Cage Warriors sign six to exclusive deals

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has added six more fighters to its ever-expanding stable of talent.

Officials can today confirm that Paul Marin), Toni Tauru, Martin Svensson, Martin Sheridan, Aaron Blackwell and Ronan McKay have all signed five-fight deals to compete exclusively for the promotion over a minimum period of 18 months.

Marin (7-3) enjoyed a successful second-half of 2013, despite starting his CWFC career with losses to current flyweight champion Neil Seery and former bantamweight title-holder Paul McVeigh earlier in the year.

The entertaining Romanian flyweight bounced back by overcoming Shaj Haque via decision, before forcing Spencer Hewitt to tap to strikes in the first round of their encounter at CWFC 61 last month in Amman.

“Signing with the biggest show in Europe was a huge goal for me in 2013. I worked hard to achieve it and I’m very happy to have succeeded,” said 28-year-old Marin, who’s currently based in Barcelona.

“My next goal is to be a contender for the CWFC flyweight belt and I’ll do everything I can to get to that stage. I want to thank Cage Warriors, my coach, my team and my management for this massive opportunity.”

Tauru (8-1-1), who hails from Finland, joins CWFC on the back of an eight-fight win-streak – five of which have come via submission – which has seen him join the top table of bantamweights in Europe.

The 29-year-old, whose only career loss came against former CWFC title challenger Mikael Silander in 2011, most recently submitted TUF 18 contestant Emil Hartsner by first-round gogoplata in November.

Tauru said: “I want to fight the best guys in Europe so CWFC is the place for me to be. This is the next big step in my career. I’m looking forward to showcasing my talents and going after that CWFC title.”

Svensson (12-5) will be keen to return to winning ways in 2014, having fallen short against CWFC featherweight champion Jim Alers in their title bout at CWFC 59 last September.

Despite forcing Alers to go the distance for the first time in his career, Svensson was on the end of a decision defeat, but the big 28-year-old remains one of Europe’s top featherweights having been on a 7-1 run prior to that loss.

“Jim Alers, we’re not done with each other yet. Keep the belt safe because I’m coming back for it,” said Svensson. “I won’t rest until I have that belt and I’ll bring pain to any featherweight who stands in my way.”

Sheridan (7-4) earned his CWFC contract after a spectacular KO of Jordan Desborough last month, which is currently in the running for Knockout of the Year in the 2013 CWFC Awards.

Having taken the fight on short notice, 30-year-old Sheridan sent out a strong message by stopping the former CWFC bantamweight title challenger in the first round of their tussle at CWFC 62 in Newcastle.

“I’m so privileged to have signed an exclusive deal with Cage Warriors,” said Sheridan, who hails from Dublin but is now based in England. “It’s one of the best promotions in the world and getting the chance to fight on that stage for the next 18 months is a dream come true.”

Blackwell (12-9-1) a 29-year-old Englishman, returned to action in 2013 after a two-year lay-off and has once again begun to climb the bantamweight rankings.

Undefeated in his last five outings, Blackwell most recently defeated Kris Edwards at CWFC 60 in London back in October.

He said: “It’s a great honour to be representing the best promotion in Europe. I’m really looking forward to regularly competing against world-class athletes and showcasing my abilities on such a big show.”

McKay (10-11) will be aiming for his fourth consecutive win when he returns to action in 2014, as he aims to prove that his current record is certainly not a fair reflection of his talents.

The 28-year-old Irish middleweight secured a first-round KO of Leeroy Barnes at CWFC 62 in Newcastle last month and also holds notable victories over CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred, CWFC veteran Henry Fadipe and top UK middleweight Lee Chadwick.

“I’m very excited about competing for Cage Warriors in 2014 and beyond,” said McKay. “I’m eager to keep my win-streak going and I’m looking forward to moving up the division with each fight.”

Photo: Cage Warriors

Source: Cage Warriors Press Release