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UFC Commentator Shines A Light On Paddy Pimblett’s Teammate: ‘Captivating A Worldwide Fanbase…’

European promotion Cage Warriors has got a proven track record from taking the top talent from the region and getting them into major promotions like the UFC. The same can be said for Liverpool-based gym Next Generation MMA, which has been able to grow significantly in recent years. Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann are very […]

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European promotion Cage Warriors has got a proven track record from taking the top talent from the region and getting them into major promotions like the UFC.

The same can be said for Liverpool-based gym Next Generation MMA, which has been able to grow significantly in recent years.

Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann are very much the team captains of the gym in that sense but with Nathan Fletcher recently signing to the UFC from the same stable, the next wave of fighters from the north of England are making their way over.

Amongst them is one of the most exciting fighters in Europe right now, who, after missing out on his chance to compete on the Contender Series this year, is back on home turf this weekend.

John Gooden Tells Fans To Keep An Eye On Liverpool’s Luke Riley

Liverpool’s Luke Riley is an undefeated (9-0) featherweight who in many ways, is Pimblett’s protégé and right-hand man.

He was set to fight for his UFC roster at the Apex this year until his bout with Kevin Vallejos fell through due to visa issues.

Instead, Riley will be returning to Cage Warriors, where he has had all of his pro fights, to headline an event for the first time.

Ahead of his attempt to hit double digit wins when he faces Alexandre Junior at the BEC Arena in Manchester on September 21, UFC commentator John Gooden highlighted the potential future star via the official UFC Fight Pass YouTube channel.

“Freak athleticism, lighting speed and surgical accuracy are all features of Riley’s unmissable fight style. Currently running an unblemished 9-0 record with a knockout tally of six, 25-year-old Riley is on the brink of captivating a worldwide audience.”

Gooden spoke about some of the incredible fights that Riley has produced in his career, making his contests an absolute must-watch.

In particular, his clash with Alexander Lööf at CW 160 last year was nominated for the UFC Fight Pass fight of the year and stands out as one of the best bouts in the history of Cage Warriors.

Gooden continued to highlight why Riley is one of the most exciting strikers outside of the UFC right now, breaking down his love for throwing combinations.

“Riley’s fights are always exciting. I’m sure you’re picking up on his love for the knockout and he earns this with really beautiful, technical boxing. It is pretty rare to see such success from a combination fighter in MMA. So few are able to do it well, there are big risks in closing the distance and firing off multiple shots whilst wearing little four ounce gloves but when you have Riley’s speed, defensive hygiene and the delicate details of a watch maker, your work stands out.”

Continue Reading UFC Commentator Shines A Light On Paddy Pimblett’s Teammate: ‘Captivating A Worldwide Fanbase…’ at MMA News.

Video – Ex-WWE star Jack Claffey, released over sexual misconduct, loses via round 1 TKO

Video - Ex-WWE Star Jack Claffey, released over Sexual Misconduct, loses via Round 1 TKO Jack Claffey, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) professional wrestler, made his return to mixed martial arts at the…

Jack Claffey, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) professional wrestler, made his return to mixed martial arts at the end of last month under the banner of the Graham Boylan-led Cage Warriors promotion, dropping an opening round knockout loss.

Claffey, who competed in the WWE under the ring name of Gentleman Jack Gallagher, has competed twice in mixed martial arts – with both outings coming with Cage Warriors since 2022, suffering knockout losses in both matchups.

Jack Claffey stopped in sophomore MMA match

Returning at the end of July at Cage Warriors 175, Manchester native, Claffey was stopped in the opening round by Kallum Parker with a first round TKO loss via strikes, seeing his record in the sport move to 0-2 since his debut two years ago.

Also competing in the BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) back in May 2022, Jack Claffey earned a post-fight Performance of the Night bonus after turning in third round KO win over Rick Caruso in Orlando, Florida.

Handed his release from the above-mentioned, WWE back in 2020 following a historical sexual midconduct allegation levelled against him, Jack Claffey has yet to compete in the organization in the time since his departure.

Hit with a slew of reactions on social media after his loss, Claffey’s past allegations have since followed him in his move to mixed martial arts.

“Well done Kallum in dealing with that waste, who sexually assaults women,” A user commmented on Cage Warrior’s official X account.

“Early stoppage.”

“Jeez Jack is sh*te and got what he deserved. Not working out well for him this MMA stuff.”

“Always nice to see a racist get destroyed.”

Irish star Paul Hughes confirms move to PFL after gold laden Cage Warriors run, set to fight in 2025 tournament

Following the completion of his contractual obligations with the Graham Boylan-led Cage Warriors promotion, and continued speculation regarding his…

Following the completion of his contractual obligations with the Graham Boylan-led Cage Warriors promotion, and continued speculation regarding his next move, streaking Irish lightweight force, Paul Hughes has confirmed his move to the PFL (Professional Fighters League) – as well as his participation in a 2025 tournament under the promotion’s banner.

Hughes, who boasts an impressive 11-1 professional record, fought out his contract with Cage Warriors in Dublin at the beginning of this month, landing a late first round knockout win over short-notice opponent, Fabiano Silva at the RDS.

And following the victory, Hughes, who unified the Cage Warriors featherweight titles back in 2022 with a rematch win over Jordan Vucenic, officially entered free agency, amid reported interest from both the UFC and Singapore-based organization, ONE Championship.

Paul Hughes confirms move to the PFL

Putting speculation on his fighting future to rest on social media tonight, Hughes, 26, confirmed he had penned a multi-fight deal with the Peter Murray-led PFL – and plans to compete for a million dollar paycheck in the promotion’s tournament in a 2025 entry.

“Done deal @PFLMMA,” Paul Hughes posted on his official Instagram Stories. “I have sacrificed EVERYTHING for an opportunity like this. Truly gave every inch of my being to this game. This deal is going to change my life. I will enter the 2025 @PFLMMA 1 MILLION DOLLAR tournament. And there is not (sic) chance anyone is going to touch me. #MyTime.”

Signing with Chosen Advisory Group under renowned manager, Tim Simpson, Hughes joins a stable of fighters under the banner which includes former two-time UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, current welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, and recently-minted symbolic BMF champion, Max Holloway.

Over the course of his professional mixed martial arts career, Hughes has also landed other notable victories over current UFC contender, Morgan Charriere, Aidan Stephen, James Hendin, and Jays Quaeyhaegens to name a few.

Are you excited about Paul Hughes’ move to the PFL?

“The Most Hated Man In That Arena” – Oban Elliott is relishing the chance to face James Sheehan in enemy territory

Surging Welsh prospect, Oban Elliott, is set to make his way over to the Emerald Isles, where he will face off against a hometown hero, in a fight that will likely determine who is next to compete for the Cage Warriors 170lb title. Ever since turning pro, Oban Elliott has been looked upon as the […]

Ever since turning pro, Oban Elliott has been looked upon as the next big thing out of Wales. Training out of Shore MMA, alongside the likes UFC featherweight Jack ‘Tank’ Shore and Bellator bantamweight Brett Johns, ‘The Welsh Gangster’ could not ask for a better stable to further hone his skills.

However, hype and expectation can be a double-edged sword. Very early on in his pro career, Elliott was matched up with some killers in the Cage Warriors roster, dropping a pair of early losses. But rather than rest on his laurels and fade away like so many hype trains before him have, Elliott bounced back with a vengeance.

Now riding a three-fight winning streak, Oban Elliott is now in sight of a Cage Warriors title shot, and past that, a call-up to the UFC. At Cage Warriors 153, Elliott will face off against James Sheehan, who has walked a remarkably similar road to Elliott in terms of his pro career.

With both men in excellent form, combined with the fact that they currently appear set to compete in the co-main event of a card headlined by a welterweight title unification bout between Rhys McKee and Jimmy Wallhead, it would be logical to assume that their fight is an unofficial No.1 contender matchup.

In a recent interview with LowKickMMA’s Frank Bonada, Oban Elliott appeared to confirm that the winner would be guaranteed a shot at gold. He stated the following:

“It’s a massive fight. The winner gets a title shot. But I don’t give a f***. Like that makes a f***ing difference to me. But yeah, it’s a big fight. These are the big nights that I wanted… I stayed the course, and I’ve worked my way up to get to these nights. It’s gonna be a big one.”

When pressed on the matter of a potential title shot, ‘The Welsh Gangster’ made it abundantly clear that it wasn’t something on the forefront of his mind:

“I literally don’t care anyway. Whether someone has got some f***ing belt to put on their shoulders to take Instagram photos with, and call themselves the champion, that’s fine. But I wake up every single day and look at myself in the mirror, and see the f***ing man. Regardless of whether I’ve got a f***ing belt or anything else. But it is a world title eliminator. It’s kinda obvious.”

‘The Most Hated Man In That Arena’

Irish crowds are known to be some of the best in the world when it comes to MMA, loyally backing their fighters from the early prelims all the way to the main card, regardless of the result.

When Oban Elliott walks into the 3Arena in Dublin, he is already anticipating a hostile environment, which he intends to fully embrace. He stated that:

“I will probably be the most hated man in that arena. We’re already putting things in place for where I’m gonna be going afterward. Because I just don’t think that I’m gonna be able to help myself when you’ve got all them thousands of Irish people booing me.”

However, whilst he may plan to antagonize the Irish fans, there is a level of respect between him and Sheehan.

“He recognizes who the man is in this weight class. Edith (Labelle) asked him about a world title fight, and his response was all about me. So, respect there, to Sheehan. He knows what’s going on. He knows what the atmosphere’s like in the dressing rooms. He knows who the man is. Look, he’s a great fighter, and we’re gonna get it on.”

Oban Elliott and James Sheehan will face off in the co-main event of Cage Warriors 153 in Dublin, Ireland, on the 29th of April.

Check out the full interview with Oban Elliott right here:

Dean Barry talks mental health after UFC release: “I kind of spiraled down…I was questioning whether I wanted to fight anymore.”

This time last year, Dean Barry was preparing for a golden opportunity, his UFC debut. Unfortunately, due to an eye poke, he ended up on the wrong end of a disqualification in this bout against Mike Jackson. Subsequently, Barry was cut from the UFC, but a path for a return was left open. ‘The Sniper’ […]

‘The Sniper’ is set to make a return to MMA in 2023, now back in the regional scene. In just under a year after the UFC debut, Barry will be fighting in Cage Warriors to hopefully make his way back to the premier MMA promotion in the world. For his first action back in MMA, Dean Barry takes on fellow Irishman Adam Shelley at Cage Warriors 153 in Dublin, Ireland.

Recently Dean Barry took the time to speak with Alex Lerman of LowKick MMA to discuss his mentality following the UFC release and offer some foresight into how his return to MMA vs. Adam Shelley will play out.

Dean Barry Talks Mental Health Following UFC Release

Dean Barry was open and honest when speaking about his mentality post-release, mincing no words, he explained:

“It was kind of like a blessing because I got in at a really wrong time in my life, mentally I was at a really bad place the last two years. After that fight, I kind of spiraled down, just the abuse online and stuff like that… I was questioning whether I wanted to fight anymore, if I was done.”

Barry explained how things have turned around for him:

“I’ve been on anti-depressants now since October… and it’s changed my life to help me drastically. I’m in a really good place at the minute, the best place I’ve ever been in mentally, so I think that’s really going to help me now.”

Dean Barry Looking for a Knockout vs. Adam Shelley

Barry’s upcoming opponent in Cage Warriors, Adam Shelley, is an opponent who will be a very familiar face. Dean explained how the two used to train together in their younger days:

“It could probably be like 14 or 15 I’ve known him since. We would travel through the Irish Kickboxing team together; I did point fighting and Adam did continuous fight… My gym would go over to his gym and we would do sparring, his team would come over to us and we’d do squad training… I’ve always had nothing but pleasant with Adam…”

Despite the amicable history between the two, Barry will go into this fight as if it were any fighter standing across from him in the cage. On how the fight will play out, Barry continued:

“I think it’s going to be a very good fight, it’s going to be a very calculated and technical fight with the two of us trying to set traps and play games with each other. We came from the same world, so it’s going to be a chess match nearly… I’m going to be calm, patient, and calculated, and I think I can knock him out.”

Dean Barry vs. Adam Shelley goes down on April 29^th at the 3Arena in Dublin. Headlined by a title unification fight between Rhys McKee and Jim Wallhead, Cage Warriors 153 should be must-see MMA action.

Watch below for the full interview with Dean Barry:

Rhys McKee Targets a Finish in Next Fight, Proposes a Fight with Niko Price for UFC Return

Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion, Rhys McKee, has named Niko Price as a desired opponent for his potential return to the UFC. Rhys McKee (12-4-1) is set for a Cage Warriors title unification bout with Jimmy Wallhead on April 29th at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Recently, McKee took the time to sit down with Alex […]

Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion, Rhys McKee, has named Niko Price as a desired opponent for his potential return to the UFC.

Rhys McKee (12-4-1) is set for a Cage Warriors title unification bout with Jimmy Wallhead on April 29^th at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Recently, McKee took the time to sit down with Alex Lerman of LowKick MMA to discuss the upcoming fight, name a potential opponent for his UFC return, and explain why he is such a threat to any opponent.

Rhys McKee on Title Fight vs. Jimmy Wallhead

McKee previously had an unfavorable two-fight stint in the UFC where he faced Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Morono, both ending in defeats. Rhys returned to Cage Warriors to hone his skills and immediately got back to winning ways.

Currently on a two-fight win streak in the promotion, McKee is slated for a title unification bout with Jimmy Wallhead coming up in April at Cage Warriors 153. When asked about his analysis for the upcoming fight, McKee had this to say:

“He’s someone that I expect a solid, prepared version of himself. He is a bit older but with that comes a huge threat and huge experience. How I see myself winning this fight is just overrunning everything he does… I’ll have answers to everything he poses. I just think I’m the new breed and the next generation of martial artists, I think I have too many skills in every area, and I think it’ll just be a real changing of the guard fight.”

McKee Names Niko Price as Desired Opponent for UFC Return

Having fought in the UFC before, McKee is no stranger to the octagon and bright lights.

Upon a continuation of his win streak in Cage Warriors, Rhys believes that a return to the UFC is next in line. When asked about an opponent he would like to see for his first fight back in the promotion, McKee stated:

“I’d probably fight whoever they offered, but I would like maybe Niko Price someone like that would be a fun fight. Before I got released from the UFC, I saw he was looking for an opponent and I remember kind of wanting that fight. So, I feel like someone like Niko Price would be nice, but to be honest I want to go into the UFC and compete with the top 25 in the world. I don’t really want to spend much time fighting UFC debutants, not that they’re not worthy, but I’m gonna make up for lost time…”

Why Rhys is Such a Threat to Any Opponent

Over the course of the entire interview, McKee came across as supremely confident in his abilities and potential. Rhys was asked specifically what makes him a threat in that cage, to which he responded:

“I just know I can put someone’s lights out at any time in a fight. I’m one of these fighters, as we’ve seen in my last fight, that can be down two rounds, it can all be going bad, you know I can find that shot from anywhere any position. From bottom, from top, standing, on the back foot, on the front foot, I’m a threat everywhere. I know my power and my striking is too much for anyone…”

Rhys McKee takes on Jimmy Wallhead to retain his Cage Warriors Welterweight title at Cage Warriors 153 in Dublin on April 29^th. A UFC future is on the horizon with a win in this fight, and McKee certainly looks to make up for lost time from his first stint in the promotion.

Watch the Full Interview with Rhys McKee below: