5 active UFC fighters who competed in Cage Warriors

Over 100 fighters have joined the UFC after first competing in the Cage Warriors promotion. The promotion is based in the United Kingdom and regularly features top European fighters. In fact, nine fighters competing this weekend at UFC London have previously fought under the Cage Warriors banner.

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Cage Warriors has become a respected proving ground for fighters looking to compete at the highest level in MMA. There are multiple UFC champions who have competed for the promotion in the past including former middleweight title-holder Michael Bisping.

While Bisping might now be retired, there is no shortage of Cage Warriors alumni trying to achieve similar glory on the roster today. From up-and-comers to established stars, there are a host of fighters who earned their stripes with the promotion before moving on to the big leagues.

Here are five active UFC fighters who competed in Cage Warriors.

#5. Paddy Pimblett - UFC lightweight contender

Paddy Pimblett may only be one fight into his UFC career, but he already has plenty of people talking about him. He produced a highlight-reel first-round KO in his promotional debut, which along with his popularity outside the cage could mean he is a star in the making.

While Pimblett has not been in the octagon for long, he spent years perfecting his craft in Cage Warriors. 'The Baddy' fought 14 times for the promotion, earning a 11-3 record with the organization. During his time there, he won the Cage Warriors featherweight title and also fought for the lightweight belt.

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Having enjoyed huge success thus far in his career, it will be interesting to see just how far Pimblett can go. His next fight takes place this Saturday when he takes on Rodrigo Vargas in London. A second straight octagon win in front of his home fans would really get people talking.

#4. Jack Shore - UFC bantamweight contender

Jack Shore has a little more UFC experience than Paddy Pimblett and appears to be right on the cusp of entering the bantamweight rankings. The Welsh fighter has been perfect thus far inside the octagon, going 4-0 and earning two submission victories along the way.

All but one of Shore's fights before joining the UFC were at Cage Warriors. He went a perfect 10-0 during this time and competed in both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions. His crowning moment with the promotion came in 2018 when he won the Cage Warriors bantamweight title in his home country of Wales.

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Shore's undefeated record and impressive form inside the octagon means he is likely just one win away from entering the rankings. He will have a chance to get that win when he faces Timur Valiev this Saturday. Should he win that bout, he will set himself up for a few big-time fights in the future.

#3. Jack Hermansson - UFC middleweight contender

The first ranked contender on this list, Jack Hermansson is an established top 15 fighter in the middleweight division. He is currently ranked No.7 and has earned a 9-5 record in his 14 fights inside the octagon thus far. He's also competed in four main events and has defeated big names like Kelvin Gastelum and Jacare Souza.

Earlier in his career, Hermansson competed in a range of different promotions, including seven fights under the Cage Warriors banner. 'The Joker' was quite dominant in these fights; winning all seven, finishing six inside the distance and successfully winning and defending the middleweight belt.

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Hermansson form has been a bit mixed off late, going 3-3 in his last six fights. Most recently, he lost to Sean Strickland in a bout where he might have entered the title conversation with a win. With that being said, don't be surprised if 'The Joker' bounces back as he is yet to suffer consecutive losses in the octagon.

#2. Joanna Jedrzejczyk - UFC strawweight contender

Joanna Jedrzejczyk holds a record of 16-4

Joanna Jedrzejcyzk may be the greatest UFC women's strawweight in history. She first won the belt back in 2015 and successfully defended the title a record five times. She remains one of the most feared competitors in the division and is expected to end her recent period of inactivity with a return to action this year.

While her octagon resumé may be tough to match, her time fighting for Cage Warriors was a little less spectacular. Jedrzejczyk had only one fight for the promotion back in 2014 against Rosi Sexton. She won that via knockout in the second round and made her octagon debut in her next fight.

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Having not competed since a narrow split decision loss to Zhang Weili in March 2020, Jedrzejczyk is expected to return to action in the coming months. She will immediately be among the top contenders in the division and would likely only need one win to earn another title shot.

#1. Conor McGregor - UFC lightweight contender

For anyone who knows anything about MMA, they are well aware of who Conor McGregor is. 'The Notorious' is a former featherweight and lightweight champion and has earned wins at welterweight as well. He is currently on the sidelines after injuring his leg against Dustin Poireir in July 2021, but is expected to return to action later this year.

Prior to becoming a household name, McGregor fought five times for Cage Warriors. Interestingly, he actually lost his first bout with the promotion to Joesph Duffy. With that being said, he won his next four inside the distance and captured both the featherweight and lightweight belts to earn a UFC contract.

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'The Notorious' now finds himself in an interesting position as he has a lot of different options for his upcoming return fight. There are a number of big fights out there for him like a trilogy fight with Nate Diaz and there has even been mention of him getting a lightweight title shot. For now, we will just have to wait and see.

Edited by Allan Mathew