British welterweight hopeful Tom Breese (7-0) bounced back from a long term knee injury last November at Cage Warriors 74, adding a sixth submission to his undefeated career tally by comfortably finishing Frenchman Thibaud Larchet (pictured above). Breese featured on the latest edition of the MMA PLUS Podcast, calling via Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he fights out of the world renown Tristar Gym, and the former BAMMA-Lonsdale British Champion exclusively revealed that he’s now been released from the ranks of troubled UK promotion, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship.
Despite his conveniently situated base of operations at Tristar Gym in Canada, Breese revealed that his next bout will not be in the USA, but that he’s aiming to compete in April.
“Recently, there was some talk of me fighting on shows in the States, but I’ve just had some news today that I should be fighting very soon, but I can’t announce what show it’s on,” Breese explained.
With the assistance of his manager and former Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan, Breese completed a smooth severance from Cage Warriors who felt unable to maintain contracted agreements due to an ongoing issue behind the scenes that has resulted in the cancellation of multiple events, in addition to various employees leaving the promotion, including Boylan.
Breese has been widely regarded as one of the UK’s most legitimate prospects for several years now. With a 100% finishing rate, the Birmingham born fighter captured BAMMA’s British welterweight crown in December of 2012, but went on to leave the promotion in favor of Cage Warriors who could offer more regular competition. However, it would be well over a year before Breese would feature on a CWFC card due to the untimely knee injury, until finally, he made an eagerly anticipated return on November 15, 2014.
“I’m no longer under contract (with Cage Warriors),” Breese revealed, “In the contract they guarantee us a certain amount of fights in a certain amount of time, they can’t keep up on that agreement, so yeah, I’m released.
“It’s very disappointing. Unlucky for me, when Cage Warriors was flying, I was sitting on the sidelines. As soon as I came back, Cage Warriors were on the sidelines, and now BAMMA are having regular shows.”
As one of the most rounded and accomplished wrestlers to have competed in UKMMA, Breese is a former British junior wrestling champion, and furthermore, in 2012, was described by pro boxing coach Nagi Al harbi as having the ability to defeat any British light-heavyweight boxer with the exception of world champions Tony Bellew and Nathan Cleverly.
Even with such a high level of ability being recognized in the early stages of his career at Fearless MMA in Birmingham, the imposing 23-year-old states that there’s a whole lot more we’re yet see following the transition to Tristar where in 2013 he served as a main sparring partner for Georges St-Pierre as the former UFC welterweight kingpin prepared to face Nick Diaz at UFC 158.
“There’s so much more to come now,” Breese stated, “I’m getting better every week here at Tristar, I’ll be fighting regularly very soon.
“You haven’t seen anything close to my ability yet.”
You can listen to the full MMA PLUS Podcast episode featuring Tom Breese, interview starts at the 38.25 mark.
Photo by Mark Blundell
