Riley Fights Junior in Cage Warriors 178 Main Event

While this Saturday is going to be one devoid of UFC action, the cupboard is by no means bare when it comes to MMA. You’ll have fights all day and night on the last full day of the summer season. It’ll start in the afternoon, when UK-based Cage Warriors returns to action for the second day in a row.

24 hours removed from Cage Warriors 177, another edition of the promotion’s “Unplugged” format, the promotion stays put inside BEC Arena in Manchester, this time playing to a full crowd, for Cage Warriors 178. Live coverage of this event begins at 1:30 pm ET/ 10:30 am PT on UFC Fight Pass and its associated YouTube channel with the prelims before moving over to Fight Pass exclusively for the main card at 3:30 pm ET/ 12:30 pm PT for the main card.

All told, barring any late adjustments to the bout order, the final lineup on Cage Warriors 178 features 13 fights.

Riley Fights Junior in New Cage Warriors 178 Main Event

Originally, the Cage Warriors 178 main event was supposed to have been a battle for the promotion’s light heavyweight championship between titleholder Andy Clamp (13-2, 1 NC MMA, 2-1 CWFC) and challenger James Webb (10-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 CWFC). However, last week, Cage Warriors confirmed that the Clamp/ Webb contest would be moved off of its scheduled date due to the champion taking ill.

World Title Fight #️⃣2️⃣ for London 🤩

Andy Clamp and James Webb collide for the light heavyweight strap at #CW180 on Nov 15th!

Tickets On Sale Now 👉 https://t.co/x9P0SwmApM pic.twitter.com/FzcOsXTcTw

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) September 12, 2024

That title fight will now take place during the Nov. 15 Cage Warriors 180 from Indigo at the O2 Arena in London. In lieu of the postponed fight, Cage Warriors offers a new main event for this Saturday at featherweight.

Undefeated Luke Riley (9-0 MMA, 9-0 CWFC) takes on Alexandre Junior (6-2 MMA, CWFC promotional debut), an alumnus of the LFA.  With no title at stake, the restructured Cage Warriors 178 main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

Cage Warriors 178 Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the new Cage Warriors 178 main event on Saturday, Luke Riley stands as the taller man at 5-foot-9, compared to the 5-foot-6 frame of Alexandre Junior. No reach advantage was accessible at press time,

Currently, the oddsmakers have no money lines accessible for Cage Warriors 178 on Saturday night. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Can Riley Win 10th Pro Fight in Cage Warriors 178 Main Event?

Luke Riley has yet to lose thus far in his MMA career. Last time out, he scored a unanimous decision victory over John DeJesus (17-12 MMA, 3-2 CWFC) in March during Cage Warriors 168. Counting amateur fights, he’s won 13 fights in a row.

Riley’s winning streak caught the attention of UFC CEO Dana White, who wanted to book him for next Tuesday’s installment of Contender Series. This booking against Kevin Vallejos was unable to come to fruition due to Riley being unable to secure a visa to the United States.

Saturday’s bout is Riley’s first main event, something that he expected to happen eventually.

“Being in [my] first main event means a lot to me, but as people know, I’m always the people’s main event,” Riley said. “It’s not much of a surprise, just tune in, buy a ticket and come watch me.”

With a 10th consecutive win, he may get the UFC call-up without having to appear on Contender Series in the near future. Only time will tell if this is to be the case, however.

Junior Looks to Return to Win Column Saturday Night

In the other corner, Alexandre Junior enters the Cage Warriors 178 main event having gone 3-2 in his last five fights. Most recently, he sustained a third-round knockout (punches) against Mateusz Soares (7-2 MMA) during LFA 179.

Prior to that, he’d been on a three-fight winning streak. Should he get back in the win column against a tough opponent in the form of Luke Riley, it could be the spark he needs to get himself on-track for a UFC call-up of his own.

Will he knock Riley from the ranks of the undefeated? Tune in Saturday and find out.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Both of these guys can bring the pain, so get your popcorn ready for the Cage Warriors 178 main event.

Luke Riley is a Great Striker

Luke Riley has only been a professional in the sport for three years. From the very beginning, he made it clear that he has the power to end the fight on his terms.

During the opening round of his pro debut in October of 2021, after separating from a clinch vs. Kamil Wincenciak, Riley dropped him with a left-handed punch. While Wincenciak got back up, Riley went in for the kill with a right-handed body shot.

Referee Rich Mitchell stopped the fight right then and there. If Riley can land the big punch early on in the Cage Warriors 178 main event, he’ll go 10-0 in Graham Boylan’s promotion without much hassle.

Watch for Alexandre Junior’s Ground Game

In the other corner, Alexandre Junior is a beast on the ground. Just look at the tape of his January fight vs. Joao Silva.

That night, he caught a kick from Silva and turned it into a takedown. From there, he landed some brilliant ground and pound shots en route to a victory. If Alexandre Junior drops Luke Riley, he can flip the script in the Cage Warriors 178 main event.

Final Thoughts

Even though there won’t be a title at stake on Saturday, the Cage Warriors 178 main event, this is going to be a fun scrap. Don’t forget to watch this one.

Prediction: Luke Riley by First-Round Knockout.