Cage Warriors 190: Unplugged Preview: Adam Darby returns

Cage Warriors are back with one of their famous double headers, the first show coming on Friday night. The Manchester BEC is once again opening their doors for the invite-only event Cage Warriors 190. We will have eight fights to look forward to.

Alexander Lööf (7-3) is a man of pure entertainment and violence. Over in Västerås, they build warriors and men who go to hell and back to learn the arts. Their mats boast the likes of Bane Gustafsson and Tobias Harila, high level operators. That’s the environment Lööf prepares in and the mantra he lives by. The Swede is a Muay Thai practitioner who likes to bludgeon people with kicks, fists, elbows and knees. The 27-year-old turns the mat into a blood donation centre. He does have finishing ability, however he usually pressures for the full fifteen minutes, throwing a high output. Aiden Lee (13-9) is a great veteran of the UK scene and makes his twelfth appearance in the famous yellow gloves. The former Bellator and LFL man trains out of Team Renegade in Birmingham and is one of many tough cookies on the mats in the gym. The 30-year-old is a high level BJJ player and has finished 69% of his wins by submission. If you allow him to get any grip on you, he’ll likely take your back and sink in the rear naked choke.

Adam Darby (4-1) makes his second appearance of the year following a frustrating spell out due to injury. The Team Ryano man has long been touted as one to watch, and he’s keen to show why with a string of impressive performances. The 26-year-old is tall and long, and he uses it very well in the submission games with guillotine chokes and triangles. The Dubliner has a beautiful boxing game, causing attritional damage and finishing with a bit of pop on the end. The IMMAF veteran is on a three-fight win streak. Tato Primera (20-15) is an experienced veteran that appeared in the 2023 Oktagon Tipsport Gamechanger tournament, as well as fighting for FEN and AFL. The Spaniard is predominantly a striker with a lot of power in his shots. The 33-year-old isn’t afraid of brawling and will take risks to land, sometimes to his detriment. He’s also performed as a pro boxer.

Charles Joyner (4-2-1) comes from a land down under, but trains out of Northern England with the best heavyweights in the world, Tom Aspinall and Phil de Fries, as well as prospect Mick Parkin. The Australian is the owner of one of MMA’s best mullets, and he’ll be looking for his first win since September 2024. The 30-year-old is a fantastic kickboxer with big power and works the levels well. He’s particularly effective with his knees and kicks. Nell Ariano (3-0) is a veteran of the IMMAF scene with a long amateur career, including winning a European gold. The Frenchman has been perfect as a pro, scoring a hat-trick of wins, all under the CW banner. He has mostly used his striking to get his hands raised, sharing a commonality with his opponent with a nose for the kickboxing exchanges, particularly in the clinch. Sharp elbows and heavy hands, danger awaits.

Francesco Mazzeo (4-1) returns to CW after an unsuccessful attempt in the Contender Series, an opportunity that arrived too soon in his professional career. The Italian is a very talented individual and is a perfect 3-0 in the yellow gloves. The 27-year-old can wrestle, throwing damaging strikes from top positions to soften you up. The Milan man can throw a heavy shot on the feet, and his technique is improving all the time. Aldo Pereira (11-8-2), neither the son of former UFC champions José Aldo nor Alex Pereira, travels across the ocean to try and upset the apple cart. The Brazilian comes from the Tata Fight Team in Rio, and he’s an LFA veteran. The Brazilian swings between knockouts and decisions, always entertaining.

Daniel Bainbridge (4-0) is an up-and-coming prospect out of Team Fish Tank in the north of England. The Sunderland man has one Oktagon win under his belt, as well as representing his country at IMMAF level. The bantamweight can hit heavy on the feet, and he can hold his pace for the duration of the fight. Emanuele Zaccaria (6-3) is looking to bounce back from two defeats following a fantastic start to life in CW. The Aurora MMA man is stronger in the grappling arts, and he’s a very good BJJ player. The Italian has a great variation in his submission attacks, complementing chokes with leg and arm attacks.

Jordan Molinari (1-2) trains out of Next Gen Liverpool and is 50/50 so far in the yellow gloves. The 31-year-old is well rounded and has a lot of durability. The Englishman competed at IMMAF level at amateur level, and can crack hard on the feet, with a good submission threat to back it up. Yannis Osmani (0-1) has competed in CW Academy in the past and will step up to the big show for the first time on Friday. The Algerian spends a lot of time out in Thailand sharpening his Muay Thai skills, and he enjoys throwing leg kicks, swinging elbows and causing damage.

Josh Abraham (7-5) is a ten year veteran of the sport and will make his fifth walk for the promotion, seeking out his first win. The Sunderland man is an exciting fighter who goes all out for a finish. The 28-year-old has knockout power standing, and a great guillotine and armbar in the submission game. Harry Shaw (2-2) trains out of GB Top Team under Brad Pickett and is another with IMMAF experience. The Englishman has a beautiful boxing game, and utilises a fantastic body shot that paralyses opponents.

Charlie Boulton (2-1) makes his CW debut and trains out of Liverpool. The 25-year-old is competent in each facet of the sport, combining a genuine choke threat with a good kickboxing game. Kevin Azouz (1-2) is an Ares and Karate Combat veteran. The Frenchman is a striker with a karate background and carries a big knockout threat. He has suffered from poor submission defence in the past.

Cage Warriors 190 is live and exclusive this Friday on UFC Fight Pass. The action kicks off at 19:30.