Cage Warriors’ return to London will see a loaded fight card serve up a succession of explosive matchups when the promotion returns to the Indigo at The O2 on Saturday, July 20.

Cage Warriors 174 will see the first of four scheduled six-man, one-night PrizeFighter tournaments, with the event set to feature the bantamweight division in the English capital.

The format will see all six athletes placed into a blind draw, which will determine the four fighters set for action in the two semi-final bouts, with the remaining two fighters facing off in a reserve bout.

In addition to winning their way through to the tournament final, and a shot at the $50,000 first prize, fighters can supplement their earnings on the night by correctly predicting the round and method of victory in their fights, with $10,000 per fight up for grabs if fighters can correctly predict the round and method of victory.

Heading the list of tournament contenders is Italy’s former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Michele Martignoni, who never lost his title in the cage. “The Italian Thunder” captured the bantamweight crown at Cage Warriors 144 in October 2022 with victory over Dominique Wooding, but relinquished the belt in a bid to capture the flyweight title the following summer.

However, that title tilt ended in disappointment, as Martignoni lost out to Shaj Haque on the scorecards at Cage Warriors 158. The Italian returned to 135 pounds and stopped Raz Bring with strikes in the first round to put the division on notice once again, and now he plans to raise his stock even further by capturing the inaugural Cage Warriors PrizeFighter tournament crown at Cage Warriors 174.

Winning the tournament will be no easy task, however, with five other dangerous contenders in the mix, all with their sights set on that $50,000 tournament prize.

London’s Shirzad Qadrian is a man on the rise, and at the age of 23, enters the tournament as its youngest contender. He’s joined by hard-hitting Swedish action man Alexander Loof, who played his part in the promotion’s 2023 Fight of the Year with Luke Riley. Now he’s swapping featherweight for bantamweight as he drops down a division in a bid to claim PrizeFighter glory.

Also set for PrizeFighter action are Italy’s Alessandro Giordano, Scotland’s Aidan Stephen, and Great Britain Top Team’s former Cage Warriors bantamweight title challenger Weslley Maia.

Cage Warriors

The event will also feature a flyweight title fight, as reigning champion Shaj Haque puts his title on the line against French contender Nicolas Leblond.

Haque knocked out Sam Creasey to capture the Cage Warriors flyweight title and make history as the sport’s first Bangladeshi world champion. He then outworked former bantamweight champion Martignoni to retain his title on the scorcards last summer.

Now he faces Leblond, who will arrive in London on a four-fight win streak, including back-to-back knockouts of Michelangelo Lupoli and Scott Malone.

It’s a matchup that adds even more firepower to an already stacked lineup, and Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan is anticipating a huge night at the Indigo.

“July 20 marks the start of the biggest week of MMA in the UK, with two Cage Warriors events and UFC 304,” he said.

“We’re kicking things off with a bang in London, with a $50,000 PrizeFighter tournament, and one of the most intriguing title fights of the year.

“Shaj Haque is a master of his craft – patient and technical with a wealth of big-fight experience on his side.

“Leblond has been on a tear through the division. A devastating finisher with ruthless killer instinct. This fight answers the question of who’s the best flyweight in Europe!”

Also confirmed for the card is a light heavyweight bout between two notable names from the UK scene, as former Cage Warriors middleweight champion James Webb moves up to the 205-pound division to take on former Bellator veteran and Team Renegade athlete Yannick Bahati.