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Arish versus Isaksson for Interim Title at Cage Contender 16


Cage Contender Interim Welterweight Champion Arni "The Ice Viking" Isaksson will have his first title defence on February 23rd when he faces the tough as team Iranian wrestling expert Ali Arish at Dublin's National Basketball Arena !

Isaksson (12-4-0) claimed the vacant title in an almighty dust up with hotly tipped Englishman Wayne "The Caveman" Murrie when the pair met in Belfast, Northern Ireland at Cage Contender 15 back in October, Isaksson ended what was an often savage and ugly affair by TKO (Punches) mid way through the second round.

Manchester based Arish (16-2-0) makes his first return to Cage Contender since he ground out a unanimous decision win over Nathan Champ at Cage Contender 6 in Manchester, England. Since then Arish has build a solid reputation on the European circuit and with many journalists hinting that there might be a knock on the door from UFC at any time!

"This is a massive first defence for Arni. It is no secret that Ali Arish is a strong and very very dangerous fighter, capable of putting you away in a heartbeat. That said we all know Arni's pedigree and I am in no doubt that John Kavanagh and the team at Mjolnir will have a game plan ready. This is a fight for the fans! ". – John Ferguson, CEO

Cage Contender have a strong brand presence in Iceland so it is most likely that Cage Contender will broadcast this fight and most of Cage Contender 16 card live in the Nordic regions and USA with the event being broadcast on a tape delay basis in around 100 countries globally.

While Isaksson was unavailable to comment his manager and CEO of the Mjolnir facility Halli Nelson commented

"Arni has been training very well and is in great condition. He's in Iceland training with Gunnar and Mjölnir competition team. I myself have seen some of Ali's fights online and specifically remember his devastating KO against Wayne Murrie. Ali seems to be a very well rounded and strong opponent with very good wrestling and KO power on top of that. But Arni is no ordinary opponent, with the heart of a true warrior. He will be defending his CC WW belt for sure but I know this will be a fight for the fans to remember."

Samy Schiavo Makes MMA Return at Cage Contender 16


Over the course of 2012 European MMA promotion Cage Contender has become renowned for creating more comebacks than Elvis, names like Lister, Salaverry, Gugerty and Moore have been dusted off by the Irish brand and returned to the octagon for fans to savour. Now it looks like they will begin 2013 with more of the same!

Cage Contender 16 in Dublin, Ireland will see the return of popular French UFC veteran Samy "The Dog" Schiavo where he will face a yet unnamed opponent. Surprisingly to many Schiavo who is best known as a lightweight will fight in the 135lbs Bantamweight division in his return on February 23rd.

In his previous life at 155 Schiavo has shared the cage with top drawer opposition, a look down his fight record springs up the names of Jean Silva, Eiji Mitsuoka and of course Clay Guida making "The Dog" a tough challenge for whoever steps up to face him

"Samy joining the roster fits in perfectly with our recent expansion into the French language, as of October we now broadcast in the French language in around 40 or so countries with our partners on the CanalSat platform. In the ideal world I would like to see a home grown Irish fighter step up to the plate and take this one. It is a massive opportunity to get some top level competition on your CV. – John Ferguson, CEO