Issue 165
March 2018
Another Irishman aiming to make history in Europe’s talent factory.
Before 2017, the last man to win the Cage Warriors light heavyweight belt was Michael Bisping. When the leading British organization, which promotes across Europe, finally reintroduced the 205lb prize, Karl Moore was the man to step up and claim it.
Unlike the former UFC middleweight champion, however, the Irishman is a true t for the weight class. Standing 6'2", he’s always had the stature, but he has taken a little while to grow into his frame. Although he had a promising, 5-0 start to his career, his progress stuttered in 2015 with a loss to current UFC representative, Paul Craig.
“I was still a boy, still a young lad,” recounts Moore. “I hadn’t really filled out, but over the last couple of years, just with constantly training, my body has filled out. As a man, physically and mentally, I’ve caught up.
“Everything changed after the Craig fight,” he adds. “It was probably the worst and best thing that could happen to me. I was absolutely devastated to be beaten, but it opened my eyes to what I had to do. It changed me mentally and physically completely, but I don’t even think I’ve reached my peak yet. I think I’ve got a lot of years left in me to reach my full potential.”
“I’m a lot more con dent and I have a lot more experience. Over 20 time, I’ve got a stronger mindset and I think in the next year or two I’ll really show my full potential.”
He’s stronger physically and noticeably more muscled, too. Now there’s the power behind his punches that will trouble a higher level of fighter and the strength to impose his will on the mat – as he did against TUF veteran Josh Clark in the victory that earned him his silverware.
His physical attributes have reached such a level, in fact, that he’s preparing to go after another piece of MMA history. The only man to earn two Cage Warriors
belts is Conor McGregor – you might have heard of him. Moore is hoping to emulate the Irish icon by challenging for Mauro Cerilli’s heavyweight belt at CW92 on March 24th. He’s hoping it can be his ticket to an even greater platform.
“I’m already Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion, so I thought, what else can I do? What can I do that people haven’t done? The only person that’s done this is Conor McGregor, so after I win the heavyweight title, I’ll be the second man in Cage Warriors to hold belts in two divisions, so the UFC is bound to come knocking o that. Then I can go to the big shows and show what I can really do.
“I’d be pretty confident I could hold my own in the top 10 light heavyweights, not a problem. Even going up to the top five they start to get really hard, but the top 10? Without a doubt. I know for a fact if I got to the UFC, I’d make my way into the top 10 in a couple of months, no problem.”
Jumping straight to the biggest show of all is not the be-all and end- all for the Belfast native right now. With visibility on UFC Fight Pass and the possibility of having main event slots to defend a belt or two, the Fight Academy Ireland product is just as enthusiastic about the prospect of staying put, building the hype and continuing to improve.
“I would love to defend my title because you’re not a true champion until you defend your belt. If the UFC don’t come after me after this fight, I’ll definitely stick with Cage Warriors. When you get to the UFC, you’re fighting the cream of the crop, so the more fights I have, the better. I’m a fighter, I’ll fight anyone. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Defend a belt and he’d emulate ‘The Notorious’ by doing just about the one thing he hasn’t managed in his career. Whether he can have the same success in the Octagon is a big leap, but if he can continue to make the same huge strides he has managed so far, he’s a good bet to become a fixture on the world stage for years to come.
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