Cage Warriors returned to San Diego for a second time, and it lived up to all the expectations we desired after it being a success the first time around.
The moment of magic at Cage Warriors 130, came at the hands of Damon Wilson, who produced a stunning 11 second knockout over Theodore Macuka, to extend his unbeaten record to (3-0).
Two Appearances, Two Wins
In August, Wilson returned to the cage for the first time in three and a half years, and he risked everything to become a full-time fighter. On his return, in the early seconds of the second round, he finished John Buttner to get his hand raised for the second time in his career at Cage Warriors 126.
Wilson told MMASucka why he spent a long-time away from competing. “My layoff was basically due to me focusing my time and energy on my job. I was an independent contractor working for a company that travels to storm disaster areas. It is a lot of hard work with long hours on the road, so it made it difficult to balance with the fight game. I enjoyed my job, but every day I would be wishing I was training instead. I saved up enough money to give fighting full-time a shot.
I knew if I wanted to make a run at this, then I would have to fully commit to fighting, so I pulled my camper out to San Diego and became a full-time fighter. It feels incredible to be able to compete as a professional athlete at this point in my life with all the adversity I have dealt with throughout my career.”
The risk is certainly paying off so far, with Wilson impressed with his most recent performance. “I am extremely satisfied with the knockout. Anytime you can get in and out of the cage with a win and no injuries is the ideal scenario. The wonderful people at the event and tuning in across the world on Fight Pass want entertainment of the violent type, so I am more than happy to provide that.”
A Potential Record
With it not being officially confirmed, Wilson may have produced the quickest finish in Cage Warriors history with his 11-second knockout. Before the fight, Wilson did some digging himself, with the plan of hoping to break the record.
“Interesting little bit about the record, two weeks ago I was talking to a buddy of mine about potentially ending this fight quick and he said go for the Cage Warriors featherweight fastest KO. I told him to look up Conor’s fastest KO because more than likely he would have the record. His fastest was around 1:30 and I said I could probably get it done quicker, but honestly, 11 seconds even surprised myself. I will say the right hand was cracking backstage during my warmup.”
Cage Warriors has given Wilson the platform to produce his skills and get his career back on the right track. “Cage Warriors has been an absolute blessing. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. The exposure they can provide for athletes coupled with the professionalism throughout the company has been a tremendous experience. The atmosphere at Humphreys is electric, the ‘Nomad’ army is a big part of that as well. It has the feel of a party and it seems like I thrive in that environment.”
February Return?
Cage Warriors will supposedly return to San Francisco in February, with Wilson likely to return then, unless a huge call comes calling. “Of course I have a strong urge to get back in there. I didn’t quite get all the dark out of my system, but it should be enough to hold me over through the holidays. I was out of competition for a while, so I had a bit of catching up to do, but I believe the next Cage Warriors event in the States will be February 2022. I enjoyed training, I enjoy the whole process at this point in my career so I will continue to work on my skills and be ready when the time comes to go again.”
With two weeks left on Dana White’s Contender Series, if it arose, it would be hard for Wilson to turn that opportunity down. “Like I said, I believe February is the next event, so as of now that is what I have on my mind, but who knows if that could change. There is a lot of ambiguity in the fight game, so I stay lean, mean, and dangerous at all times. I love putting on the yellow gloves, but if the Contender Series happens to call then I will gladly put those gloves on and represent the Cage Warriors family.”
Wilson celebrated his victory in fine style and was very thankful for everyone who’s supported him. “I celebrated the same way we always do: cheeseburgers and whiskey. I probably had a couple too many of each, but that’s to be expected. I was blessed enough to have a lot of friends and family travel in from all over the country to support me. At the end of the day, my favorite thing about this ride is providing a good excuse for everyone to get together and have a good time, it’s honestly more simple when you look at it that way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those who are supporting me through this journey.”
Featured Image courtesy of Leon Sandoval/Cage Warriors
