Wild Man Azi Thoms Takes Submission Win In Cage Warriors Debut
Manchester’s Azi Thomas (2-0) made his Cage Warriors debut this weekend in Liverpool at CWFC 68 where he took on local opposition Ellis Hampson (3-1-1NC).
Kicking off the professional undercard, Thomas shot out of the gate. Reminiscent Diego Sanchez, he swung like a mad dog in search of an early stoppage. Thomas forced his opponent back against the fence, but for a moment the aggressive start looked to be his downfall as Hampson began to land the better shots with a more composed approach. As Hampson looked to take the sting out of his opponent with a takedown against the fence, Thomas latched onto a guillotine and completed the submission at 3:20 in the first round, handing the frustrated Hampson his first career loss.
Newcomer Adam Ventre Secures Arm-Bar in 47 Seconds
Seven-year fight veteran Anthony Phillips (5-5) made his Cage Warriors debut against relative newcomer Adam Ventre (3-0), making his own CWFC debut in just his second year of pro competition.
The tussle didn’t last long, the bout kicked of with an energetic skirmish as both fighters looked to gain control early on. A back-and-forth tussle for position lead to the ground where Ventre took full advantage of the opening, and slapped on an arm-bar with less than a minute gone in the opening round.
Dez Parker Rallies through a beating to snatch KO victory
Known as ‘The Arm Collector’, Dez Parker (3-1) covered new ground in his Cage Warriors debut by turning the tables and snatching a dramatic knockout victory. The BJJ purple belt found himself straying from the game plan, and takedowns were sacrificed as Charlie Watts (5-2) took control of a one sided striking encounter, beating Parker to the punch and bloodying the face of his opponent.
Parker first showed signs of sudden victory when being dropped by a strike that lead him to a heel-hook submission attempt. Watts instantly turned to his corner for guidance and remained calm before he was able to step out of the technique. Back on their feet, Watts continued to light up his opponent with strikes until Parker showed signs of life with an uppercut. Watts seemed unaffected by the blow, however it was now apparent that Parker had what it takes to stay threatening and land a good shot. A left-right combo followed, and the crowd was on it’s feet as Watts tumbled and Parker followed up with G&P until his opponent could no longer defend.
Spider Monkey Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett pulls off a highlight triangle sub
Pimblett (6-1) was among the surprisingly large number of fighters on the card who missed weight; Pimblett himself failing to make the bantamweight limit by as much as 7lbs. However, his efforts in the cage provided one the evening’s highlight moments that amazed the audience.
Taking on Conrad Hayes (5-3), Pimblett was backed against the fence. As Hayes worked for the dominant position, Pimblett proceed to climb upwards, using his foe as ladder in order to set up a triangle choke. The cheeky manoeuvre was successful, and ‘The Baddy’ found himself securing the hold using the fence and his upright opponent as support. Pimblett survived the imminent slam against the canvas, and adjusted for a triangle-armbar to earn the tap.
Cage Warriors 68 Results:
MAIN CARD
Danny Roberts def. Jim Wallhead via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:49
Marcelo Costa def. Ronnie Mann via sub (RNC) – Round 2, 3:35
Mauro Chimento def. Matt Inman via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:22
Matt Hallam def. Steve Dinsdale via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 4:03
Che Mills def. Leeroy Barnes via sub (RNC) – Round 1, 4:46
Dean Garnett def. John Cullen via sub (heel hook) – Round 1, 4:35
PRELIMINARY CARD
Paddy Pimblett def. Conrad Hayes sub (triangle choke/armbar) – Round 1, 3:17
Dez Parker def. Charlie Watts via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:42
Adam Ventre def. Anthony Phillips via sub (armbar) – Round 1, 0:47
Azi Thomas def. Ellis Hampson via sub (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:20
Photo Credit: Mark Blundell
