Kingdom MMA Review the Cage Warriors Welterweight Division
by Sam Heard
@SamHeard_
May 3rd will see some of Europe’s most promising MMA talents throw down as part of the stacked Cage Warriors 68 card, hosted in Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Though we will see several bouts take place which will have a profound impact on their respective weight divisions, this event is particularly geared towards the Welterweight class. In recent months the always-strong 170-lb division of Europe’s leading MMA promotion has become increasingly stacked with an array of both new and returning fighters. Since former champions Cathal Pendred (13-2 MMA, 6-0 CWFC) made the decision to relinquish his belt and enter TUF 19 with the chance to eventually fight in the UFC, Cage Warrior’s Welterweight division has become extremely open with many potential challengers to the belt. Here is Kingdom MMA’s breakdown of arguably the most stacked division in European MMA:
Nicolas Dalby (12-0 MMA, 1-0 CWFC)
Currently the man with the target on his back and the Cage Warriors gold around his waist, the unbeaten Danish fighter looked venomous in his last bout as he dispatched Sergei Churilov midway through the third round with a beautiful head kick which lead to the TKO victory by ground strikes. Getting a finish this late in the fight highlights not only the 29-year-olds impressive cardio but also how dangerous he remains throughout the fight. Dalby’s fight for the Welterweight belt was also his debut for the promotion, demonstrating just how highly rated this fighter is – it will be interesting to see how he performs against the long list of potential challengers queuing up in Cage Warrior’s 170-lb Division.
Jimmy “Judo” Wallhead (25-8 MMA, 10-5 CWFC)
The first half of Saturday’s main event, Wallhead – who launched his career at Cage Warriors in 2005 – makes his promotional return after racking up a wealth of experience at M-1, Bellator and BAMMA. Jimmy uses his high level black belt in judo to dominate his opponents with heavy hands and a crippling submission game; of his 25 wins only 7 have hit the judges’ scorecards. Most recently Wallhead proved his judo base to be just as effective as a fighter with a background in amateur wrestling as he knocked out Florent Betorangal with a huge slam 20-seconds into the third round. Wallhead has been victorious over UFC-calibre opponents like Igor Araujo, Matt Veach and two-time title contender Frank Trigg. Now having once again joined Cage Warrior’s ranks, Wallhead will be a force to be reckoned with.
Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts (10-1 MMA, 5-0 CWFC)
The man who will be stood across the cage from Jimmy Wallhead at Cage Warriors 68, Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts has the difficult task of welcoming the Leicester-native back to the promotion. While the superior experience of Wallhead makes him the favourite going into Saturday’s main event, Danny has been fighting about as hot as his nickname suggests, currently riding an impressive 4-fight win steak which includes an Armbar victory over Jack Mason. Mason – who is every bit as experienced as Wallhead – is another Welterweight contender and Danny’s victory over him proved that experience really isn’t everything. “Hot Chocolate” is a well-rounded fighter and will look to employ his length and speed advantages to ruin Wallhead’s homecoming party. Liverpool is Danny’s adoptive home city and the natives will be vocal in their support of the young fighter. The winner of this bout looks likely to be next in line to face Nicholas Dalby.
Matt Inman (13-5 MMA, 4-1 CWFC)
After a faulty start in Cage Warriors with a loss to the incredibly tough Jack Mason, Inman has been tearing through every 170-lber unlucky enough to find himself opposing the Manchester-based fighter. Matt is a big fellow for the weight-class measuring a lengthy 6’1” and uses his long frame to his advantage for his killer striking arsenal and equally skilled submission-game. Of Inman’s 13 wins 6 have come via KO/TKO and 6 via submissions – Inman has pulled off a wide array of submissions including Guillotines, Triangles and even a Heel-Hook! On Saturday Inman will face a tough opponent in Mauro “Xuxa” Chimento Jr (15-10 MMA, 1-1 CWFC) who, in keeping with his Brazillian roots, is primarily a BJJ specialist who fought his first pro-MMA fight in 2001. If he overcomes this veteran of the sport Inman will be on a five fight streak and should be nearing a title shot.
Benny “Benny Blanco” Alloway (13-5 MMA, 2-0 CWFC)
A veteran of The Ultimate fighter and the UFC, Benny Alloway bounced back from being prematurely cut from the UFC with a closely-fought decision victory over Jack Mason. The outspoken Aussie is known for his dangerous striking, advancing to the quarter finals of the TUF: Smashes tournament with a second round knockout of the far larger Valentino Petrescu and also knocking out Manuel Rodriguez in the first round with a devastating front kick and strikes. In his two stints at Cage Warriors Benny has remained unbeaten against some of the toughest opponents the division has to offer. Alloway will be watching the two crucial welterweight bouts on this Saturday’s card which could potentially determine who his next opponent in the promotion will be.
Jack “Stone” Mason (27-13 MMA, 9-6 CWFC)
A fighter which has already been mentioned several times during this examination of Cage Warriors’ Welterweight division, Jack Mason always seems to be involved in the upper-end of the division’s activity. Having lost a close some may say controversial decision to Benny Alloway in March, Jack bounced back just over one month later with a victory over former training partner Patrick Vallee. This desire to immediately get back on the horse after a loss is typical of Jack Mason’s grit. What is not so typical of Jack Mason is that his past 3 fights have gone to a decision – since his debut all the way back in 2005 Jack has been a proven finisher, with a particular tendency towards getting a hold of the throat of his opponent and using his remarkable strength to choke them out.
Sergei Churilov (15-2 MMA, 1-1 CWFC)
Though his most recent bout saw him losing to Nicholas Dalby for the vacant Welterweight belt, it would be unwise to rule the young Ukrainian out of making another run at the title. The fight against Dalby was remarkably close coming into the fourth and many actually had Churilov winning on their scorecards. It was all the more devastating therefore when he ate that big head kick and was eventually knocked out to the joy of the pro-Dalby Dannish crowd. This was only Churilov’s second loss however and it would be crazy to think he couldn’t bounce back. The 28-year-old has a mean submission game and went into the title fight having won his preceding three bouts via submission. This was his first bout in Cage Warriors since early-2012 – in his other fight for the promotion he beat Anatoly Starodubtsev via first round Achilles Lock.
Gael Grimaud (19-6 MMA, 3-1 CWFC)
The man who originally lost his belt to Cathal Pendred, Gael Grimaud will certainly be seeking to regain his lost championship gold. The Frenchman was riding an eight fight unbeaten streak until the Irishman came and defeated him. Since then Gael has bounced back with a brace of wins, most recently with a brutal first round KO over Bruno Carvalho. Though we knew Grimaud packed a punch, the 24-year-old was primarily known for being able to submit his opponents with 12 of his 19 wins coming in this way. Gael has a wealth of high-level MMA experience, having picked up wins both in M-1 and Pancrace. With the aforementioned KO victory coming back in October, we hope to see Grimaud continue his winning ways soon.
Jake “Brutal” Bostwick (14-8 MMA, 2-0 CWFC)
Yet another contender in the welterweight division to have once tangoed with Jack Mason, Jake Bostwick’s fighting career started slow but has gathered a great deal of momentum in recent years. Indeed, by the end of 2008 Bostwick’s record was a disappointing 3-7. However, since 2010 Bostwick has really earned his nickname of “Brutal”, stringing together seven impressive victories (four of which came via KO/TKO). Though he is yet to pick up a stoppage in his Cage Warriors career, he has looked extremely impressive picking up two one-sided unanimous decision victories. The man who was once blasted with a KO from the knee of one Alex Reid has certainly come a long way since the early days in his MMA career. With the momentum he has built up since 2010 there is no sign of Bostwick slowing down.
Simeon “The Grin” Thoresen (17-4 MMA, 1-0 CWFC)
Since his one Cage Warriors bout way back in 2008, this super-talented submission specialist has been climbing the ladder eventually reaching the heights of the UFC. He even picked up that all-important victory inside the Octagon choking out Besam Yousef on the UFC on Fuel TV 2 card in Sweden. However, back-to-back loses meant that he was cut from the promotion and so now finds himself back with Cage Warriors. Though he may no longer be in the UFC, Thoresen has a legitimate chance of becoming the Cage Warrior’s welterweight champion which would certainly be some consolation. The guy is a legitimate grappler, having picked up 15 of his 17 victories through various different submissions. He is scheduled to fight Jake “Brutal” Bostwick in his first bout back in the promotion, a fighter who certainly has the tools to be a real threat to the Swede.
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