Video: Stevie Ray Cage Warriors 69 Post Fight Interview

Video: Stevie Ray Cage Warriors 69 Post Fight Interview 

Kingdom MMA talks to Stevie Ray moments after regaining the Cage Warriors lightweight title with a fine victory over Curt Warburton at Cage Warriors 69 Super Saturday.

Curt Warburton on Stevie Ray "He's young, he's hungry so I think it's going to be a good fight"

Curt Warburton talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his CWFC Title fight at CWFC 69: Super Saturday

by Chris Marzella @ChrisMarzella

In what could be described as the renaissance of his career, Curt Warburton (13-4) is on the threshold of strapping Cage Warriors gold around his waist next Saturday night. The former UFC lightweight headlines Cage Warriors 69: Super Saturday when he faces Steven Ray for the vacant lightweight title in London.

It'll be Warburton's second Cage Warriors outing and he is looking to put his UFC release in 2011 well and truly behind him. Warburton made his UFC debut in October 2010 and just three fights later found himself on the end of that dread news.

Since his UFC release Warburton has struggled to deal with the cut and the circumstances surrounding it, despite stringing a succession of wins together in promotions such as BAMMA and KSW and most recently Cage Warriors.

Speaking to KingdomMMA.co.uk Warburton said:

"It'd be nice to get back in and get a little bit more of a chance. You look at some other guys that people have fought and compared to me I don't think I was given a great chance."

"I got the chance, some people never get a chance, I got one. When you first start that's what you do it for. You think about the UFC and then you get there and you don't get your fair chance."

"I went in and got taken straight to the top. There's people on 3 or 4 fight loosing streaks yet I got beat by Joe Lauzon and got axed. I didn't think that was fair but you have to dust yourself off and get back on it."

Warburton made his UFC debut in a defeat to Spencer Fisher, he won his second fight against Maciej Jewtuszko and followed that up with a submission loss to Lauzon and was subsequently axed from the company.

Warburton added: "How many other Brits have fought someone like Joe Lauzon after three fights? Some Brits have fought ten fights and still haven't."

"That's what you dream of and when that happens and you got an email saying your contract has been terminated, end of, it sort of puts you in a bit of depression. Like all of that hard work for that and that's the way it ends."

"I came out had a few fights in BAMMA. Maybe I should just have gone straight to Cage Warriors. That's a regret not just going straight there. But I'm there now."

Reflecting on his experience in the big time, he said:

"I'm more experienced. I used to just do what I was told, 'do this, do that'. Then when the shit hit the fan you're there by yourself and you've got to cope by yourself, everyone else just moves on."

"Now I just do what I do. I do whatever I want to do. I have a bit more say in what I want to do and I want to train because at the end of the day, when the shit hits the fan I've only got myself to blame."

"You get beat and it's really lonely. Especially when you strive to get to the UFC and sort of go out the way I did."

"You think 'well why didn't I get just get a chance like everyone else?' and I did go through a bit of depression."

"One minute you're working, you're grafting, you're training all the time. You start thinking you can make a little bit of money so you can have a better life and it was no different."

"I started thinking "what's the point?" because I might as well go back to work. At least that way i can go out shopping on the weekends or go see your mates, but you can't do that because you're always training all the time."

"As a fighter people think you have a great lifestyle. Obviously it's great because you're doing what you love but you look at the other side of it and you're always skint and you're juggling things about."

"But UK MMA is growing but you're never going to earn a fortune out of it unless you're at the very top but you're just doing what you love."

Warburton and Ray are now entering the final difficult week of weight cutting ahead of the fight on June 7.

With the new Cage Warriors policy on 60-per-cent fines for fighters missing weight kicking in this weekend Warburton has expressed a desire for more weight classes in MMA. He said: "It's our job to make weight. I think something had to be done."

"Whether the 60-per-cent is going to work I don't know. I mean we're not the greatest paid athletes in the world and 60-per-cent taken off plus if you have a manager that's 20%, you're only left with 20% and people are just going to think 'well I'll just pull an injury'."

"Personally I think there should be a light-welterweight category. You look at 62kg to 66kg, that's a 4kg difference, then 66kg to 70kg, again a 4kg difference.

"Lightweights aren't big guys. If there was a light welterweight division that would be perfect for me something around 73kg or 74kg would be an ideal weight to fight at."

Saturday night will be the second time Warburton and Ray will lock horns following a fight at BAMMA 12 last March, a fight which Warburton won.

This time around though it should be a very different fight.

Warburton said:

"The last time we fought I was supposed to fight Rob Sinclair and it was only a few weeks notice we got to know we were going to fight each other."

"Obviously he's going to improve but I'm going to be a lot more physical than I was in the first fight. I'm feeling stronger than I was in the last fight."

"I've been doing a lot of strength and conditioning since that fight but like I say Stevie has improved as well. He's young, he's hungry so I think it's going to be a good fight."

Warburton is undecided as to who his win in the first fight favours heading in to this one. He said: "It's certainly going to make him hungrier to get that win back so maybe he'll be a lot more psyched up."

"I'm not going to take anything for granted. i know exactly how tough he is and I know what I'll have to do. I have to be twice as determined than the last fight and maybe twice as good."

Cage Warriors 69: Super Saturday take plane on Saturday June 7 from The Forum, Kentish Town, London.

Ivan Buchinger released, Warburton vs Ray to headline Cage Warriors 69 for vacant lightweight title

Cage Warriors 69 announced

The Cage Warriors lightweight world title will be at stake when Curt Warburton (13-4) and Stevie Ray (14-5) clash at Cage Warriors 69 at The Forum in London, England, on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

Cage Warriors officials can confirm that previous champion Ivan Buchinger has been released from his contract with the promotion, leaving a vacancy at the summit of the 155lbs division.

The bout will mark the second time that Warburton and Ray will have met, with their previous encounter - which took place in March, 2013 - ending in a unanimous-decision triumph for Warburton.

“I can’t wait to be stepping back into that cage, with the opportunity of walking back out as the new Cage Warriors champion,” said Warburton, a native of Newcastle, England.

Warburton signed to compete exclusively for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship last year and made a successful debut for the promotion at CWFC 62 courtesy of a first-round submission of Wesley Murch.

The 33-year-old has put together a 6-1 record since his departure from the UFC following a defeat to Joe Lauzon in June 2011.

Ray, on the other hand, will be looking to regain the belt he relinquished to Ivan Buchinger after their epic encounter in the main event at CWFC 63 in Dublin last New Year’s Eve.

The 23-year-old Scotsman had been crowned champion back in October after emerging victorious from the four-man CWFC lightweight title tournament thanks to wins over Jason Ball and Sean Carter at CWFC 60.

Ray said: “I’m looking forward to getting back in the win column, avenging my loss to Curt and getting my title back in London where I won it last October.”

Meanwhile, Ivan Buchinger and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship have parted company as a result of the fighter’s refusal to honour the terms of his contract, as explained by Cage Warriors Fighting Championship CEO Graham Boylan.

“Despite having competed for us on six occasions, Ivan claimed that he didn’t understand his contract and decided that he no longer wanted to fight for us under the terms that he had agreed. But it’s company policy not to be held to ransom by any fighter, so we were happy to let him go,” said Boylan.

“We have an incredibly stacked lightweight division, as evidenced by the meeting of Curt Warburton and Stevie Ray for the belt on June 7, so losing one fighter from that division is merely a drop in the ocean. Nevertheless, I thank Ivan for his contribution and wish him the best for his future.”

Tickets for CWFC 69, featuring Curt Warburton versus Stevie Ray for the CWFC lightweight world title, will go on sale shortly.

Stevie Ray Defends Belt at Cage Warriors 63 Against Ivan Buchinger

Stevie Ray Defends Belt at Cage Warriors 63 Against Ivan Buchinger
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Newly crowned Cage Warriors lightweight Champion Stevie Ray will defend his title for the first time against Ivan Buchinger.

Ray (14-4), who trains out of Dinky Ninjas Fight Team in Scotland, captured the title after emerging victorious from CWFC’s four-man lightweight tournament at Cage Warriors 60 in London earlier this month, courtesy of wins over Jason Ball and Sean Carter.

23-year old Ray, who has finished 11 of 14 victory said:

“I’m very excited to be defending my belt on New Year’s Eve at what looks set to be the biggest Cage Warriors event of the year,”

“I wanted Buchinger next as he should have been in the tournament final, so I want to show everybody that the result would have been the same anyway. I respect him but the belt will be coming back to Scotland with me.”

His opponent, Buchinger (24-4) had been due to meet Ray in that Cage Warriors 60 tournament decider but was forced to withdraw after sustaining a rib injury during his semi-final triumph over Mick Sinclair.

The 27-year-old Slovak returns to Dublin on New Year’s Eve following a 3-0 streak this year, as he rebounded impressively from his loss to Conor McGregor on the same date at The Helix in 2012.

Buchinger, who has 20 finishes in 24 victories,  returns to Dublin on New Year’s Eve following a 3-0 streak this year, as he rebounded impressively from his loss to Conor McGregor on the same date at The Helix in 2012. Of Buchinger's 4 career losses, 3 have come to UFC fighter - Akira Corrassani, Anton Kuivanen, and Conor McGregor respectively.

Buchinger said: “I’m glad to be getting the shot at the belt that I earned at Cage Warriors 60 and I’m looking forward to coming back to Dublin to try to make amends for my last fight there.

“Steven Ray is a deserving champion but I am determined to take that belt from him on New Year’s Eve. I’m very excited about the opportunity.”

Cage Warriors 63 takes place on New Years Eve, at The Helix in the Irish capital of Dublin., with the Cage Warriors featherweight title also on the line with Jim Alers defending his belt against Graham Turner.

4 Man Lightweight Tournement Set for Cage Warriors 60

4 Man Lightweight Tournement Set for Cage Warriors 60

A FOUR-MAN tournament will be contested at Cage Warriors 60 to determine a new CWFC lightweight champion.The title, which was vacated by Conor McGregor earlier this year, will be up for grabs when Cage Warriors returns to The Forum in London on Saturday, 5 October, 2013.

Scotland’s Stevie Ray, Slovakian Ivan Buchinger and English pair Mick Sinclair and Jason Ball will battle it out in pursuit of the promotion’s lightweight crown.

The victorious fighter will need to overcome two opponents in one night for the right to be crowned Cage Warriors’ 155lbs champion, with semi-final pairings to be announced in due course.

Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final.

The semi-finals will feature on the night’s preliminary card, with the final concluding the Cage Warriors 60 bill as the main event. A reserve bout will also be added to the card in order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals.

THE CONTENDERS

JASON BALL (20-12) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors

The most experienced participant in the tournament, Jason Ball will be competing for Cage Warriors for the fifth time in his career and the third time in 2013.

The 29-year-old is a well-rounded fighter, taking nine (T)KO and nine submission wins since making his professional debut in January 2005.

Ball is likely to be on a revenge mission on October 5, having previously suffered decision losses to two of his three tournament rivals - Mick Sinclair and Ivan Buchinger.

The Doncaster native hasn’t been stopped in his last 14 outings, with his most recent stoppage defeat coming via submission against UFC veteran Paul Sass in November 2008.

“This opportunity has been my target since returning to Cage Warriors,” said Ball. “I said then that I wanted to be the champion and this is my chance to get the belt.

“The tournament format adds an extra challenge and excitement. Four tough guys will be aiming to win the belt but I plan on putting on a show and bringing it back to Doncaster.”

IVAN BUCHINGER (23-4) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors

Ranked as one of Europe’s top lightweights, Ivan Buchinger gets his second shot at the CWFC lightweight title on October 5 in London.

Defeated by Conor McGregor in the main event at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin last New Year’s Eve, the Slovakian has rebounded in impressive fashion in 2013.

Buchinger edged out Jason Ball by unanimous decision at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff back in May, before submitting Jamal Magomedov last month at Cage Warriors 58 in Chechnya.

Still just 27, Buchinger has notched 20 career wins inside the distance and counts Diego Gonzalez, Jarkko Latomaki and Bellator tournament winner Magomedrasul Khasbulaev among his notable victories.

Three of Buchinger’s four losses have come at the hands of UFC veterans, in Conor McGregor, Akira Corassani and Anton Kuivanen.

He said: “I’m very happy to have another chance to fight for this title. I have worked hard to get it and I’m very determined to make the most of this chance.”

STEVIE RAY (12-4) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors

A member of Scotland’s renowned Dinky Ninjas camp, Stevie Ray is the tournament’s youngest participant at 23 years of age.

Three of Ray’s four career losses came at welterweight, with his only defeat at 155lbs coming via decision against three-time UFC veteran Curt Warburton.

Holding wins over CWFC veterans Dale Hardiman, Merv Mulholland and Vincent del Guerra, Ray has taken 10 of his 12 victories by stoppage - six via submission, four by (T)KO.

“I’m really excited and grateful to Cage Warriors for giving me the chance to fight for their lightweight title in London on October 5,” said Ray.

“I believe I’m better than I’ve ever been right now, I’ll be ready for whoever is in front of me and I’m determined to bring that belt back to Scotland.”

MICK SINCLAIR (12-3) | Photo: MMAPics.com

The tournament’s elder statesman at 31, Englishman Mick Sinclair will be competing for Cage Warriors for the fourth time in his career.

The younger brother of Bellator lightweight Rob Sinclair, Mick holds wins over fellow CWFC veterans Jason Ball, Oriol Gaset and Ashleigh Grimshaw.

With 10 of his 12 victories coming inside the distance, Mick Sinclair was signed to an exclusive Cage Warriors contract earlier this year.

“I’m delighted Cage Warriors have given me this chance and I’m really looking forward to getting in there on October 5,” he said.

“I’m in there with three other top fighters who’ll also be looking to put on a show. This is a very exciting challenge and it’s one I can’t wait for.”