Cage Warriors returns to the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle this Saturday night for what is arguably the promotion's biggest card of the year.

The card has great depth as you'd expect from Cage Warriors but when your title fights are this good, and there's three of them, they're worth the price of admission alone.

CW 181 will be headlined by Harry Hardwick's first defence of the featherweight title where he takes on Brazil's Keweny Lopes.

This match-up looks to be a classic striking clash of power against output as Hardwick looks to apply his relentless offence against the dangerous power of the former Shooto champion.

Co-main event billing goes to the rescheduled flyweight title fight between Shaj Haque and Nicolas Leblond after the champion withdrew from their July encounter.

Haque has won six in a row, including his title-winning performance against Sam Creasey and first defence versus Michele Martignoni.

Leblond emerged as a dangerous contender after winning four in a row in the iconic yellow gloves, finishing three of those opponents with a decision win last time out to top it off.

Cage Warriors will also crown a female champion for the first time since Molly McCann broke through in the promotion when Kennedy Freeman meets Mafalda Carmona for the vacant bantamweight title.

Freeman is undefeated at 5-0 but her career has kicked into a whole new gear after returning from a five-year break last year, signing to CW and earning back-to-back first round finishes.

The daughter of UK MMA pioneer Ian Freeman faces a replacement opponent in Portugal's Carmona who is riding a four-fight win streak.

In a fight that could probably headline this event all by itself, top lightweight contenders collide when James Power faces Dumitru Girlean with both men coming off of highly impressive consecutive wins.

The card also sees two former title challengers get back in action as Justin Burlinson faces Theodor Berggren and Aiden Lee takes on Daniel Konrad.

Stay tuned for more updates on the card as fight week gets underway for CW 181 in Newcastle.