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

Oban ElliottSurging 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 […]

Oban Elliott

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 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.”

Dean BarryThis 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’ […]

Dean Barry

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’ 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 29th 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

Rhys McKee, Niko PriceCage 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 […]

Rhys McKee, Niko Price

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 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 29th. 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:

Exclusive | Omran Chaaban previews upcoming CW 150 bout: “I don’t want to be good everywhere; you have to be great.”

Omran ChaabanOmran Chaaban (4-1) is one of the many Cage Warriors prospects on the rise in MMA today. The Finland national began his professional career in Cage Warriors, fought a few fights under the UAE Warriors banner, and then returned to Cage Warriors where he has enjoyed success. Currently, Chaaban boasts a three-fight win streak, during […]

Omran Chaaban

Omran Chaaban (4-1) is one of the many Cage Warriors prospects on the rise in MMA today. The Finland national began his professional career in Cage Warriors, fought a few fights under the UAE Warriors banner, and then returned to Cage Warriors where he has enjoyed success. Currently, Chaaban boasts a three-fight win streak, during which none of these needed the judges’ scorecards.

In anticipation for his upcoming fight at Cage Warriors 150, the hungry and motivated Chaaban took the time to speak with Alex Lerman of LowKick MMA and discussed his introduction to MMA, his fighting style, the upcoming bout with Mush Aslani, his future goals in the sport, and many more topics.

Origins of Omran Chaaban’s MMA Journey

Chaaban detailed that he hadn’t really started training in MMA until his later teenage years. Omran retold an interesting story from his younger days that paved the way for his introduction to Mixed Martial Arts:

“I was walking home, and we know this group of friends and they were doing a house party… I was going by, and I saw three girls and there was one guy. I didn’t know the guy, but I just knew him by name, and I would see him doing silly stuff to the girl. She didn’t want to obviously, so I went there, and I was arguing with the guy. I got into a fight with the guy and basically, what happened was I beat the sh*t out of that guy…”

From this moment on, Chaaban knew he had the foundational skills for fighting and decided to begin training soon thereafter.

Omran Chaaban on his Fighting Style

As a prospect on the rise, more and more eyes should be focused on Chaaban as he moves up through the Cage Warriors ranks. For those who don’t know, Omran described his fighting style very simply and confidently:

“I think I’m and MMA fighter like new generation because I want to do it all. I don’t just want to be a striker, I can punch you going forwards, going backwards, I can counterstrike, I can press you, I can take you down, I can submit you. My goal is to have an answer for everyone and every style and be that guy. I don’t want to be good everywhere, you know you have to be great.”

Chaaban on Upcoming Fight at CW 150

On March 17th at the Indigo at the O2 Arena in London, Omran will face Mush Aslani in the Co-main event. Chaaban gave a detailed analysis of his opponent and what he expects to see from him in the cage:

“I think we all know his style. First things first, he’s tiny. For a welterweight he’s pretty small, I’m a pretty huge welterweight I call myself the biggest welterweight on the planet. He likes to throw overhands, he likes to wrestle, and I’m fine with that… We all know his style, he doesn’t know how to do anything else, that’s it. [He’s] just gonna come do that overhand thing that every small guy does… He likes double legs and throwing overhands… and I think I beat him everywhere. Mashed Potato, he can try, that’s his nickname by the way.”

Tune in for Cage Warriors 150 from the Indigo at the O2 Arena in London on March 17th to see Omran Chaaban in action against his opponent “Mashed Potato” Mush Aslani. Omran looks to extend his win streak to four and continue climbing the ranks in pursuit of a future in the UFC.

Watch the full interview with Omran Chaaban below!

Harry Hardwick talks upcoming fight vs. Yousaf and possible UFC debut: “As far as first opponent, Darren Elkins”

Harry Hardwick and Darren ElkinsHarry Hardwick (9-3-1) is unbeaten in his last 5 fights and is poised to continue his winning ways at Cage Warriors 150 in London. In anticipation of Hardwick’s March 17th bout vs Shoaib Yousaf, ‘Houdini’ took the time to speak with Frank Bonada of LowKick MMA. During this interview, Hardwick addressed a handful of topics […]

Harry Hardwick and Darren Elkins

Harry Hardwick (9-3-1) is unbeaten in his last 5 fights and is poised to continue his winning ways at Cage Warriors 150 in London.

In anticipation of Hardwick’s March 17th bout vs Shoaib Yousaf, ‘Houdini’ took the time to speak with Frank Bonada of LowKick MMA. During this interview, Hardwick addressed a handful of topics including how active he would like to be in 2023, his upcoming opponent Yousaf, a potential UFC call-up, and much more.

Hardwick Reflects on His Most Recent Victory

On November 4th at Cage Warriors 145, Harry Hardwick met experienced Featherweight Steve Aimable in the cage and showcased a dominant Unanimous Decision win. When asked about his thoughts on this fight, Hardwick realistically answered:

“I feel like in a lot of ways it was my best performance to date against arguably my toughest competition… The mistakes tended to be where I let him off the hook or where I let him get back into the fight… I was beating him to a pulp, and I could’ve done a bit more to not let him under my hips… It was a good performance and then the third round I got a little bit sloppy. Other than that, I would say it’s my best performance to date, I’m just generally very negative about myself.”

The fight vs Aimable was Hardwick’s second and final fight of 2022, and he feels that in 2023 he must be more active in taking on a larger quantity of fights:

“I’ll put my number one contender status on the line, I just want to fight people. Last year I wasn’t active enough I only had two fights, that’s not enough. I want three and ideally four this year if I can. [After the fight with Shoaib Yousaf] Maybe get two in the summer, and one towards the end of the year. That’s what I want.”

Hardwick on his Upcoming Opponent Shoaib Yousaf

Further along in the interview, Hardwick was asked to analyze his next opponent Shoaib Yousaf. The fight between the two will take place at Indigo at the O2 in London for Cage Warriors 150. Hardwick had this to say about the matchup with Yousaf:

“He seems to be very tough; he seems to be very good at the fundamentals in a lot of areas. I would say the only thing that really jumps off the page is his clinch. He’s a decent kicker, boxing’s alright, wrestling’s there, you know just good all around. But his clinch and his sweeps in the clinch are really good. I think he’ll be a tough one to get out of there… I feel like I can definitely out strike him, just need to be wary of a few things. My footwork’s better than his, he might do more footwork but mine’s better… And I know for a fact that my endurance is better than his.”

Harry Hardwick Eyes a Near Future in the UFC

In his last four fights in Cage Warriors, Hardwick boasts an unbeaten record containing three victories and one draw. As a fighter on the rise in the promotion, Hardwick believes that he is UFC caliber. When asked if he would rather take a Cage Warriors Title Fight or a UFC offer, he plainly responded:

“Probably the UFC offer, yeah. I live in my mum and dad’s loft I need money. I need that money and also the way I fight and the way George [Hardwick] fights as well, we fight in a way where we get bonuses. So yeah, it would be the UFC thing.”

Promptly after this statement, Harry continued on about a possible opponent for his UFC debut and a harsh analysis of the current state of the UFC Featherweight division:

“Cage Warriors Featherweight division is very stacked. There was a Featherweight fight in the UFC on the prelims… it was f****** dreadful.  Neither of those guys would have won a round against the top five in the Cage Warriors Featherweight division. It’s easier to get into the UFC if you’re American. There’s these substandard people over there fighting each other in terrible fights on the prelims, whereas the UFC should be looking at Cage Warriors more… But as far as first opponent, Darren Elkins.”

Harry Hardwick will take on Shoaib Yousaf at Cage Warriors 150 in London, which is set to be an absolute banger of a card. Look out for Hardwick and other UFC-worthy fighters on this card as Cage Warriors’ talent continues to rise.

Watch the full interview with Harry Hardwick below:

Report | Rhys McKee set for Cage Warriors 170lb title unification bout vs. Jimmy Wallhead

Rhys McKee Jimmy WallheadTwo former UFC fighters will throw down for the CW welterweight title, as current champion Rhys McKee faces off against interim title holder Jimmy Wallhead at Cage Warriors 153 in Dublin. Rhys McKee made his UFC debut in 2020, taking on Khamzat Chimaev of all people, on short notice. After a loss to ‘Borz,’ McKee […]

Rhys McKee Jimmy Wallhead

Two former UFC fighters will throw down for the CW welterweight title, as current champion Rhys McKee faces off against interim title holder Jimmy Wallhead at Cage Warriors 153 in Dublin.

Rhys McKee made his UFC debut in 2020, taking on Khamzat Chimaev of all people, on short notice. After a loss to ‘Borz,’ McKee would also come up short against UFC veteran welterweight Alex Morono. This led to what many believed was an unjustified cutting from the promotion.

However, McKee would not rest on his laurels. ‘Skeletor’ returned to his old stomping ground, taking on Aleksi Mäntykivi at Cage Warriors 129. The former champ put in a spirited performance, finishing Mäntykivi in the final round. It was later announced that McKee would next fight for the title, against surging Englishman Justin Burlinson.

The two elite European fighters faced off at Cage Warriors 140 in Dublin, Ireland. The clash lived up to all that it was billed, producing the Cage Warriors Fight of the Year in a sensational back-and-forth war. However, it was McKee that walked away with the title, finishing Burlinson in the second round after overcoming massive adversity.

Rhys McKee will now defend his belt against a true fan favorite who has burst back onto the scene in 2022. Judo’ Jimmy Wallhead, is a veteran and pioneer of the European MMA scene who has competed for the UFC, Bellator, BAMMA, and more.

In 2022, he returned to Cage Warriors, taking on Daniel Skibi?ski at Cage Warriors 141. Entering the fight a sizeable underdog, Wallhead threw back the years, lighting Skibi?ski up early, finishing the fight via right hook KO in the first round.

At Cage Warriors 146, ‘Judo’ Jimmy once again found himself underestimated by the bookies, priced as a heavy underdog against Matt Figlak in an interim title bout. Once again, he proved everyone wrong. Wallhead’s right hook flattened Figlak, provoking a huge response from the Manchester crowd.

Now, at Cage Warriors 153, Rhys McKee and Jimmy Wallhead will throw down in front of hoards of Irish fans, to determine who the true CW Undisputed welterweight champion really is.

The event takes place on April 29th and is set to feature a host of Irish talent competing against Europe’s premier mixed martial artists. Per a press release from Cage Warriors, the organization’s president, Graham Boylan, had the following to say:

“This is one of the biggest fights in the history of Cage Warriors.”

“Fans have been asking for us to return to Dublin; there’s no better place to do so than the 3Arena, with a massive welterweight title unification bout and a host of incredible Irish talent on the card!”

Who are you predicting to come out on top in the all-European welterweight clash? Rhys McKee or Jimmy Wallhead?