Former UFC flyweight title challenger Wilson Reis joins a list of fighters who have been signed to Cage Warriors’ growing roster of fighters.
Brazilian Reis, who unsuccessfully challenged then-UFC champ Demetrious Johnson in April 2017, first fought under the Cage Warriors banner back in December 2012, and most recently earned a victory over former Bellator athlete Jeremiah Labiano at Cage Warriors 133 in San Diego in March.
Now Reis has put pen to paper on a contract with the promotion, where he’ll look to build on his 25-12 record and eventually challenge for the flyweight title currently held by Sam Creasey.
Joining Reis on the Cage Warriors roster is a quartet of European-based talent, led by former Bellator lightweight Gavin Hughes, who said he was looking forward to competing for the renowned UK-based promotion.
“There has been a lot of success from Liverpool with Cage Warriors and I plan on being the next Scouser to take that lightweight belt,” he said.
Also signed to Cage Warriors are Dutch featherweight Orlando Prins, Romanian bantamweight Bogdan Barbu and London-baed Ghanaian bantamweight Festus Ahorlu.
Wilson Reis, Gavin Hughes, Festus Ahorlu, Orlando Prins and Bogdan Barbu have all penned multi-fight deals with Europe’s leading MMA organisation.
In addition to the five new signings, Cage Warriors also announced former middleweight champion Matt Bonner has also signed a contract extension with the promotion.
Bonner was one of the promotion’s breakout stars during the pandemic as he won four fights in nine months to capture the middleweight title, but he lost his belt to Frenchman Djati Melan in December 2021.
Now Bonner is transitioning from middleweight to welterweight and so far this year he has fought twice – and won twice – in 177-pound catchweight bouts as he looks to position himself for a shot at the 170-pound title currently held by Rhys McKee later this year.