Cage Warriors 133 Co-Main Event: Jeremiah Labiano vs. Wilson Reis

San Diego Plays Host to Featherweight Showcase in Cage Warriors 133 Co-Main Event on Friday Night

As was the case with Cage Warriors 126 on the night of Aug. 1, 2021 and Cage Warriors 130 on Oct. 17, 2021, Cage Warriors 133 this Friday night on UFC Fight Pass will see the promotion set up shop in southern California, specifically, San Diego’s Del Mar Arena on the Del Mar Fairgrounds for a full 12-fight card, including a featherweight showcase in the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event.

Jeremiah Labiano (13-8 MMA, CWFC debut) will meet UFC veteran Wilson Reis (24-12 MMA, 1-0 CWFC) for an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.

Cage Warriors 133 Co-Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event this Friday night, Jeremiah Labiano is the taller man, standing 5-foot-10, while Wilson Reis counters with a 5-foot-4 frame.

Additionally, Labiano owns a five-inch reach advantage (70 inches to 65 inches) over Reis entering the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event on Friday.

CFFC, Bellator MMA Vet Jeremiah Labiano Looks to Make Good on Cage Warriors Promotional Debut in Cage Warriors 133 Co-Main Event

Jeremiah Labiano, a veteran of Atlantic City-based Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Bellator MMA, enters the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event, his promotional debut, having posted a record of 2-3 in his last five fights, having scored a unanimous decision victory last time out against Tim Dooling last October during CFFC 101.

A few years ago, Labiano was interviewed by Romeo Marquez, Jr., the host of the Hustle with Purpose series.

During his episode, he outlined the sacrifices that he’s had to make in order to pursue his livelihood as an MMA fighter.

“Man, just a lot of sacrifices,” Labiano began. “Just a lot of time hanging out with your friends– I’ve missed a lot of family stuff, like family birthdays. I missed seeing my godson, my brother’s kid, I missed seeing him born. I wasn’t able to see him, so you just miss a lot of things, man. It’s crazy.”

“I get really emotional when I talk about that, too,” he continued. “A lot of people think that we do this stuff for fun, but it’s a lot of things that you have to sacrifice when you’re in the fight game.”

Therefore, it stands to reason that Jeremiah Labiano will enter the cage on Friday night in the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event looking to defend his family honor as his MMA career heads toward its sunset.

UFC Vet Reis Looking for Cage Warriors 133 Co-Main Event Victory in Career Twilight

In the other corner, Wilson Reis enters the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event, his 37th career bout. having posted a record of 2-3 in his last five bout, but he’s on a two-fight losing streak, having lost in December against fellow UFC alum Taylor Lapilus in ARES FC 2.

Much like Michael Jordan in 1997-1998 with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, Friday night’s co-main event could very well be part of the last dance for him in the sport, with his Cage Warriors return coming three years removed from Reis being cut by the UFC.

“I just had a great run in the UFC,” Reis said after being cut by the promotion to USA Today’s MMA Junkie. “I’m definitely upset with my losses but happy with my wins and to fight Demetrious Johnson. “I dreamed to fight in the UFC, and I was in the UFC for six years, so for me, it was definitely– I’m not sad. I’m happy with my performance.”

Can Wilson Reis get his 25th career MMA victory in the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event as his career as a fighter nears its conclusion?

Tune in on Friday and find out.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event on Friday night looks to be a toss-up, as both Jeremiah Labiano and Wilson Reis hold black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, thus we could be looking at a grappler’s delight this weekend.

Look For Jeremiah Labiano To Mix Up His Strikes in Cage Warriors 133 Co-Main Event

One aspect of Jeremiah Labiano’s fight game that jumps out when examining his film is his ability to mix up his strikes and keep his adversary on the alert and guessing.

In the first round of his last fight versus Tim Dooling, Labiano wasted little time scoring with a variety of punches and kicks while staying quick on his feet to catch Dooling off-guard.

It seemed as though every time that Jeremiah Labiano would score with a jab, he’d immediately pepper Tim Dooling with a low kick, giving him little time to recover from the onslaught of strikes– countering Dooling’s lead leg kicks with low kicks of his own, throwing in a body kick or a right-handed punch for good measure.

Tim Dooling largely had no answer for Jeremiah Labiano on the feet in the early going, with the lone saving grace being his takedown defense and his grappling.

As long as Jeremiah Labiano is able to land a variety of strikes from the command to fight in round one, he can effectively pacify any offensive effort that Wilson Reis might throw at him during the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event.

Wilson Reis Can’t Fall Into Jeremiah Labiano’s Trap in Cage Warriors 133 Co-Main Event

In the other corner, Wilson Reis has to avoid getting trapped inside Jeremiah Labiano’s varied offensive attack during the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event– because if he does and allows him to make the first move of the fight, it could very well be the last move of the fight.

Reis’ fight versus Donny Matos in Mexico last spring ended almost as quickly as it began, as Matos connected with a vicious right-handed punch on the money to send him down and out in a mere 15 seconds.

Although Matos landed some ground and pound shots after the seminal blow landed, it was merely academic by that point and the damage was already done.

If Wilson Reis is able to steal the momentum from Jeremiah Labiano in the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event, he can score the upset, but he can’t let his guard down.

Final Thoughts

With the calendar now in March, sports fans’ collective thoughts turn to one of the biggest tentpole events on the schedule, March Madness in college basketball, but the Cage Warriors 133 co-main event just might be MMA’s version of March Madness this Friday night.

Don’t miss it.

Prediction: Jeremiah Labiano by Unanimous Decision.

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Featured image credit to Cage Warriors