It’s another busy Saturday in MMA. One week removed from Cage Warriors returning to London for Cage Warriors 169, the first card of a day-night doubleheader sees Graham Boylan‘s promotion treks to Dublin, Ireland for Cage Warriors 170. Simmonscourt RDS is the host venue for this weekend’s card.
As always, Cage Warriors 170 will be seen wall-to-wall on UFC Fight Pass throughout the world beginning at 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT with the undercard. Saturday’s prelims are also streamed on the UFC Fight Pass YouTube channel.
Main card action immediately follows at 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT on UFC Fight Pass. Consider Saturday’s card as a second screen experience, as the back-end of Cage Warriors 170’s undercard and complete main card will overlap with that day’s UFC prelims and start of the main card in Vegas at the UFC Apex.
Vacant Welterweight Title at Stake in Cage Warriors 170 Main Event
All told, barring any postponements between now and Saturday, a full 14-fight slate will be held. Highlighting the night’s activities in Dublin is the battle for the Vacant Cage Warriors Welterweight Championship between James Sheehan (7-3 MMA, 6-2 CWFC) and Daniel Konrad (6-1 MMA, CWFC promotional debut).
Its winner succeeds Giannis Bachar as the 170-lb. champion in Cage Warriors. Bachar was recently cast as a competitor for the new season of The Ultimate Fighter television series, due to begin airing on ESPN inside the United States this June.
As with all Cage Warriors title fights, this one is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
History in the Making in Dublin
Witness the next chapter of Irish MMA unfold at #CW170 this Saturday!! pic.twitter.com/xw3wdTsIgH
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 3, 2024
Cage Warriors 170 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the Cage Warriors 170 main event on Saturday afternoon, James Sheehan stands as the taller man at 6-foot-2, compared to Daniel Konrad standing six feet even. No reach advantage was accessible at press time.
At the moment, oddsmakers have James Sheehan installed as a -305 favorite on the money line, with Daniel Konrad countering as a +245 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.
Sheehan Getting Championship Opportunity
James Sheehan has posted a record of 4-1 in his last five fights. Most recently, he scored a unanimous decision over Olli Santalahti (14-6, 1 NC MMA, 1-2 CWFC) on Oct. 14, 2023.
Ahead of Saturday’s Cage Warriors 170 main event, he expressed his thoughts about a chance at the belt coming out of his last fight.
“I did think I was going to get the title shot because I did feel like Omiel (Brown)— well, I thought Omiel was going to beat Bachar,” Sheehan began. “I felt like that would have been a great story for Cage Warriors to be able to spin, so I did feel like it was going to happen at some point. And then, obviously. (I) couldn’t, didn’t foresee Bachar finishing Brown and then Bachar being snatched up with The Ultimate Fighter straight away. Normally, they have one title defense and then they’re snatched up, but obviously, he jumped at the opportunity when it came to him, so, I’m happy I’m getting the title shot.”
The time has come for Sheehan to try for the title. Will he walk away as the new champion in the biggest fight of his career? Tune into the Cage Warriors 170 main event and find out.
Daniel Konrad Gears Up for First Fight in Over a Year
In the other corner, Daniel Konrad has gone 4-1 in his last five fights. At present, he’s on a four-fight winning streak. Last time out, he submitted Tomasz Langowski (6-5 MMA) with an armbar in just 43 seconds on March 10 of last year.
Konrad has spent more time away from a cage than in it in recent times. There have been lengthy gaps between fights for him of late.
Prior to a fight against Tayron Chavarro in September of 2022, he hadn’t fought in two years’ time, when he came back after a hiatus of close to two years. Lengthy interregnums are detrimental to a fighter’s development, especially when the interregnums are successive.
The age-old question of ring rust has reared its head once again. With all that time off between contests, what kind of a training camp has Konrad had leading up to the Cage Warriors 170 main event? Only time will tell.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
The Cage Warriors 170 main event looks to be another one of those strength vs. strength matchups on Saturday. Who will emerge victorious?
One Punch Could Spell Victory for Sheehan
While James Sheehan hasn’t won by knockout too often, when it happens, it can be something to see. One need look no further than his fight against Karol Michalak in 2022.
That night, Michalak kept Sheehan honest by changing his stance, but the latter uncorked with a left-handed punch, followed by an uppercut to put the former to sleep. If Konrad tries to knock Sheehan off of his gameplan on Saturday, Sheehan can adjust and land a punch of his own to put Konrad away.
Konrad Can Work Quickly
In the other corner, look for Daniel Konrad to get out to a quick start. In his last two fights, he hasn’t had to go past the first round, including his 2022 fight vs. Chavarro in CFS 11.
During the first round of a scheduled three in a tournament semifinal, he opened things up with a body kick before landing a punch to wobble his opponent. From there, Konrad stalked Chavarro and changed stances, ending the fight with a combination punctuated by a left hook to knock Chavarro down and out.
If Daniel Konrad mixes up his shots effectively this weekend in the Cage Warriors 170 main event, the title will be his.
Final Thoughts
Giannis Bachar vacated the welterweight title to join The Ultimate Fighter cast for the new season. With Cage Warriors fighters often getting called up to organizations such as the UFC, will Sheehan or Konrad follow suit in short order?
Prediction: James Sheehan by First-Round TKO.
