20 years ago, UK-based MMA promotion Cage Warriors began its life with CWFC 1: Armageddon in London, so it’s only fitting that London plays host to its landmark 20th anniversary show, Cage Warriors 141, highlighted by a championship doubleheader including the Cage Warriors 141 main event.
Cage Warriors 141 serves as the first night of a packed weekend of MMA action in London, with Friday’s card taking place on the eve of the UFC making its second visit to the city in roughly four months’ time.
Inside the United States, UFC Fight Pass will stream Cage Warriors 141 on Friday, beginning with undercard action at 12:30 pm ET/ 9:30 am PT, followed at 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT with the main card.
Vacant Cage Warriors Lightweight Championship At Stake in Cage Warriors 141 Main Event
All told, Cage Warriors 141 will feature 15 fights, absent of any cancellations between now and Friday, including a battle for the vacant Cage Warriors Lightweight Championship in your main attraction.
Kyle Driscoll (13-3 MMA, 1-0 CWFC) will meet George Hardwick (9-1 MMA, 3-1 CWFC) in the Cage Warriors 141 main event, a five-round fight at five minutes per round to close the show.
The winner on Friday will become the 15th different man all-time to hold the 155-lb. strap, succeeding now-former champion Joe McColgan, who stepped aside as titleholder last fall amid family issues preventing him from holding a full training camp.
Cage Warriors 141 Main Event Fighter Comparison
Heading into the Cage Warriors 141 main event on Friday night, Kyle Driscoll stands as the taller man at 5-foot-11, compared to the 5-foot-9 frame of George Hardwick.
Additionally, Kyle Driscoll owns a 72-inch reach, with no such information available for George Hardwick.
Oklahoma’s Kyle Driscoll Looks to Bring Cage Warriors Lightweight Championship to America
Kyle Driscoll has gone 5-0 in his last five MMA fights and is currently on an eight-fight winning streak dating back to November of 2017, most recently scoring a unanimous decision win versus Joshua Jones in March during Cage Warriors 133’s main event at Del Mar Arena in San Diego, but he’s got his sights set on a much grander prize after the Cage Warriors 141 main event, another shot at a UFC deal.
Two years ago, Driscoll appeared on an episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, and although he bested the now-retired Dinis Paiva by unanimous decision after three rounds, he wouldn’t receive a UFC deal at the end of the program.
Recently, Driscoll talked with MyMMANews’ John Eric Poli, where he mentioned that a UFC deal is the main goal.
“I’ve been here before,” Driscoll said. “I was on Contender Series in 2020. When you’re there and the dream’s in the palm of your hand, I still got the win, but I didn’t get what I went there for, a UFC contract. You face that adversity and you overcome that and you get back to it. I think that’s an extremely powerful tool in my toolbox right here because I’m going to make the most of this. I’m going to go put on a stellar performance and do what I have to do to get signed.”
A victory in the Cage Warriors 141 main event on Friday night would be a stepping stone for Kyle Driscoll in his quest toward a UFC deal.
Can he become only the second American to win the Cage Warriors Lightweight Championship, succeeding Matt Veach, who claimed the title in 2010, as well as the eighth American to win a championship in Cage Warriors in its 20 years?
George Hardwick Finally Gets Title Shot Friday
In the other corner, George Hardwick has gone 5-0 in his last five fights, scoring a second-round knockout against Lukasz Kopera back on March 18 of this year during Cage Warriors 134 in a nontitle affair.
Friday night’s main event will see Hardwick go for the championship at last, as two previous bookings for a title fight went by the wayside before a punch was even thrown.
Back on Dec. 10, Hardwick was slated to have fought Medhi Ben Lakhdhar during Cage Warriors 131‘s co-main event, but the contest would be postponed upon Lakhdhar returning a positive test for the coronavirus.
Four months ago, Hardwick was booked to fight Danilo Belluardo for the championship in the Cage Warriors 134 co-main event, but Belluardo withdrew from the card for unknown reasons.
Over seven months after he was first supposed to fight for the title, George Hardwick’s time to challenge for the championship is near, but can he keep the title in London?
Tune into the Cage Warriors 141 main event on Friday and find out.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Stylistically, the Cage Warriors 141 main event on Friday seems to favor George Hardwick, a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, compared to Kyle Driscoll’s wrestling background.
Therefore, it stands to reason that Friday’s main event could very well get to the mat almost as soon as it begins.
Look For Kyle Driscoll To Land Serious Punches
Kyle Driscoll’s boxing could give George Hardwick fits on Friday, as it did to Rodney Allison three years ago during Xtreme Fight Night 357.
Driscoll and Allison began the fight by feeling each other out, but Driscoll eventually opened things up with some kicks, with Allison trying to counterstrike with a high kick of his own, albeit in vain.
From there, Kyle Driscoll managed to get Rodney Allison against the cage fence to land a few switch kicks before scoring with some low kicks.
Later on in the round, Driscoll scored a takedown, bringing the fight home with a barrage of unanswered ground and pound shots from the back mount.
If Kyle Driscoll is able to land as little as one takedown in the Cage Warriors 141 main event, it could be a done deal in a hurry.
George Hardwick: Submission Specialist
In the other corner, George Hardwick has been known to hunt for the submission, which he did back in October versus Jakub Dohnal.
During the second round of a scheduled three, Hardwick and Dohnal went to the clinch, with the former getting the better of the exchanges, landing a couple of shots to Dohnal’s body, the second of which knocked Dohnal down, giving Hardwick the opening to establish ground control.
While Dohnal attempted to defend himself, Hardwick landed some punches to soften his opponent up for a submission, to no avail.
Even though the fight returned to the feet, Hardwick continued his offensive onslaught by landing punches and knees to the body, finally sinking in a tight guillotine choke to score the victory,
With enough punches to establish ground control, George Hardwick will find himself in the driver’s seat during the Cage Warriors 141 main event.
Final Thoughts
This looks to be a highly-entertaining fight in the Cage Warriors 141 main event on Friday, with the winner potentially on the fast track to a UFC deal at some point in the future.
Don’t miss this championship fight.
Prediction: George Hardwick by Unanimous Decision.
Featured image credit to Cage Warriors
