It is a lighter than normal week in the sport of MMA. Just because the UFC is idle this last weekend of September, the action will not stop cold.
Rather, there is a packed Friday with fights all day and all night for fight fans viewing pleasure. To start, fight fans have a weekday matinee for United States viewers from UK-based Cage Warriors.
Live coverage of Cage Warriors 160 is exclusive to UFC Fight Pass, as always, this Friday afternoon. Undercard action gets going at 1:45 pm ET/ 10:45 am PT on Fight Pass, followed by the main card at 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT.
Critical Featherweight Bout Focus of Cage Warriors 160 Main Event Friday
All told, barring any late cancellations on the card between now and Friday, the final version of Cage Warriors 160 will feature an 11-fight slate. Highlighting the night’s activities is a featherweight showdown with championship ramifications in the Cage Warriors 160 main event.
James Hendin (7-2 MMA, 6-2 CWFC) returns from a 10-month hiatus to meet Tobias Harila (12-3 MMA, 4-2 CWFC) in the headliner. With no championship at stake in the Cage Warriors 160 main event, this fight is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close out the show.
The 𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘 Villain is 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 🤡
📺 Watch Tobias Harila headline #CW160 exclusively on @UFCFightPass this Friday! pic.twitter.com/1sKArlfd6G
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) September 27, 2023
Cage Warriors 160 Main Event Fighter Comparison
Heading into the Cage Warriors 160 main event this Friday night, Tobias Harila stands as the taller man at 5-foot-9, compared to the 5-foot-8 frame of James Hendin. “The Honeybadger” has a 71-inch reach, with no such information available for “Bad Intention.”
Can Hendin Make Up for Lost Time in Cage Warriors 160 Main Event?
James Hendin comes into Friday’s main attraction having posted a record of 3-2 in his last five fights, but it’s been a while since he set foot inside the cage. Most recently, he scored a first-round submission (rear-naked choke) against Araik Margarian (25-12, 1 NC MMA, 0-1 CWFC) in November of last year during Cage Warriors 146.
After, Hendin was slated to fight Morgan Charriere (19-9-1 MMA, 6-3 CWFC) on St. Patrick’s Day, but he withdrew from Cage Warriors 150 for medical reasons. This fight is his first appearance in close to a full year’s time.
During a recent interview with Fight & Talk, Hendin mentioned that he wants to shake off the ring rust in convincing fashion.
“I’m expecting Harila to be the usual Harila,” Hendin said. “He’ll come forward, be aggressive, look for big shots. Obviously, he always comes in there for the kill, so I respect that, but for me, I’m going to go in there and just pure domination, you know? Just show how much better I am in every single department, just go in there and get a big, big win.”
Harila Wants to Make Up for Lost Time Himself
In the other corner, Tobias Harila has posted a 3-2 record of his own in his last five contests. At present, Harila on a two-fight winning streak.
Back in April, he stopped Ryan Shelley (6-1 MMA, 4-1 CWFC) with a third-round knockout, but like James Hendin, Tobias Harila is focused on an unwritten chapter this weekend. Hendin and Harila were initially booked to fight in 2022 on two occasions. Neither scheduled fight happened due to Hendin either getting rebooked or being forced off of the card.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Stylistically, the Cage Warriors 160 main event looks to favor James Hendin, a grappler, compared to Tobias Harila’s status as a knockout artist.
Look for Hendin to Hunt for Submissions
Given James Hendin’s grappling background, one would have to expect that he would take his opponent down, like he did vs. Margarian last fall. During the first round of a scheduled three, Hendin stalked Margarian in an effort to try to take him down.
Margarian scored with a two-punch combination before the fighters went into the clinch, giving Hendin the opening to land that takedown. It was all over but the shouting at that point, with Hendin applying the torque under Margarian’s neck for the submission.
Harila Can Fight Back if Needed
In the other corner, if the chips are down for Tobias Harila, he can come from behind and win, His victory in the spring against Shelley is illustrative of that.
Round three saw Harila, having survived a Shelley submission attempt in round two, build off of his ground and pound shots at the end of the period with movement and punches, slowing Shelley down.
Upon landing a shot to the knee, Harila smelled blood in the water, moving in on Shelley and unloading with a punch to the head. A now-wobbled Shelley absorbed a second shot to the head along with a knee to give Harila the knockout.
Final Thoughts
This looks to be an awesome fight in the Cage Warriors 160 main event. Its winner has the inside track for the championship down the road.
Prediction: Tobias Harila by Unanimous Decision.
