Tonight, two MMA events take place in the UK under the Cage Warriors brand: Cage Warriors 102 in London, two shows on from Cage Warriors’ centenary event in December, and also Cage Warriors Academy Wales, as part of the more recent Cage Warriors Academy regional series.
As a founding member of Safe MMA, Cage Warriors partnered with the organisation for the medical preclearance of an event for the first time with Cage Warriors 52 on 9 March 2013, requiring medical examinations and blood tests of its competitors among other safety protocol (now known as “Mark 1”). The partnership has continued to this day, with Cage Warriors introducing enhanced medical requirements, including brain scans, for its professionals in 2016 (to the newer “Mark 3” standard).
More recently, the Cage Warriors brand has partnered with regional promoters across the United Kingdom and Ireland to create Cage Warriors Academy shows in addition to its core events. The academies platform features a pro – am line up with a focus on local talent development, creating a structured competition pathway for athletes aspiring to the big show. The local academies shows to-date have required “Mark 1” compliance of competitors, echoing the stairway in medical requirements, for example, between amateurs and professionals in the United States, where brain scans are only required as athletes progress in their career and thought to become increasingly exposed to risk.
Under local promoter, Richard Shore, Cage Warriors Academy Wales has for tonight’s event introduced a “Mark 3” requirement (including brain scans) for its professional competitors for the first time, demonstrating a commitment to ongoing review and advancement of athlete safety.
The progress has also been enabled by a growing medical infrastructure for Safe MMA competitors in the UK. Due to negative perceptions of the sport, establishing a network of MMA friendly and reasonably affordable medical professionals and services has been challenging and taken significant work, with some regions still far better covered than others.
Cage Warriors matchmaker, Ian Dean, commented:
“Once again, I would like to thank both Safe MMA and our athletes for their efforts to ensure Cage Warriors 102 has been cleared to the usual Mark 3 standard. I also would also like to extend this to Cage Warriors Academy Wales, who have made sure their professional fighters have been cleared to the same level.”
For more information about Cage Warriors or tickets to either of tonight’s shows, please visit: https://cagewarriors.com
