On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, it’ll be a packed day and night of competitive violence to close out a weekend of MMA. Before the UFC returns to the Apex in Las Vegas on ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass is the spot for fights in the afternoon. Graham Boylan‘s Cage Warriors is back in Manchester for its penultimate show of the month, Cage Warriors 168.
Live coverage from Manchester’s BEC Arena kicks off at 2:30 pm ET/ 11:30 am PT Saturday with the prelims, followed at 5 pm ET/ 2 pm PT with the main card fights. Immediately following the Cage Warriors 168 main event on Saturday evening, UFC Vegas 88‘s main card will begin from the UFC Apex.
Barring any late postponements between now and Saturday, 12 fights will be held on the card. Title fights will headline each segment of the show.
Vacant Light Heavyweight Title at Stake on Saturday in Cage Warriors 168 Main Event
Following the featured prelim, the card as a whole will be topped by the battle for the Vacant Cage Warriors Light Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the evening. It’ll be an all-England affair when Andy Clamp (12-2, 1 NC MMA, 1-1 CWFC) meets Matty Byfield (6-1, 1 NC MMA, 3-0, 1 NC CWFC) for the belt.
This fight was initially scheduled to have happened on Nov. 25 of last year but was cancelled due to Byfield withdrawing from the show during fight week. Cage Warriors elected to keep the Clamp/Byfield matchup intact and move it to another night as opposed to securing a three-round fight for Andy Clamp in the final days before Cage Warriors 164.
❌ MATTY BYFIELD vs ANDY CLAMP HAS BEEN CANCELLED! ❌
🎙️Cage Warriors own Brad Wharton breaks the news during the #CW164 preview on our latest episode!
🗣️ The lads also recap the recent #CW163 as well as Tom Aspinall’s title winning performance at #UFC295!… pic.twitter.com/0PwQlxpVZ6
— Violent Money TV (@ViolentMoneyTV) November 20, 2023
This title fight is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show. Its winner succeeds two-time champion Modestas Bukauskas (15-6 MMA, 7-1 CWFC), who departed the promotion for a second stint in the UFC after a title win on New Year’s Eve 2022 over Chuck Campbell (6-4. 1 NC MMA, 1-1 CWFC).
Cage Warriors 168 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the Cage Warriors 168 main event on Saturday, Matty Byfield stands as the taller man at 6-foot-6, compared to the 6-foot-4 frame of Andy Clamp. No reach advantage was accessible at press time.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the oddsmakers have installed Matty Byfield as a -260 favorite on the money line, while Andy Clamp counters as a +200 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening in MMA this weekend, please wager responsibly.
Andy Clamp Looks to Build Off Submission Win in Cage Warriors 168 Main Event
Andy Clamp comes into the Cage Warriors 168 main event on Saturday having gone 4-1 in his last five fights. Most recently, he returned to the win column thanks to a first-round submission via rear-naked choke on July 1 against Ghassan Abdenabi (4-2 MMA, 0-1 CWFC) during Cage Warriors 156 in Cardiff.
After the fight, he talked with Combat Sports UK about his experiences fighting under the Cage Warriors banner.
“They’re the greatest show in Europe, second behind the UFC,” Clamp said. “This week, what they’ve done for me… everyone behind the scenes, incredible, man. Like I said, last night, it was half past 5:00 and I got cleared to fight, but all week, they’ve just been amazing.”
While the submission win in July of last year was good for Clamp’s resume, he’s been out of the cage for eight and a half months. How much ring rust is there? Tune in and find out.
Matty Byfield Ends One-Year Layoff
In the other corner, Matty Byfield has gone 3-1 with one no-contest in his last five fights. At the moment, he’s on a four-fight unbeaten streak.
Last year, he scored a second-round submission (rear-naked choke) of Prince McLean (9-10 MMA, 0-1 CWFC) in Cage Warriors 151 from BT Sport Studio in London. Recently, he talked with James Sweetnam about his fight with Clamp.
“It’s just understanding the game, bro,” Byfield said. “Just as much as, he could have a million people in the arena, bro, there’s only two people inside the cage. It’s just how you see [it.] Some people will see it as he’s got a lot more fans behind him but some people will see it as pressure, whereas I’m going in there and people want me to lose, people probably expect me to lose, so [I’m] just going to go there and spoil the party.”
He hasn’t fought in a year, so will Matty Byfield shake off the ring rust and come away as the new champion?
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Don’t expect the Cage Warriors 168 main event to last the full five rounds. Both guys can finish the assignment inside the distance.
Look for Andy Clamp’s Grappling to Tell the Tale
Statistically, Andy Clamp has finished four of his 12 wins by way of submission, so it stands to reason that he’ll try to get his opponent on the canvas and make him take a nap.
One need look no further than his most recent fight against Ghassan Abdenabi. During the opening round, Clamp dumped Abdenabi right away and secured top mount, never letting Abdenabi get back to his feet. This one turned into a grappling match, with Clamp expertly moving away from the cage fence.
Upon transitioning to back mount, Clamp used ground and pound shots to soften Abdenabi up. While Abdenabi got to the cage fence, this was to no avail, as Clamp applied the torque around his neck to lock up a rear-naked choke,
If Andy Clamp scores the first takedown of the Cage Warriors 168 main event, it could be a wrap.
Byfield Can Submit Guys, Too
In the other corner, Matty Byfield sings “Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you.” Just watch the second round of his fight vs. McLean for proof.
That night, Byfield was on the receiving end of a McLean takedown before dumping McLean himself. From there, he took McLean’s back, and even though McLean extended his leg to the cage fence to try and break free. Byfield was too much for him to handle, finishing the rear-naked choke more than halfway through the round.
If Matty Byfield finds himself on the mat, he can reverse position and get momentum to his side of the ledger with his own ground game.
Final Thoughts
We’ve got an exciting tilt coming up on Saturday. Carve out some time in your weekend schedule for this main event.
Prediction: Matty Byfield by Second-Round Submission.
