Cage Warriors will make their return, with their first show of the year on Saturday February 23rd as the promotion head back to San Diego for Cage Warriors 166.
After an incredibly exciting end to 2023, the promotion are starting 2024 as they mean to go on, with seven shows lined up in the first five months of the year.
San Diego has proved to be a staple of the promotions expansion into America as they continue to find top talent on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the main event, former UFC title challenger Wilson Reis will look to work his way closer to Cage Warriors Featherweight gold as he faces Toby ‘2 Quick’ Misech. Both men enter the contest on the back of losses to Trevin Jones and Roberto Hernandez, respectively. Since pulling on the yellow gloves Reis has found much success, picking up three wins against Jeremiah Labiano, Tuomas Gronvall and Johhny Campbell before his first promotional loss to Jones. In contrast, Misech is still trying to secure his first win on the Cage Warriors scene, having lost his promotional debut.
The co-main event will see Mason ‘The Dragon’ Jones takes on Bryce Logan in a Lightweight contest. Since re-signing with Cage Warriors, Jones has picked up where he left off, continuing his 100% winning record in the promotion. After claiming the Cage Warriors Lightweight and Welterweight titles in 2020, ‘The Dragon’ was snapped up by the UFC but his tenure with the promotion didn’t go as he would have dreamed, amassing a 1-2-0-1 record and ultimately parting ways with them at the end of 2022. Jones competed twice last year under the Cage Warriors banner, earning stoppage wins over Alexandre Ribeiro and Yann Liasse in his quest to impress and once again work his way back to the UFC. Previewing the contest, Jones told Cage Warriors:
“(I’m) Excited to fight for the first time in California against a top-level opponent! My toughest test to date outside of the UFC!”
Although 1-3 in his last four, Bryce Logan has faced stiff competition, picking up loses against Georgi Karakhanyan, Mike Hamel and Mandel Nallo before stopping Peter Queally in front of an Irish crowd last time out.
Seasoned wrestler Chasen Blair, made an incredible start to his MMA journey, competing 4 times and securing 3 wins and one solitary loss. However, things slowed for ‘Paper’ as he only managed to compete once in the cage last year, in a first round submission loss to Ahmad, Suhail Hassanzada. Blair will be back at Cage Warriors 166 in a Welterweight bout against Orlando Sanders. After losing his professional debut Sanders has hit a fine run of form, picking up three consecutive submission wins which have ultimately led to his shot on Cage Warriors.
Welterweight prospects Bobby Winther and Devin Goodale will put their unbeaten records on the line as square off at 170lbs. Winther joined the professional ranks in 2023 and has started to make a name for himself in the Cage Warriors Welterweight division, a TKO over Marcus Walston and first round submission over Anthony Zaragosa has only helped to add more eyes onto the 27-year-old’s blossoming career. You would have to go back to 2018 to find the last time Goodale saw the third round, the Californian has struggled with inactivity but will be hoping he can make his way through the division as 2024 progresses.
The rest of the card features many other prospects early in their career looking to make a statement on a big stage.
