Respect #CW98 pic.twitter.com/y59jtsUYrl
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) October 20, 2018
It was a magical night in Birmingham, England, as the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship promotion hit the stage on Saturday at the Genting Arena. The Cage Warriors 98 main event gave rise to a new welterweight champion, as Ross Houston dethroned Stefano Paterno by split decision after five dramatic rounds.
The Scotsman dictated the pace of the match with early takedowns and third-round knockdown, though Paterno clipped him with a right hand that had him reeling for a few seconds. The shot could have changed the course of the fight, but Houston displayed a champion’s heart and withstood the adversity.
Meanwhile, Aiden Lee displayed amazing jiu-jitsu skills in the co-feature, as he submitted Paull McBain with only 18 secs remaining in Round 1. The Birmingham native closed the deal with a slick rear-naked choke and improved to 5-1 in his last six bouts. With the win, Lee advanced to the featherweight tournament final, where Dean Trueman awaits. Trueman moved on with a unanimous decision over Lewis Monarch after holding the edge for much of their fight. Lee and Trueman will square off at Cage Warriors 100.
Elsewhere, England’s Adam Proctor bested Italy’s Angelo Rubino via unanimous decision, extending his winning streak to five fights.; and in the main-card opener, Perry Goodwin landed flush for a second-round knockout against Alexander Jacobsen.