Modestas Bukauskas will make his comeback from a devastating knee injury at Cage Warriors 145 this week.
Speaking exclusively to James Lynch, Modestas talked about his return to Cage Warriors after suffering a horrific knee injury in a loss to Khalil Rountree Jr at UFC: Brunson vs. Till. The injury was so severe that it required two surgeries, and understandably, the injury took Bukauskas to a dark place:
“The recovery was quite a dark time… (I was) constantly thinking what’s going to happen next? What’s the next move?”
Release from the UFC
To make matters even worse, a month after suffering his knee injury, Bukauskas was released from the UFC.
Despite going 1-3, Bukauskas was initially surprised at his release. Especially given that many thought he won his fight with Michael Oleksiejczuk. Modestas isn’t bitter, though and understands why they ultimately did release him after failing to perform consistently. However, the door is open for a return. The journey back can start with a dominant performance over Lee Chadwick on November 4th.
Without overlooking his current opponent, Bukauskas believes that a couple of strong wins would put him right back into the UFC picture, especially with them expected to return to the UK in March 2023.
Return of the Champion
Modestas Bukauskas had several offers from different promotions, but for various reasons, these fights fell through. Then in September, he was offered a contract to re-sign with Cage Warriors, where he left as the last man to hold the now-vacant light heavyweight title.
The organisation has seen a boom in popularity in recent years, with alumni such as Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann helping raise its profile. That, combined with several other factors, made the decision to return a simple one:
“I’ll get to fight in my home country…It seemed like the next logical route, they treated me really well when I was there last time, it was a great move for me”.
The Cage Warriors light heavyweight belt is currently vacant. It would likely only take a couple of statement wins for Bukauskas to earn another title shot. That could start with his return against 45-fight veteran Lee Chadwick. Modestas calls him “a very good fighter, very powerful, and very strong”. However, he believes he has the advantage in the speed and striking department and is looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans.
He is taking this matchup very seriously and, in preparation for this fight, has rejoined the BST Academy. He is training with the likes of PFL’s Simeon Powell and Bellator’s Luke Trainer, as well as one-half of the main event – Jordan Vucenic. The move appears to have been a very good decision, and Modestus is confident of getting an explosive win via stoppage at Cage Warriors 145.
You can check out his full interview with James Lynch here:
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
