed an exclusive CWFC contract. Both of the 25-year-old’s losses thus far have come via decision, one of which was at the hands of the UFC’s Mike Wilkinson.

“I’ve wanted to fight on Cage Warriors for a long time so I’m very excited and motivated for this fight,” said Moore. “A win here would put me in among the best in the division. My goal is to be the CWFC champion but I’m taking it one step at a time.”

[Keithlewis]

Mills-Petrescu, Maguire-Long Added to Cage Warriors 59


Che Mills and Valentino Petrescu will clash in a middleweight contest when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to Cardiff next month. A lightweight tussle between Tommy Maguire and home favourite Lewis Long will also feature on the Cage Warriors 59 bill, while a further two bouts have been added to the event's preliminary card. Cage Warriors 59, which will also see the CWFC bantamweight and featherweight titles up for grabs, is set to take place at the Welsh capital's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 14 September, 2013.

Mills (15-6-0-2) makes the move to middleweight following a loss to CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred at Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin this past June.

The 30-year-old, who holds notable wins over the likes of Marius Zaromskis, Chris Cope and Jake Hecht, signed exclusively for Cage Warriors earlier this year after a four-fight stint with the UFC.

"Cardiff is one of my favourite places so I can't wait to fight there," said Mills. "After my last performance, I'll be looking to prove a point by putting on a show."

Petrescu (12-3), who also recently signed an exclusive CWFC deal, featured as a welterweight on 'The Smashes' series of The Ultimate Fighter last year.

The 32-year-old has picked up seven of his 12 wins via first-round stoppage, with his only losses coming at the hands of highly-regarded opposition in the shape of Jimi Manuwa, Beslan Isaev and Lee Chadwick.

Petrescu said: "This one will make for an exciting fight because myself and Mills are both fighters who bring it. The fans in Cardiff will definitely be getting their money's worth."

Meanwhile, with their respective injury troubles out of the way, Lewis Long and Tommy Maguire will square off in a meeting of two of the UK's most exciting lightweights.

After an impressive win against Mark Glover at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff back in May, an injury forced Long (7-2) to withdraw from a scheduled meeting with Saul Rogers at Liverpool's Cage Warriors 57 last month.

Maguire (14-5), who appeared on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter, had to postpone his CWFC debut against Merv Mulholland at Cage Warriors 52 in London last March after he also sustained an injury.

Elsewhere at Cage Warriors 59, Welsh pair Jamie Rogers (9-6) and Owain Parry (3-1) will face off in a lightweight bout, while bantamweights Timur Mercanoglu (3-0) and Jordan Desborough (6-2) will also collide.

[Keithlewis]

Mills versus Petrescu Welterweight Bout Off Cage Warriors 59


Unfortunately the middleweight bout between Che Mills and Valentino Petrescu, scheduled for Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff on September 14, will no longer go ahead. Valentino withdrew last week due to health reasons which will force him into a long lay-off. Leeroy Barnes had agreed to step in and take Valentino's place, but Che has now also taken ill so the fight has been removed from the card.


Please see below for the current and finalized fight card:

MAIN CARD (Live on Fight Network)

David Haggstrom/Brett Johns vs. James Pennington/Martin McDonough
Jim Alers vs. Martin Svensson
Mats Nilsson vs. Denniston Sutherland
Lewis Long vs. Tommy Maguire
Dave Hill vs. Brian Moore

FACEBOOK PRELIMS

Lee Caers vs. Aaron Thomas
Martin McDonough vs. James Pennington
David Haggstrom vs. Brett Johns

NON-STREAMED PRELIMS

Aaron Blackwell vs. Kris Edwards
Owain Parry vs. Jamie Rogers
Jordan Desborough vs. Timur Mercanoglu
Brett Caswell vs. Paul Rogers

[Keithlewis]