Solomon Simon is preparing for the biggest fight of his life this weekend.
Simon (7-0) will attempt to make the first defense of his Cage Warriors featherweight title when he faces Nik Bagley (7-1) in the main event of Cage Warriors 200 at the RDS in Dublin, Ireland, this Saturday.
Both fighters enter the matchup on impressive winning streaks and have been on a collision course over the past 18 months in the UK-based promotion’s 145-pound division.
“Nik Bagley is a great matchup,” an excited Simon exclaimed in The Road to Cage Warriors 200 Dublin on YouTube. “I think I've been putting my eye on him for a good while now. He has great striking, great grappling, so he'll be a perfect canvas for me to paint my art on. He’s good, but I'm going to be much, much better on that night.”
Unfinished Business
Simon and Bagley were originally scheduled to fight for the vacant Cage Warriors featherweight title last November, but Bagley was forced to withdraw due to injury. Caique Araujo stepped in as a late replacement for the Englishman, and Simon stopped the Brazilian in the second round to become the third Irish fighter to claim the promotion’s 145-pound title, following in the footsteps of Conor McGregor and Paul Hughes.
Having finished all seven of his professional opponents inside the distance, Simon has solidified his reputation as one of MMA’s hottest prospects. With a $10,000 bonus awarded to Saturday’s standout performer, the Irish star is aiming to make a statement in front of the Dublin crowd.
“Performance of the night, I think that's the one I'll be going for,” Simon smiled. “Bigger cash, of course, that's what I'm looking for. And I'm not looking to make this like a gruelling fight. I'm looking to make this like a complete masterclass…I'm going to shut him down in every way possible.
“If it's going to be grappling, I want to show it’s the case that he doesn't have a chance against me. When it comes to the striking, he doesn't have a chance against me. When I can put a masterclass on the feet and on the ground, that performance of the night is definitely going to be mine.”
