You don’t get the fight nickname, “The Welsh Nightmare” if you aren’t just that. On October 8th, Ellis Clement is ready to show just how well-rounded he is when he competes for the Cage Warriors Academy Wales bantamweight title in front of a packed Ebbw Vale Sports Centre.
His First Main-Event
The 19-year-old will headline the eighth instalment of CWAW after showing he is one of the amateur bantamweights in Wales. Speaking on occasion, he said: “I am very excited for my first title fight. I cannot wait to go and fight on the same card as my friends and teammates and put on a show.”
After making his debut in November 2021, he has kept busy and is now ready to win the title in his fifth amateur bout. He currently holds a record of 3-1, with his most recent victory coming at CWAW7, where he finished Kavmran Jabarkhail in the third round.
“It honestly doesn’t even feel like a year. It feels a lot shorter than that, but things happen for a reason and I just can’t wait to fight.”
With an excellent background in jiu-jitsu, he has an aggressive fight style with an excellent ground game. Ellis Clement is a young fighter who is clearly enjoying his short but impressive rise in the sport.
“My main focus is to have fun. I mean, when I fight and train, my main focus is to enjoy the entire day, to take in the atmosphere and have fun, of course. I want to win, but the main focus is to have fun and put on a performance, so I enjoy having exciting fights.”
IMMAF European Championships 2022
If you thought fighting for a title was exciting enough, it isn’t all he has to look forward to. The youngster will represent Team Wales at this year’s IMMAF European Championships in Italy.
Ahead of the trip to Italy, he has stated, “I’m feeling hood for the IMMAF’s. I genuinely think I can win it, and I also think it would be good to fight back-to-back, so it doesn’t feel like I’ve even left the cage.
“To represent my country is really cool. It’s class to walk into the octagon with the Welsh flag on my back, and when I win a medal, that will be an amazing achievement, and I can’t wait.”
His Opponent
Clement will be taking on experienced Scottish amateur Logan McGonigal. Boasting an impressive record of 7-1, McGonigal is no stranger to a main event.
The Scottish bantamweight tasted defeat for the first time at the Four Nations Championships in July. There’s no doubting that he possesses more experience than Clement inside the cage, but that won’t put off the Welshman.
“I think he is a good fighter, I respect him and I can’t wait to put on a show with him.”
Fight Preparation
“The Welsh Nightmare” works out of both Draig and Chris Rees Academy and insists they will have him ready for this new challenge.
My team, Draig, is honestly such a hard-working and ruthless team. Everyone in it are killers, and we prepare for these types of fights by just training hard, resting well and pushing each other upwards to become better fighters.”
We’ve mentioned his terrific background in jiu-jitsu, but that doesn’t mean it’s his biggest strength. He believes, “my biggest strength is the ability to adapt and listen very well, but also, become unpredictable. You just don’t know what I’m going to do next.”
Why Should People Be Excited for CWAW 8?
“Why shouldn’t they be excited? It’s got a lot of really good fighters on there, and I reckon a lot of them will be cracking fights. And when I fight, trust me, you won’t want to miss it because I’m bringing the heat.
“I’m going to turn up and put on a performance for not only the people who are watching it live but for the Welsh people. The Welsh are always ready to throw down and always ready for war because we have the dragon’s blood in our veins!”
Ellis Clement will take on Logan McGonigal on October 8th for the vacant CWAW bantamweight title. For all the news and updates ahead of the event, stay tuned right here.
Featured image credits to Adrenlin Fight Night’s
