Issue 155

June 2017

Lee Chadwick’s guillotine was a delicious submission.

Pressure impacts fighters in many different ways. Some thrive under its glare, others wilt under the spotlight. Lee Chadwick was under real pressure walking out as the underdog in his hometown of Liverpool at Cage Warriors 82 and pulled off a trademark performance when it mattered most.

‘The Butcher’ is a grappler that likes a gunfight. He’s a middleweight who thrives on submissions set up by his heavy hands. With 8,000 fans rooting for him against a striking specialist, he was set up for success.

His opponent, fellow Brit Tommy Quinn, may have been the betting favorite, but Chadwick was convinced he had the edge. “He was perfect for me,” he says. “He’s a striker, which suits my style. I know I had the ground game advantage over him, but I’m confident with my hands too. I’ve been boxing for as long as I’ve fought, so I had a solid game plan.”

That plan was to come out fast, throw heavy leather, hurt Quinn early and force him to try and shoot, before snatching the neck and forcing a choke. The fight couldn’t have gone more according to plan. It was all over in 58 seconds.

“It was a perfect performance,” Chadwick adds. “I came in, gave him a whack and then snatched that finish. I fainted a shot after missing a left hook, but instead threw the right over the top that landed. Then he tried to shoot and I took that neck.”