Precision and placement
The Future is looking bright with a 2nd round KO over a UFC vetWatch
#CW121 live on @UFCFightPass
pic.twitter.com/FXSbyfzKOY— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors)
March 19, 2021
Disqualifications come in waves, and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is the
latest organization to see one in a title fight. In the CW
121 main event, Agy Sardari
(14-2) notched his first title defense at the expense of Donovan
Desmae (14-7) in a razor-close lightweight affair. Sardari and
Desmae put on a striking battle for all five rounds, with each
showcasing impressive boxing and kickboxing as they went back and
forth. For most of the bout, Desmae held the center of the cage and
advanced with kicks and punches. The champ waited for the right
moment to strike, and he did often, scoring with punches and low
kicks to irritate “Vegas.” The first 15 minutes saw very few
grappling exchanges, and they separated sooner than later whenever
they tied up against the fence.
“The Wolverine” took control of the fight in the championship
rounds. Sardari’s kicks left their marks on Desmae, and as the
champion continued to land at will, Desmae began to tire. Mixing up
his offense in the final round, Sardari scored a takedown in the
fifth, where he held his opponent down for a while. Ultimately,
judge Ben Cartlidge and Jon Hand scored 48-47 for Sardari, while
judge David Lethaby saw a 48-47 score for Desmae to give the champ
a split decision victory.
The co-main event featured a championship clash for the
bantamweight strap as Jack
Cartwright (10-0) put his belt on the line against Sylwester
Miller (9-4). From the very beginning of the fight, the
unbeaten Cartwright struggled while Miller engaged him with
effective strikes and relentless wrestling. The Englishman
attempted to prevent Miller’s takedowns but ended up with his back
on the mat every time the Polish fighter attempted one. Miller
showed that same intensity when attacking his opponent on the
ground, even going so far as to land a couple of headbutts at the
same time.
While he was clearly winning the fight to that point, Miller could
not control himself and landed more headbutts. In the third round,
referee Rich Mitchell took a point from the Polish fighter, warning
him that another infraction would cost him the fight. A few seconds
later, Miller did it again, and Mitchell showed him mercy with one
more point deduction instead of something harsher. In the fourth
stanza, Miller could not resist, and connected with another
headbutt. The referee had no choice but to disqualify the
challenger, with the official stoppage time coming at 2:16 of Round
4. While Cartwright scored his third title defense and kept his
record unblemished, today’s battle showed that the 135-pound
kingpin may not be unbeatable.
Earlier on the main card, Matthew
Bonner (9-6-1) smashed former middleweight champion James Webb
(8-3-1) with punches with only five seconds left in the second
frame.
In the first semifinal of the four-man welterweight tournament,
Jack
Grant (17-6) submitted Madars
Bertholds-Fleminas (7-3) with to a slick anaconda choke that
forced “The Latvian Express” to tap at the 2:31 mark in Round 2. A
few minutes earlier, Ian Garry
(6-0) annihilated Ultimate Fighting Championship vet Rostem
Akman (6-3) with a perfectly landed head kick that left the
Swedish fighter unconscious at 2:28 into the second round. Grant
and Garry will collide for the 170-pound championship in the
tournament finals later this year.
Elsewhere, Josh Reed
(11-5) mauled Bryan
Creighton (11-9) with punches before dropping him with a final
knee at 3:59 mark of the opening stanza; Omeil
Brown (1-0) started the night with a vicious standing
guillotine choke of Joshua
Onwordi (2-2, 1 NC) in their welterweight tilt, eliciting the
tap at 4:26 of the opening period.