Ronnie Mann signs for Spiked Athletics

SPIKED Athletics continue their push to becoming one of the premier management companies within UK MMA.

Most recent signing is Ronnie Mann, the Cage Warriors, Bellator Veteran who has competed on a global scale and has some huge scalps to his name.

Ronnie joins the likes of Brad Pickett, Jimmy Wallhead, Che Mills, Matt Hallam, Aaron Blackwell and great up and coming talent including recent signings Mario Saeed and Dean Trueman.

Matt Walton says “I am delighted to have Ronnie Mann join the team.  I have watched Ronnie for many years and he has always been a bundle of talent and a fighter I have admired. We have talked in depth and I am really excited to be working closely with Ronnie to help support him reach his full potential.  I’m very confident that you will see some big results from the whole SPIKED Athletics team this year.”

Ronnie Mann “I am so pleased to be working with Matt and the SPIKED Athletics team. I am very excited about this new chapter in my career and look forward to them supporting me to reach my full potential. Matt really cares about his fighters and he fills me with great confidence in my abilities.”

For further information on SPIKED Athletics check out www.spikedathletics.com

Danny Roberts vs Jimmy Wallhead to headline Cage Warriors 68 in Liverpool

Welterweight battle announced as main event for Cage Warriors 68

A huge welterweight match-up has been set for the main event at Cage Warriors 68.

Danny Roberts and Jimmy Wallhead will collide in the headliner when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Also confirmed for the CWFC 68 bill is a middleweight bout between Che Mills and Leeroy Barnes, in addition to another big welterweight contest between Matt Inman and Mauro Chimento.

But in the evening’s main attraction, Danny Roberts (10-1) will be hoping for his sixth consecutive CWFC victory as he aims to strengthen his claims for a shot at the CWFC welterweight crown, which is up for grabs this weekend at CWFC 66 in Copenhagen.

Roberts, who’ll be fighting in his hometown of Liverpool, has climbed into the top-five in the UK rankings courtesy of impressive wins over Jack Mason, Diego Gonzalez, Henry Fadipe and Juan Manuel Suarez.

With all but two of his wins coming inside the distance, 26-year-old Roberts says fans can expect fireworks when he takes on Wallhead in what will surely be the biggest test of his career to date.

He said:

“Fighting in front of my friends, family and fans in my adopted hometown again for a top organisation is going to be special, and I’m looking forward to welcoming Jimmy Wallhead into one of the toughest welterweight divisions in the world.

“He is a very well-respected fighter and is one of the biggest names in the sport in the UK. This is going to be one that people won’t want to miss.”

Wallhead (25-8), who turned 30 last week, recently signed to fight exclusively for Cage Warriors, having previously competed for the promotion on 15 occasions, more than any other fighter.

A judo black belt and veteran of 25 professional victories, 18 of which have come via stoppage, Wallhead holds notable wins over several fighters with UFC experience, including Igor Araujo, Matt Veach, Che Mills and Frank Trigg.

The Leicester native, who competed for Bellator on three occasions between 2010 and 2012, hasn’t been stopped in his last 20 outings, with his last loss inside the distance coming at the hands of current UFC star Dennis Siver back in 2006.

“I’m really excited to be back on Cage Warriors and I’m especially pleased to be fighting in Liverpool on May 3,” said Wallhead.

“The opponent is irrelevant to me as all fights at this level are tough, but I’m really motivated by the prospect of beating him in his hometown. I expect a war, which is great for the fans and great for me, as I just love fighting.”

Meanwhile, having impressively disposed of Gregor Weibel at CWFC 64 last month, Matt Inman (13-5) will also be keen to stay in the CWFC welterweight title hunt when he goes in search of a fifth straight win, with Brazilian star Mauro Chimento (15-10) providing the opposition as he returns to Cage Warriors after a lengthy lay-off due to illness.

Elsewhere, after both fighters endured a disappointing 2013, Che Mills (15-7-2nc) and Leeroy Barnes (12-13-1nc) will be looking to return to winning ways when they clash in a middleweight bout.

Cage Warriors 68, for which many more bouts are still to be announced, will take place at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, on Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Ronnie Mann Meets Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57

Ronnie Mann Meets Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57
by Chris Houten - @kingdomMMAChris

Top 5 UK bantamweight Ronnie Mann will make his Cage Warriors debut against Spanish star Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57.

A veteran of Cage Rage, Sengoku, and most recently Bellator, Mann (21-6-1) recently signed an exclusive 5 fight deal with Cage Warriors, having had his contract bought by Cage Warriors from  Bellator, where he amassed a 3-3 record, with all 3 losses coming by decision including a loss to Featherweight Champion Pat Curran.

“This fight means a lot to me as I’m fighting at home in the UK again for the first time in five years. I’m excited to be back in front of the British fans and I want to do UK MMA proud,” said Mann.

“Like myself, my opponent brings a lot of experience to the table so I think it will be an excellent fight. He’s a good all-rounder but I don’t think his skills will match my technical ability.”

His opponent, 36-year old Zapater (17-9) will also be making his Cage Warriors debut at Cage Warriors 57. Having fought on the European MMA scene for over 10 years, Zapater has an impressive 11 finishes in 17 wins (7 by submission, 4 by TKO) and has a 9-2 record in his last 11 fights.

Zapater said: “I’m very excited about fighting on this show in such a magnificent arena. My opponent is very tough and skilled but I’m looking forward to the challenge it will bring.”

Cage Warriors 57 takes place at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on the 20th of July and is headline by Paul Daley vs Lukasz Chlewicki. Tickets are still available though Cagewarriors.com

Stay tuned to kingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Cage Warriors 57

Cage Warriors sign Ronnie Mann

Cage Warriors buy out Ronnie Mann from his Bellator contract

A press release issued by Cage Warriors confirmed the news that Ronnie Mann has signed an exclusive deal to fight only for Cage Warriors, you can read that press release in full below.

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is pleased to confirm that it has signed top English bantamweight Ronnie Mann.

The five-fight deal will see the 26-year-old compete exclusively for Cage Warriors over a minimum of 18 months, after CWFC paid a fee of $5,000 to Bellator to have Mann released from his contract with the promotion.

Cage Warriors 57 at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on July 20 has been pencilled in for Mann’s CWFC debut, with the Cheltenham native keen to make his mark on Europe’s most competitive bantamweight division.

“I’m extremely happy to have signed with Cage Warriors,” said Mann. “It’s very flattering that they were willing to buy my contract from Bellator.

“Graham Boylan and all the guys at CWFC are great, and I’m very thankful for what they’ve done. In my opinion it’s the best promotion in Europe and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Currently ranked fourth in the UK, Mann accumulated a 3-3 record in Bellator after debuting for the promotion in April 2011. In his 28 professional bouts, Mann has been stopped just twice.

He added: “Bellator are a good promotion but I needed to be active again because I wasn’t fighting as regularly as I would have liked.

“I’m looking forward to having regular fights again, especially on the UK scene and in front the great fans we have here. I want to get my name out there again in Europe and hopefully work my way to a title shot. But for me, it's one step at a time.”

Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said: “I’d like to thank Bellator for their co-operation in this deal. I don’t like to see fighters not active in the prime of their careers and Bellator understood that, at his age, Ronnie needed to be busy.

“Like all of our fighters, Ronnie will have plenty of opportunities here at Cage Warriors. Our bantamweight division is extremely strong and Ronnie has got the ability to make a big impact.”