2024 is certainly shaping up to be a monumental year for Cage Warriors.
One of the biggest announcements for the promotion came a few weeks ago as they confirmed the return of Prizefighter, a one night four man tournament format.
The announcement of the return of Prizefighter saw athletes and fans alike, extremely excited. The tournament winner not only receives a lucrative cash prize, but all athletes have the chance to earn themselves some extra money, if they successfully predict how they will stop their opponent and in which round.
Discussing the upcoming Prizefighter tournaments, Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan outlined how much of an impact winning the tournament could have on an athletes career. He said:
“Prizefighter is going to change these athletes’ lives. Fifty grand for a night’s work, plus the return of the Bounty Hunter bonuses; $10k if you pick your round and method of victory.” Boylan continued.
“Not only that, we’ve got brands getting involved and big things planned to make these tournaments the talking point of European MMA this year.”
“We’ve got the Prizefighter trademark, we’ve got huge cash prizes and the world is going to be watching. It’s a huge opportunity for all involved.”
With the Prizefighters taking place over one night, the rule set for the semi-final bouts have been changed, somewhat. The changes implemented by the promotion have been put in place to maximise the semi-final winner’s chances of progressing through the tournament with little to no injuries. As Boylan explained:
“The semi-finals are going to be two, five minute rounds, with a sudden death round should the scorecards be tied. We also won’t be allowing elbows to minimise the chance of a winner not being able to continue due to cuts.
“The finals will be three rounds under full Unified Rules. We’ll also have alternate bouts should a fighter not be able to continue.
“These one-night tournaments are chaotic, but that’s part of the appeal. We’ve got no idea who’s going to walk away with the money, the fans in the arena and the viewers at home have no idea who’s going to walk away with the money until that final bell rings.”
The promotion returned to Scotland on April 20, after a 11-year hiatus, with Cage Warriors 171. The card certainly delivered and during the broadcast, it was confirmed that Cage Warriors would not only be returning to Scotland later on in the year, but that the card will also play host to one of the four scheduled Prizefighter tournaments in 2024. Boylan made his feelings clear as to how impressed he was with the Scottish crowd and is very much looking forward to the return in September.
“We’re going back to Glasgow on September 7th, and we’re taking a Prizefighter with us. After seeing the reception we got from the Scottish fans for Cage Warriors 171, it was a no-brainer. Now imagine that crowd cheering on one of their own fighting for fifty thousand dollars!
“We’re putting Scottish MMA back on the map, and Prizefighter will be a big part of it.”
Having already had a busy start to the year, it appears Cage Warriors started as they mean to go on; with shows in Newcastle, San Diego, London, Manchester & Glasgow all officially confirmed, with two of those shows already set to host Prizefighter tournaments. Previewing the rest of the year, Boylan assured fans that they can expect plenty more big nights from the promotion before the year is out.
“Our first Prizefighter is taking place in London on July 20th, kicking off 8 massive days for MMA in the UK as Cage Warriors and the UFC return to Manchester a week later. We’ve got Scotland on September 7th at the Braehead Arena, and there will be two more Prizefighters before the year is out.
“It’s going to be a huge year for the scene, and Cage Warriors is going to be at the centre of it with Prizefighter!”
