KARL MOORE’S BID to emulate Conor McGregor’s historic Cage Warriors achievement came to a violent end after just 15 seconds of his heavyweight title fight with Mauro Cerilli in London.
It’s over five years since McGregor became the first fighter to hold two titles with the organisation, but this evening at Cage Warriors 92 in London, former light-heavyweight champ Moore came up short against reigning heavyweight king Cerilli.
The 34-year-old Italian came into the octagon on a four-fight win streak and landed a couple of tidy one-two combinations before dropping two right-hand bombs on Moore’s whiskers to fell the Belfast native in the opening exchanges.
Referee Marc Goddard was quick to intervene before Cerilli could inflict more damage, and the Italian maniacally celebrated what was his first heavyweight title defence.
A phenomenal performance from @MauroCerilli , he retains his Heavyweight Title #AndStill #CW92 🥊 pic.twitter.com/7KXrjt5V0f
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) March 24, 2018
It wasn’t all bad news for the Irish contingent, however: earlier on the card, Cork’s Darren O’Gorman submitted Salih Kulucan via reverse triangle in the very last second of the first round.
O’Gorman moves to 6-3, with all six of his wins arriving via submission.
An absolute barbaric sport.
@Stuart Dickens: More brain damage form boxing so i’d take MMA ahead of it by a mile. Much more safer than repeated shots to he head for 36 minutes.
@Tomás O’Loughlin: look up the definition of sport. This fits exactly into it.
@Tomás O’Loughlin: Sport : an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. – doesn’t mention anything of class level of competitors ??
@Stuart Dickens: so don’t watch it ya clown
@Shane Murphy: I won’t you clown.
@Stuart Dickens: but you just did
@Gareth: Only to voice an opinion. 90% of people in Ireland didn’t know what it was until Conor mcgregor showed up. And numbers will drop again when he retires.
@Stuart Dickens: well that’s not true
What a shame.. fights that end so quickly are not always an accurate reflection on the ability of the loosing fighter… could go very different in a rematch. Such is the fight game..