The month of July ends with another big weekend in MMA and it’ll start in the same city where it’ll end. Manchester is the host city of the next card from both the UFC and Cage Warriors, starting on Thursday with a card from the latter promotion.
Five days removed from Graham Boylan‘s organization holding its first-ever Prizefighter tournament, the UK-based MMA promotion sets up shop in the home market for UFC 304. Cage Warriors 175 takes place Thursday from BEC Arena.
Live coverage begins at 10 am ET/ 7 am PT (US time) with early prelims before progressing to the late prelims at 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT. Main card action closes the day at 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT on UFC Fight Pass. All told, barring any further postponements or cancellations ahead of the card, the final version of Cage Warriors 175 features 19 bouts.
Middleweight Championship Up for Grabs in Cage Warriors 175 Main Event Thursday
Highlighting the day’s activities is a battle for supremacy at 185 lbs. in the Cage Warriors 175 main event. Incumbent Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion Dario Bellandi (7-1 MMA, 5-1 CWFC) defends his strap for the first time when he faces off against challenger Robin Roos (7-4 MMA, CWFC promotional debut).
As with all Cage Warriors championship fights, the Cage Warriors 175 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show. One note: Should this bout result in a draw after the five rounds of action, Dario Bellandi will retain his strap due to the champion’s advantage.
The Sound of Dario Bellandi's 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 😱
Neanderthal defends his middleweight title at #CW175 Manchester this Thursday!!! pic.twitter.com/oK5Ai6WYAV
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) July 22, 2024
Cage Warriors 175 Main Event Fighter Comparison
Heading into the Cage Warriors 175 main event on Thursday, champion Dario Bellandi stands as the taller man at 6-foot-3, compared to the 5-foot-11 frame of challenger Robin Roos. No reach information was accessible at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have yet to release money lines ahead of Thursday’s Cage Warriors 175. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Bellandi Looks to Extend Winning Streak to Six
Dario Bellandi has gone 5-0 in his last five fights ahead of Thursday’s main event. Last time out, he captured the then-vacant middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Mick Stanton (13-8 MMA, 9-6 CWFC) on Nov. 25, 2023.
Since that fight, Stanton has returned to the win column thanks to a third-round knockout in Oktagon back in late April versus Kamil Wojciechowski (8-3 MMA, 0-2 Oktagon.) After the November fight, he talked about earning the strap.
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep,” Bellandi said, translated through onscreen subtitles. “I am happy and I think it’s one of the best days of my life. I really want to thank Cage Warriors for the opportunity, my gym Rendoki, all my family, and those who are here to support me.”
Roos Searching for Second Belt in as Many Promotions
In the other corner, challenger Robin Roos has posted a mark of 4-1 in his last five fights. Most recently, he bested Kevin Fryer (8-4 MMA) by second-round knockout to claim the Superior Challenge Middleweight Championship on Nov. 4, 2023.
Upon scoring the title, he mentioned in an interview that he was just doing his job that night.
“I didn’t feel any real pressure from the title fight,” Roos recalled. “I knew the same thing that I always know going into a fight: If I live up to my potential there is just a matter of time until my opponent breaks down and I walk out as the winner. The belt is just a bonus.”
He’s already won one belt and now he’s after his second on Thursday in the Cage Warriors 175 main event. Can he make it 2-for-2? Tune in and find out.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
It’s another strength vs. strength matchup in the Cage Warriors 175 main event. Who will emerge victorious?
Look for Bellandi’s Submission Defense to Tell the Tale
Dario Bellandi is known to be a tough customer at the shop when it comes to submissions. Just look at the tape of his November fight against Mick Stanton for proof. During round one, Stanton completed a takedown and looked like he might have a Kimura choke all but wrapped up.
Although the now-former champion sprawled to keep his opponent guessing on the ground, he was as stout as he could be on defense, scrambling back to his feet late in round one, returning to his excellent defense in the second frame. If Bellandi manages to use his defense to his advantage, he can swing the momentum to his side of the ledger.
Once he gets the momentum to his column, he’ll walk away the winner.
Roos Brutal with Combinations
In the other corner, watch for Robin Roos to use combos to knock Dario Bellandi off of his gameplan, like he did in Superior Challenge last fall. Throughout the fight, Roos would pepper David Fryer with combinations, regularly peppering him with a kick to the leg.
One such leg kick from a combo wobbled Fryer back up against the fence of the cage before firing off a kick to Fryer’s head, sending him backwards, crashing down on the mat, setting up a barrage of ground and pound for the knockout. Robin Roos can secure his second title in as many promotions if he mixes up his strikes on Thursday.
Final Thoughts
Manchester’s big week of MMA kicks off Thursday with what should be an entertaining fight. As soon as you get home from work, plop down on the couch and fire up the UFC app on your TV. You can’t miss this.
Prediction: Dario Bellandi by Unanimous Decision.
