Cage Warriors 191 Preview: Power vs Team KF’s Omar Tugarev

Night two of the Cage Warriors double header opens up the doors for the fans. The BEC Arena in Manchester will host Cage Warriors 191 and there are fourteen fights to look forward to, including one for a CW championship. The promotion employs the highest standards for safety protocols and the team have done an incredible job clearing over forty fighters ahead of these events.

The main event is a title fight for the interim CW Lightweight Championship as current incumbent Samuel Silva takes a shot at the Contender Series. James Power (8-1) has won five of six fights in the yellow gloves. The Englishman has a very dangerous kickboxing game, setting up head kicks very well and digging into the body often. The Atherton man is athletic and can fall back on a strong wrestling game. Omar Tugarev (7-0) makes his first appearance for CW. The Finn only debuted as a pro last year and he’s been extremely active, demolishing opponents along the way. Training out of Team KF in Dublin, he extensively competed at IMMAF level as an amateur. The 23-year-old started out in kickboxing and carries power in his shots, and he’s built good wrestling and some nice chokes to his repertoire since. He’s had a lot of experience as a martial artist for such a young man.

Tim Wilde (17-6-1) has been a mainstay of the UK scene for over a decade, competing for the likes of Bellator and BAMMA between stints with CW. The 37-year-old has an exciting striking style and is vicious in his execution. When he’s on, very few can stop him and he’s scored seven knockout wins. Michael Pagani (7-2) holds a victory over lightweight challenger James Power and he’s moving up a weight class for the first time since his pro debut. The Italian is also an aggressive striker, flinging himself into flying attacks and putting everything behind his shots. Five wins have come via knockout.

Adam Cullen (9-2) will likely be in title contention with a win here. The Next Gen Liverpool man straps on the yellow gloves for the twelfth time and that usually means somebody is getting strangled. The Englishman has a fantastic choke game, however has shown big improvements in his striking of late. He used his elbows to get the knockout victory last time out in March. Lukas Cruz (10-3) is an Ares and Oktagon veteran making his first appearance since 2023. The Brazilian is exciting on the feet and carries big power in his mitts. The 24-year-old also has decent Jiu Jitsu and trains under Gleison Tibau in Spitfire Berlin where he drills his wrestling obsessively.

Teddy Stringer (5-0) is one of the brightest prospects on the UK scene. The Wingerworth man is one of the few chosen to train with the MMA Academy in San Diego alongside the likes of Adam Darby. The Englishman has great wrestling and is a legitimate BJJ player with a talent for snatching necks. The 24-year-old’s striking is improving all the time and he starts very, very quickly with all wins coming in the first round. Torpal Merjoev (5-0) is a young talent coming out of Scandinavia. The Norwegian always has away days as MMA is still illegal in the country, and he comes in from Danish promotion MMA Galla, winning their title. The 20-year-old has had most of his success with his striking, finishing two by knockout. He’s got a lot of upside, however his opponent has an extensive amateur career to match his pro record, whereas the Norwegian didn’t have the opportunity.

Omiel Brown (10-3) has won his last four and he’s a very dangerous individual when the ref says “FIGHT. The Team Renegade man is a mean striker with massive power and if he connects clean, it’s over for you. Try to take the Englishman down? He’s got a wicked guillotine in his locker. Nine of his wins have been within the distance. Edgar Escarrega (12-3-1) travels over from North America and was pegged to face Paul Hughes in April 2024 before having to cancel. The Mexican was a champion in his homeland, and has won the last six in-a-row. The 30-year-old packs a punch on the feet, and he loves a heavy body shot. This is his first appearance since 2023.

Shay Ingram (2-0) is a prospect out of Team Renegade. The Englishman collected amateur belts for fun before turning pro, and has won both his pro bouts by decision. He’s got a lovely grappling game, heavy on top with a good back take, and adept at grabbing the neck. Farukh Aligadzhiev (4-1) trains out of the Manchester Top Team via Rostov-On-Don. The Stockport man is well rounded, carrying a threat on the feet combined with a good submission game.

Connor Wilson (6-3) is another regular from Next Gen Liverpool. The Englishman has won his last two and he’s a strong grappler who throws mean ground and pound. The 27-year-old is capable on the feet. Florian Doskja (6-4) is looking to bounce back from a March defeat. The Albanian trains out of neighbouring Italy and he’s a good BJJ player. The 33-year-old loves the guillotine, by far his biggest weapon.

Joe Fields (4-0) was another of those selected to train in the MMA Academy San Diego. The Englishman won multiple titles as an amateur, and his grappling is his strongest facet. The 24-year-old has a good choke game, and does pack a punch in the stand-up. Davide Scarano (6-3) has had a crazy difficult strength of opponent since joining CW, with his losses coming to the UFC’s Lon’er Kavanagh, as well as Jawany Scott and Connor Wilson. The 28-year-old prefers to use a grappling style where he can attack submissions and utilise ground and pound.

Yusuf Nazokatov (2-1) is a Bellator veteran training out of Next Gen Liverpool. The Iranian is a good wrestler with a submission threat. Ryan Campbell (2-1) trains out of the Scottish Hit Squad and his only blemish was a DQ loss in April. The 27-year-old is a heavy hitting striker as Plan A.

George Smith (7-5) is a tall middleweight out of SBG Manchester. The Englishman was a CW champ at amateur level and he has a fantastic choke game, finishing four opponents by tap. Ghassan Abdenabi (4-2) drops down a weight and is the same height as his opponent. The Dutchman is a solid kickboxer with good wrestling and submission threat.

Fran Breen (3-1) is a talent who trains in Next Gen Liverpool. The 24-year-old has a lovely striking game, bouncing in and out, inflicting damage. He’s already picked up two knockout wins. Mario Ferreira (1-0) is an IMMAF veteran making his first promotional walk. The Portuguese is more of a submission threat, winning his debut with a rear naked choke.

Chris Price (6-1) is another Next Gen Liverpool guy, and he’s won his last two. The Blackburn man has solid wrestling and is a good BJJ player. His chokes are his strongest element. Tony Silva (9-6) has been competing around Europe in recent years and is one of those fun Brazilians that goes for it. He’ll scrap on the feet looking for a knockout, or scramble on the deck attacking submissions. The 32-year-old takes risks.

Christian Soda (debut) will turn pro on Saturday, and he had most of his success with grappling as an amateur. He was an FCC champion and carries a submission threat. Damon Donald (3-0) trains up in Aberdeen and he’s been perfect in the yellow gloves so far with two wins. The Scot does most of his good work on the feet, with a mean streak and always seeking to damage opponents. Knockouts are his aim.

Brad Camps (2-0) makes his CW debut and trains in Manchester Top Team. As an amateur, he displayed good kickboxing and was good at getting a finish. As a pro, he’s shown some grappling acumen. Sheldon Ryan (3-3) seeks his first CW win and he trains out of Salford. The Englishman will likely try to employ a grappling heavy game where he can attempt a back take and a neck grab.

Cage Warriors 191 is live and exclusive this Saturday on UFC Fight Pass. The action kicks off at 18:00.