First Title Defense Confirmed
A huge Cage Warriors world title fight has been confirmed for early 2025. Ahead of the promotion’s final event of what has been an action-packed year this weekend in San Diego, it has been announced that welterweight champion James Sheehan will defend his belt in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland on April 26th.
“Jimbo Slice” won the vacant welterweight strap in dramatic fashion when he submitted Daniel Konrad in April of this year in the fourth round of a bruising encounter. Sheehan (8-3) has been on an impressive run of late, winning eight of his last ten fights.
His only defeats during that spell have come against current UFC stars Ian Machado Garry and Oban Elliott, and the Team Ryano fighter will be eager to get back inside the cage after a prolonged absence.
Sheehan was originally scheduled to defend his title against former champion Giannis Bachar in September, but an injury to the Dubliner put paid to those plans. With Bachar having since signed with the PFL, Justin Burlinson steps up to challenge for Sheehan’s belt.
Fighting Spirit
Burlinson (9-2) has fought for the Cage Warriors welterweight title once before, coming up short against Sheehan’s fellow Irishman Rhys McKee at Cage Warriors 140 in 2022.
The 27-year-old has bounced back from that setback impressively by submitting both Jamie Richardson and Theodor Berggren, although those two victories were seperated by an intensely challenging 18 months in which he beat cancer and underwent knee surgery.
Both fighters head into this bout acutely aware that a victory could provide a great springboard into the UFC. Many Cage Warriors champions have gone on to fight inside the Octagon, and with the next season of Dana White’s Contender Series shifting into gear soon after they meet in Dublin next April, the stakes could not be higher.
Cage Warriors 188 goes down at the RDS in Dublin, Ireland on April 26th (live on UFC Fight Pass)
