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Hardwick Fights Iorga in Cage Warriors 176 Co-Main Event

Hardwick Fights Iorga in Cage Warriors 176 Co-Main Event
UFC

Hardwick Fights Iorga in Cage Warriors 176 Co-Main Event

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Your MMA weekend crescendos on Saturday with action all day and all night. For our audience living on the west coast of the United States, one piece of advice: Get up early because you don’t want to miss the action. While Oktagon holds its first show of the month, Oktagon 60, and before the UFC and Bellator hold shows in the evening, Cage Warriors heads to Scotland.

For the first time in September, Cage Warriors is in action with Cage Warriors 176 from Glasgow’s Braehead Arena this Saturday afternoon (US time.) Live coverage begins with undercard fights at 12:15 pm ET/ 9:15 am PT on UFC Fight Pass and its associated YouTube channel before heading to UFC Fight Pass exclusively for the main card at 3:30 pm ET/ 12:30 pm PT.

All told, Cage Warriors 176 will feature 15 fights on the day, including its PrizeFighter Tournament in the welterweight division, capped by the final in the main event of the evening.

Lightweight Title at Stake in Cage Warriors 176 Co-Main Event

Before the $50,000 (USD) prize is handed out to the tournament winner, the co-main event of the evening sees the Cage Warriors Lightweight Championship at stake. Incumbent Cage Warriors Lightweight Champion George Hardwick (12-2 MMA, 7-2 CWFC) battles challenger Cristian Iorga (7-1 MMA, CWFC promotional debut), an alumnus of Heroes Fight League.

As with all Cage Warriors title fights, this one is a maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round.

Cage Warriors 176 Co-Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds

Heading into the co-main event of the evening on Saturday, champion George Hardwick stands as the taller man at 5-foot-10, compared to the 5-foot-7 frame of Cristian Iorga. Hardwick owns a 72-inch reach, with no such information accessible for Iorga at press time.

Currently, the oddsmakers have George Hardwick installed as a -549 favorite on the money line, while Cristian Iorga counters as a +350 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in MMA and/or combat sports, please wager responsibly.

George Hardwick Returns After Contender Series Setback and Injury

Champion George Hardwick enters the Cage Warriors 176 co-main event having posted a 4-1 record in his last five fights. A year ago, he dropped a unanimous decision at the hands of Abdul Kareem Al-Sewady (15-4 MMA) on the Aug. 15, 2023 episode of Contender Series on ESPN+.

Al-Sewady won a UFC deal from promotional CEO Dana White at the end of the program, dropping his promotional debut this past March versus Loik Radzhabov (18-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex.

Hardwick was himself due to return to live action at the end of March for a contest against Lucas Clay (10-3 MMA) in a defense of the title during Cage Warriors 169 over the Easter holiday weekend. A few weeks prior to the fight, however, the champ was forced to withdraw from the show upon suffering a broken jaw.

With his jaw healed, can he make his next defense of the 155-lb. title a successful one? Tune into the Cage Warriors 176 co-main event and find out.

Debutante Iorga Looks for Third Straight Title Fight Win

In the other corner, challenger and promotional debutante Cristian Iorga has gone 4-1 in his last five contests. At present, he’s on a three-fight winning streak.

Last time out, he scored a first-round knockout (punches) of Lucian Dragomir (2-3 MMA) on March 11 during Heroes 9: Challenge of the Century from Bucharest, Romania to defend the Heroes Fight League Lightweight Championship in the main event on that Monday evening.

It isn’t often that a fighter gets an opportunity to make a first impression in a promotion. It’s even rarer when that contender gets an opportunity at that promotion’s championship in his debut under the promotional signature. A win here in the Cage Warriors 176 co-main event would mark two title fight victories in slightly under six months’ time. Will he go 2-for-2 in championship fights this year?

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

With both of these fighters coming in on good form of late, the Cage Warriors 176 co-main event looks to be an entertaining scrap this weekend.

George Hardwick Has Vicious Punches

George Hardwick has won his last four fights under the Cage Warriors banner by way of knockout, including his most recent win vs. Yann Liasse in Cage Warriors 152.  While Hardwick and Liasse traded shots in the early going of round one, Hardwick absorbed a low blow.

After the restart, the champ landed a lead leg kick and knocked Liasse down on the canvas with a right-handed punch. While it looked like Hardwick would try to lock up a guillotine choke, he reversed course and continued to land strikes on a badly-wobbled Liasse until Marc Goddard called an end to the fight.

If George Hardwick lands the first big punch of the Cage Warriors 176 main event, it could result in the finish to the contest.

Look for Iorga to Work Late Into a Round if Needed

In the other corner, Cristian Iorga might have to go into deep waters during a round in the Cage Warriors 176 main event. The same thing happened to him this past March in Heroes 9 vs. Dragomir.

During the final minute of the opening round, with the fighters in a back clinch, Iorga dropped Dragomir and took back mount before unloading on him with a barrage of ground and pound shots. Dragomir couldn’t make it out of the first period due to the knockout being recorded with one second left on the clock.

If Cristian Iorga has an opening to do some damage and the clock’s running out on him, he’ll take it.

Final Thoughts

Even though Hardwick and Iorga will have the co-main event slot on Saturday night, Glasgow will be treated to a good show from both of these men nonetheless.

Prediction: Cristian Iorga by First-Round Knockout. 





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