For the first time since 2014 Cage Warriors, the promotion which first crowned Conor McGregor as a two weight world champion, has come back to Dublin.
Throughout its history Cage Warriors has established itself as a proving ground for top European mixed martial arts talent. In addition to McGregor, numerous Cage Warriors alumni have gone on to make an impact at the highest level of the sport. The current UFC roster features several fighters who have held CWFC gold, Dan Hardy and Michael Bisping among them, and it’s the 205-pound belt which once rested across the shoulder of the Mancunian which will be contested in the featured bout of Cage Warriors’ 81st event tonight in Dublin.
Karl Moore (9-1), long considered one of Ireland’s top MMA prospects, faces The Ultimate Fighter season 19 veteran Josh Clark (10-3) in the main event and the Belfast man will be hoping to follow in Bisping’s footsteps and parlay Cage Warriors success into a UFC contract.
In the co-main event Limerick’s Catherine Costigan will be looking to improve to 6-2 when she takes on Wendy McKenna, while the highly rated Joe McColgan faces France’s Arnold Quero.
The first fight on the televised portion of the broadcast pits SBG fighter Blaine O’Driscoll, fresh of a unanimou decision win against Neil Hall at BAMMA 27 late last year, faces Cork’s Darren O’Gorman in a match-up between two of Ireland’s most promising young fighters.
The main card will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass from 9pm GMT.
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Cage Warriors 81 – 3 Arena, Dublin — 4th March 2017
Karl Moore vs. Josh Clark (Light Heavyweight title bout) – Moore wins the title by unanimous decision.
Catherine Costigan vs. Wendy McKenna (Women’s Atomweight) – Costigan wins by split decision.
Joe McColgan vs. Arnold Quero (Lightweight) –Quero wins by split decision.
Martyn Harris vs. Hakon Foss (Welterweight) – Foss wins by submission (rear naked choke), round one.
Blaine O’Driscoll vs. Darren O’Gorman (Bantamweight) – O’Driscoll wins by knockout, round two.
Preliminary Bouts
Marcin Zembala vs. Eric Nolan (150 lbs Catchweight) – Nolan wins by unanimous decision.
Romain Bidet vs. Maciej Gierszewski (Welterweight) – Gierszewski wins by TKO, round one.
Gary Coffey vs. Ivan Blanita (Welterweight)* – Blanita wins by unanimous decision.
Pawel Politylo vs. Alex Yankov (Featherweight)* – Politylo wins by unanimous decision.
Makinde Adeyemi vs. Mark Gallivan (Welterweight)* – Gallivan wins by submission (triangle choke), round two.
Stephen Treacy vs. Francis Treacy (Welterweight)* – Stephen Treacy wins by TKO, round one.
Alex Brophy vs. Austin Lynch (Bantamweight)* – Lynch wins by TKO, round one.
Mateusz Kopyto vs. Colm O’Regan (161 lbs Catchweight)* – Kopyto wins by unanimous decision.
Leon Hill vs. Adam Darby (Lightweight)* – Darby wins by unanimous decision.
* Denotes amateur bout
