News

George Hardwick faces Mehdi Ben Lakhdar for vacant lightweight title

Published

2 years ago

November 16, 2021

Cauley Quilty

A new lightweight champion will be crowned at CW 131, the first night of Cage Warriors’ end of year doubleheader, Double Trouble, on Friday 10th December inside London’s famous York Hall, when George Hardwick and Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar meet in the cage.

Current lightweight champion Joe McColgan has vacated the lightweight title due to personal matters affecting his ability to train. On the announcement of a new lightweight champion being crowned at Double Trouble, Cage Warriors president, Graham Boylan, said:

“Life has Joe McColgan busy and he’s just about got enough time to get into the gym to help his training partners get ready for their fights. Joe doesn’t want to hold the division up and has decided to vacate the belt providing he can fight the new champ on his return which he expects to be around April or May next year. I have the utmost respect for the champ for allowing the division to move on in his absence. Contender wise, we have two excellent fighters, George Hardwick is on a four-fight win streak with his last two fights ending within the distance.

“Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar is undefeated in Cage Warriors, winning three fights and drawing a fourth. That draw just happened to be a fight of the year with Joe McColgan back in 2019.”

George Hardwick’s return to Cage Warriors has been sensational and has seen the Middlesbrough based fighter finish Dean Trueman with a body shot KO at CW 124, before stopping a highly rated Jakub Dohnal at CW 129 with a Guillotine Choke.

When asked about how it feels to be fighting for a Cage Warriors title, Hardwick responded: “There’s a great history behind that Cage Warriors lightweight title and I’m excited to add to it, but for me, the prospect of fighting for five rounds is what excites me the most.

“I think my style and work rate has always suited five rounds and will suit me more than Medhi. He is a step up from previous opponents but not a step that I can’t handle. The basics applied consistently and aggressively over five rounds will be the key to taking him out of there. I’m gonna take the belt back to Middlesbrough then eat pizza all week until it doesn’t fit anymore!”

In four fights in Cage Warriors, Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar has knocked out three opponents and will enter this lightweight contest with a record of 5-0-1. Ben Lakhdhar trains at the MMA Factory gym in Paris, which has produced the likes of current UFC interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane and former Cage Warriors flyweight champion, Samir Faiddine.

When talking about his chance to capture the lightweight title, Ben Lakhdhar said: “I’m very excited to get back in the cage and compete for the Cage Warriors lightweight title.“

Tickets for both CW 131 and CW 132 on 10th and 11th December at York Hall are available here.

Related Topics:Cage Warriors CW 131 UK MMA

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Smilla Sundell Recaps Training With Tawanchai & Stamp In Thailand

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

VM Staff

For a fighter to become the best, it helps to remain humble and focused. And if the opportunity to train with world-class athletes arises, they should grab it with both hands. Ahead of her return to ONE Championship next month, ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Smilla Sundell has been doing all that.

The Swedish striker is set to return in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 on Saturday, 4th May, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, where she’ll defend her crown against Russian ruiner Natalia Diachkova.

Sundell has been dominant across four promotional outings. But she knows she’ll have her hands full with Diachkova, so she recently chose to take some tips from ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai.

“I did his seminar in Bangkok at PK Saenchai with my friend Matt. We went there and wanted to learn some new skills and see how he did seminars because I want to go to America after my fight to do seminars. I’ve done one now, and I like teaching, so it was fun,” Sundell said.

“There’s no competition in it. He’s like a cat playing with a rat. It’s too easy for him sometimes. He doesn’t even try.”

The strawweight Muay Thai queen sharpens her skills at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand, alongside other world-class striking talents, like three-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex.

Stamp’s fun-loving nature has rubbed off on Sundell, but it’s her commitment to never backing down that has truly inspired the 19-year-old sensation.

“She’s always been a happy girl and trains hard every day. She’s basically the same funny girl. Still hungry (to get wins),” Sundell explained.

“I think I learned that you can achieve whatever you like as long as you put in the work. But I learned that from my parents, too. But maybe more practical, in a sense, because Stamp did it in martial arts.”

News

CW 171: Final Card & Broadcast Details

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2024

VM Staff

It’s fight week for Glasgow! Cage Warriors – Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation – heads to Scotland for the first time since 2013 with the stacked CW 171 card pitting the nation’s finest against elite opposition from the UK, Europe and beyond!

With the home nation represented in all six of the main card bouts, the atmosphere is set to be electric in the Braehead Arena as CW presents one of its biggest fight nights of all time.

In the main event, blistering KO artist Dumitru Girlean returns to face home favourite Chris ‘The Bad Guy’ Bungard in what is sure to be an electrifying lightweight contest.

Also featuring in high-stakes bouts are title hopefuls Reece McEwan and Aidan Stephen, who face UFC veteran Cameron Else and Italy’s Gianluca Scottoli respectively.

Elsewhere on the card, former title challenger Scott Malone is back in the famous yellow gloves, as he takes on surging contender Nicolas Leblond, while hot prospect Sean Clancy Jr looks to keep his unbeaten run alive against Lucas Rodriguez.

The final CW 171 card is as follows…

Cage Warriors 171: Glasgow | LIVE on UFC Fight Pass

Main Card – 12:30 (PT) | 15:30 (ET) | 20:30 (BST) | 21:30 (CEST)

Lightweight: Dumitru Girlean vs Chris Bungard
Bantamweight: Cameron Else vs Reece McEwan
Welterweight: Lucas Rodrigues vs Sean Clancy Jr
Bantamweight: Gianluca Scottoli vs Aidan Stephen
Flyweight: Nicolas Leblond vs Scott Malone
Bantamweight: Kaique Modesto vs Keir Harvie

Prelims – 08:30 (PT) | 11:30 (ET) | 16:30 (BST) | 17:30 (CEST)

Lightweight: Konstantinos Ntelis vs Jan Quaeyhaegens
Featherweight: Alberth Dias vs Paul McBain
Bantamweight: Jack Eglin vs Daan Duijs
Lightweight: Jordan Little vs Jordan Stronge
Welterweight: Wallison Henrique vs Carlo Pedersoli Jr
Light Heavyweight: Nell Ariano vs Jamie Macdonald
Catchweight (167lbs): Diego Dikson vs Ieuan Davies
Lightweight: Dec Dean vs Michael Blair
Flyweight: Ronal Siahaan vs Igor Wojtas
Featherweight: TBC vs Damon Donald
Bantamweight: Pav Sahota vs Iain Postlethwaite
Welterweight: Mush Aslani vs Khadim Dia
Featherweight: Cornellius Aritonang vs Thomas Hepburn

Cage Warriors 171: Glasgow will air live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners.

News

UFC 300 – Live Results | Pereira vs Hill

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2024

Jake Davis

It’s fight day! The milestone event UFC 300 is finally upon us, bringing with it one of the strongest cards ever put together. In the main event, Alex Pereira will defend his light heavyweight belt against former titleholder Jamahal Hill.

For the full results as they happen, look no further!

Note: any point deductions will be denoted with an asterisk and explained at the bottom of the page.

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