March 2025
February 2025
Fighters Only’s Paul Brown delivers an insightful look into the Cage Warrior’s alums who used this proving ground to dominate in the UFC.
When UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady rolls into the O2 Arena in London this month, it’ll come with a heavy dose of Cage Warriors DNA. Eight former fighters from the UK-based promotion will step into the Octagon, proving Cage Warriors isn’t just a talent factory: it’s practically the UFC’s fight farm with a British accent. For over two decades, they have churned out elite-level fighters, and more than 100 of its alums have made their way to the UFC, a pipeline that CEO Graham Boylan saw coming a mile away.
“My plan was to build from the bottom up,” Boylan said of his installation as CEO in 2010. “So, at that time, we didn't go after any names who were big names at the time, because there was a lot of trust that would have needed to be built. So, from there, we went after all the guys who were going to be the big names in two or three years.”
And he wasn’t wrong. Many Cage Warriors’ graduates haven’t just made it to the UFC; they’ve walked out with gold strapped around their waist. Here’s a look at the best of the best.
PADDY PIMBLETT (2013 – 2021)
He’s now one of the UFC’s biggest stars who is scheduled to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 314. A scrappy teenager when he made his first appearance under the Cage Warriors, he’s always had star power that’s gone beyond the haircut.
“I was 18, not long turned 18,” Pimblett recalled of his Cage Warriors debut. “I fought some lad named Florian Calin out of London Shootfighters. He was a fully grown man. He was a big dude. It was one of the toughest fights I'd ever had, to be honest. It went three rounds. I was very tired at the end of it. I was that tired after the fight. I had to get carried up the stairs on Danny Roberts' back!”
Over the next eight years, Pimblett turned Cage Warriors into his playground, racking up 14 fights and a featherweight title before leaping to the UFC in 2021, where his record remains spotless to this day.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCpFKCnpBS8
CONOR MCGREGOR (2010 – 2012)
Before he was the biggest name in MMA. Before the we knew what ‘red panty night’ meant. Before fighters looked like they were attending the Met Gala, McGregor was a hungry Dubliner scrapper chewing through the Cage Warriors meat locker to become a two-weight champion in the organization. After losing his promotional debut against fellow Irishman (and future UFC lightweight) Joseph Duffy, 2 first-round KO wins earned him a title shot at 145 lbs, where he went on to submit Dave Hill to capture featherweight gold. Unsatisfied, McGregor wasn’t about to stop. On New Year’s Eve 2012, he challenged Ivan Buchinger for the lightweight strap, and it wasn’t much of a contest. He put Buchinger to sleep with a knockout so clean it sealed his ticket to the big leagues.
“You saw the evolution of that guy, Conor McGregor, you know?” recalls Cage Warriors matchmaker Ian Dean. “You saw his persona really starting to grow. His image, his confidence, the belief system that he had. And then, on New Year's Eve, when he landed that knockout blow, I remember sitting cage-side, watching Twitter explode. I just sat there like, wow. Just wow.”
JOANNA JĘDRZEJCZYK (2014)
Before Joanna Jędrzejczyk was breaking records and making fight week stare-downs feel like something out of a psychological thriller, she was a rising Polish striker making her mark at Cage Warriors 69 in 2014.
“I was super happy and excited to come to London and fight with Rosie Sexton on Cage Warriors show,” says the Polish star. “At that time, I knew Cage Warriors was big. I got an offer to fight the legendary UFC veteran Rosie Sexton. My coaches, my management told me that I shouldn't be fighting her. She was too good for me at that time. But I told them that I was going to get the fight and sign the UFC contract right after. And it happened, you know? I knocked out Rosie Sexton in the second round. And I signed with the UFC.”
Credit: Mike Roach / Zuffa LLC
GEGARD MOUSASI (2006)
Gegard Mousasi has been stacking bodies for 23 years, longer than some fighter’s retirements. He has left his mark on nearly every major MMA promotion, treating world-class opponents like spent punchbags. In December 2006, he made a detour to Cage Warriors for the vacant middleweight strap that resulted in a first-round TKO clinic that saw Mousasi leave with gold wrapped around his waist.
“As you would expect, it was a nice, calm, and collected performance,” says MMA legend Dan Hardy of Mousasi’s performance that night. “He was able to defend the submissions and then pound his fighter out with strikes. It was a really good performance, and as you can imagine, Gegard Mousasi adds that to his long list of credentials that sets him aside from most middleweights in the world.”
Credit: Adam Crowther
MICHAEL BISPING (2005)
‘The Count’ stormed through Cage Warriors in 2005, racking up four first-round finishes and snatching the vacant light heavyweight title. It was the kind of run that make scouts sit up and take notice. That’s precisely what happened when he landed his break on The Ultimate Fighter 3 the following year.
“One of the most natural fighters that I have ever seen, and I have ever worked with,” says Dan Hardy. “From the first time I saw him step onto the mats, he was able to grasp techniques quicker than anybody else I'd ever seen. All four of Michael's fights in the Cage Warriors cage were first-round finishes.”
Credit: Esther Lin / Zuffa LLC
ANTONIO SILVA (2005 – 2006)
The end of his career may have extended past its sell-by date, chalking up an 11-fight skid that was hard to watch. But don’t forget the glory years where he was regarded as one of the most terrifying heavyweights.
“A real freakish athlete,” says Hardy, “But also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with great hands as well. He put a great record together and stopped some of the biggest names in the sport.”
And those names weren’t just anyone. Andrei Arlovski. Fedor Emelianenko. Alistair Overeem. All fell to ‘Bigfoot’s’ power. But before he terrorized legends, Silva stopped at Cage Warriors Strike Force 4 in Coventry, where he dismantled Ruben Villareal for the heavyweight title. It was classic Silva. Overwhelming size. Raw power. And a finishing instinct that made him a true heavyweight wrecking machine.
IAN MACHADO GARRY (2018 – 2021)
In February 2019, a confident Dubliner made his pro debut at Cage Warriors 101 in Liverpool, England. It started a devastating win streak, culminating in him beating Jack Grant to win the Cage Warriors welterweight title 2 years later. A result that would see him sign a UFC contract shortly afterward. Since then, ‘The Future’ has made good on the name, carving his way through the UFC’s welterweight shark tank and proving his confidence was never just for show.
“I’m a martial artist,” Garry said in the aftermath of his Cage Warriors title victory. “I’m here to prove I’m the best. I’m not here for money, I’m not here for fame, I’m here to be the best, and I’m going to the UFC.”
UFC/YouTube
ILIA TOPURIA (2018)
After flatlining Max Holloway to defend his UFC featherweight title for the first time in 2024, it looked like Ilia Topuria was set to plant his flag at the top of the 145 lb division for years. After all, he had already dismantled the two most decorated fighters in featherweight history - Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski - putting him in prime position to reign supreme.
“Topuria has felt like he’s done all that he can in that division,” said UFC president Dana White. “And he feels like he’s cemented his legacy, and his body cannot make the weight anymore. So Topuria will be moving up to 155 pounds and will be vacating the featherweight title.”
The scales have never been his friend. In 2018, he made his Cage Warriors appearance, stepping in on four days' notice to fight hometown favorite Brian Bouland for the vacant bantamweight belt. Topuria needed less than two minutes to submit Bouland, but he couldn't claim the gold because he missed the 135-pound limit.
TOM ASPINALL (2019)
Before claiming UFC interim heavyweight gold, Tom Aspinall made a Cage Warriors pit stop in for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it run, dispatching two opponents in the first round before signing with the UFC the following year. Despite his rapid rise, Aspinall has never forgotten his roots, showing love for the promotion while attending Cage Warriors 160 in 2023.
"I always loved Cage Warriors,” said Aspinall. “I came up on Cage Warriors. I got to the UFC on Cage Warriors. I think it’s an amazing show for local talent to get to the next level. I will always support Cage Warriors."
It was a brief outing, but Aspinall’s time in Cage Warriors was as efficient as his fights. Quick, brutal, and leaving no doubt about what came next.
PROVING GROUNDS
Cage Warriors isn’t just a breeding ground for UFC champs. It’s a fight factory, cranking out warriors in a conveyor belt of skill. Whether it was Bisping’s bulldozing run or McGregor’s two-weight takeover, the yellow gloves have been less of a stopover and more of a rite of passage for future champions. The fighters on this list rewrote the script and with a fresh wave of Cage Warriors alums stepping into the Octagon at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady, the message remains clear: if you want to make it in the UFC, Cage Warriors is where the action starts.
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