Cage Warriors Academy Wales 8 wrapped up a night of action after crowning a new bantamweight champion, Ellis Clement.
What Went Down
As soon as the Cage Warriors Academy card was released, fans knew they were in for a night of action, and last night delivered! After a tricky week, with some fighters pulling out last minute, the card was reduced to 17 bouts. Despite this, the show ran efficiently throughout the night. The event was also broadcast live on PPV, for the fans who couldn’t make it in attendance. Accompanied by Joe Robbins, Brett Johns put down the gloves and took to commentary last night. Delivering a wealth of knowledge amongst the young fighters. Johns will be in high demand for this role again! Much anticipated bouts took place last night, such as the main event for the vacant bantamweight title, which did not disappoint! Levi Batchelor also made his featherweight return in a dominant performance bell to bell.
Cage Warriors Academy Wales: Standout Performances
All fighters last night delivered in their performances, with those who fell short having given it their all. However, there were some stellar performances which had fans clamouring for more. Befan Hall came out second and quickly made work of his opponent, sinking in a triangle choke in the first round and finishing the fight early. Victor Yeo followed up by ending his fight in the first round as well, with an impressive arm triangle. Callum Evans, again, followed these fights with a first-round finish of his own via armbar.
Following this, Morgan Rees kept the winning streak going for Wales, doing quick work if his opponent in round one via arm triangle. Tom Mathias made his debut last night and showed his will to win, going the distance and gaining a unanimous decision. Another debut last night had one of the most impressive finishes of the night. Josh Sinnett pulled off an outstanding flying triangle in the first round, putting his division on notice. Kian Hall inserted himself back into the winning column last night after fighting off a submission from his opponent. He came back with an armbar, ending the fight in the first round.
Ioan Thomas went the distance with his toughest test to date in Zana Kalary. He faced adversity and came back stronger every round. The future is bright for the 16-year-old taking down Kalary via unanimous decision. Following this, Brad Allen defeated his opponent in round one via rear naked choke in a dominant performance.
Main and Co- Main Event Performances
We then moved on to the main and co-main events. Levi Batchelor faced Ioannis Marathias and delivered in all areas of his performance. Levi dominated Marathias over three rounds of constant action. Using his wrestling and grappling pedigree to control the pace of the fight, Batchelor impressed fans and coaches and inserted himself back into the winning column. Ellis Clement then took on Aaron Towns for the vacant bantamweight title. This main event also delivered three rounds of action. In a very competitive fight, Clement showed his will to win and defeated Aaron towns. Despite taking an up-kick during the fight, Clement remained calm and fought his way to victory. After fight for just one year, Clement proved his future is bright, and he is here to stay.
Post-fight Interviews
We caught up with a few fighters last night and will be posting the interviews on our Youtube channel, which can be accessed here.
The Future of Cage Warrior Academy Wales
Speaking with the head coach of Shore MMA, Richard Shore, he confirmed the next event would take place on March 25th. He also hinted that CWAW is looking to put on a show in Cardiff next year, with dates to follow. Could we see a return on Brett Johns on commentary? It is an exciting time for Cage Warriors Academy Wales, with such an abundance of young talent coming through the amateur ranks. Stay tuned for updates, as matchmaking for the next show has already begun!
