Cage Warriors 136 in Manchester looks sure to be a great card as the promotion hosts the second of their back to back events. It takes place Saturday the 2nd of April. It is headlined by undefeated middleweights Djati Melan and Christian Leroy Duncan as they do battle for the 185lb belt. We look at ones to watch out for on the stacked card.
Adam Cullen – Next Generation MMA Liverpool
Adam Cullen is currently 3-0 in his young pro MMA career and got there in impressive fashion. There were three first-round finishes by submission, all rear naked chokes, and all under the Cage Warriors banner.
His last victory came over 5-1 Frenchman Mikail Bayram, a marked step up in competition and one he dealt with just as easily. He now faces a fellow undefeated fighter in Senegal’s Ndiaye El Hadji in what should be a tough test, but if Cullen settles this bout with as much ease as his last, he may be close to contender status. This makes him one of our ones to watch, not only now but going forward.
Luke Riley – Next Generation MMA Liverpool
Luke Riley is 2-0 as a pro and 6-0 overall, and that’s in large part due to his lightning-quick punches. The bantamweight prospect has shown a diverse boxing range far from being just a headhunter. Riley utilizes body shots better than most and has a rapid onset killer instinct that he has used to finish his two pro fights to date.
The prospect will look to continue his early stoppage streak and make it seven wins in a row. Our next one to watch is his opponent, and if he wants the victory, it will be earned the hard way.
Jack Eglin – Dragons Lair Melksham
Following a 13 fight amateur career in which he mixed it up with the likes of Muhammad Mokaev and Nathan Fletcher, Jack Eglin turned pro in 2020. Since then, he has gone 2-0, both stoppages, at Cage Warriors Academy events. A powerful puncher who is a strong and astute BJJ player, Eglin looks to be a real handful, even this early in his career.
Although he has some losses on the amateur circuit, he did come through an all-star class who were competing in the rookie ranks at the same time as him. He is now a far more assured looking performer than most around his level, and his fight with Luke Riley really should be a high-level display of young talent.
Josh Reed – Shore Mixed Martial Arts
Welshman Josh Reed is always fun to watch. With a wide array of finishes in his archives, Reed has natural closing ability on the ground, as evidenced in his last outing against Kurban Khizriev, when he choked out the undefeated Russian.
He meets highly touted dutch grappler Daan Duijs in what should be an interesting comparison in BJJ styles. If the Shore MMA fighter keeps the fight standing, he has a fearlessness in striking exchanges and solid cardio that is hard to stop. Reed’s fight against Bryan Creighton at Cage Warriors 121 is a great example. If the Welsh native is to win, it will most likely be due to his bravery, and everyone loves to see that.
Christian Leroy Duncan – Range Martial Arts Academy
Christian Leroy Duncan will fight in one of the top MMA promotions within two years. This isn’t an uncommon opinion among Cage Warriors fans. In fact, since his TKO victory over Will Currie, everyone has been awaiting it. His ground game is strong and technical. Justin Moore found out after Duncan reversed his takedown attempts against the cage. He then secured one of his own and broke through any defences to secure two hooks and a rear-naked choke victory.
With that being said, that is his weakest area, so just how good is his striking?
The 6’2 middleweight has a vicious Muay Thai game, with the extra focus being put on his slicing elbows that he is abnormally dexterous with. Duncan has also put forward a knockout of the year contender at Cage Warriors 119 as he sniped Lucas Marcinkowski with a stunning spinning heel kick, followed by punches to the already out of it fighter.
He takes on fellow unblemished record holder Djati Mélan in the main event to determine the champion and the best middleweight in the UK.
Start Times and Fight Card
To watch all of our ones this weekend, head over to UFC fight pass, where both Cage Warriors 135 and 136 will be streamed in full.
Main card (9pm BST)
Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Djati Melan (c) (middleweight title)
Gerardo Fanny vs. Aaron Aby (flyweight)
El Hadji Ndiaye vs. Adam Cullen (lightweight)
Reece McEwan vs. Sam Spencer (bantamweight)
Jack Eglin vs. Luke Riley (bantamweight)
Prelims (6pm BST)
Alexis Fontes vs. Mick Stanton (middleweight)
Jeanderson Castro vs. Aleksi Mäntykivi (165lbs catchweight)
Ben Rees vs. Liam Molloy (featherweight)
Manny Akpan vs. Connor Hitchens (featherweight)
Raymison Bruno vs. Dylan Hazan (flyweight)
Daan Duijs vs. Josh Reed (bantamweight)
Jan Quaeyhaegens vs. Kieran Lister (lightweight)
Piotr Chmielecki vs. Michael Tchamou (middleweight)
Who are you most excited to see fight at Cage Warriors 136?
Follow me on Twitter at @WhatsTheOddsMMA and follow us at Combat Sports UK for more exclusive content!
Featured image credits to Cage Warriors
