Cagewarriors payment and exclusive contracts

[Yrat]

As you know a lot of Europeans are signed with Cagewarriors. The promotion is hyped thanks by Conor McGregor and most of the fighters usually gets a ufc contract after a couple of wins

The issue now is that since they are now in partnership with Ufc they are now doing exclusive contracts, you are strictly forbidden to sign to fight somewhere as it should be. Their salaries is unfortunately very low and almost an insult for the athletes performance, they barely make 1000£ and their titleshot is around 2000£

Compare to other events in Eastern Europe you can make 3000$-4000$ for showing up like Octagon, Aca, Ksw, Fight Nights, M-1

So with that said how come fighters still thinks they can go to Ufc if they will sign with Cagewarriors? You really want to make a living as an athlete and fighting for less then 1000£ it's not worth it.

I guess Cagewarriors have created a good brand showing the world that if you fight for Cagewarriors you will get attention.

The current champions today from Europe in Ufc never made their last fight in Cagewarriors, Petr Yan came from Aca and he is a top notch fighter

If you like Cagewarriors as a show that is one thing but if you want to avoid exclusive contracts a low purse don't sign.

I am close to say One championship would be a better option at this point.

 

[Koniradi98]

Yeah also read once in an interview with a german fighter that they are using their connection to the UFC and the fact that McGregor fought for them, to lowball the salaries.

There is also no need for them to change this since they are just a feeder-league of the UFC. If I am not mistaken over 100 fighters went from cage-warriors directly to the UFC. A good cooperation for both organizations, the UFC gets talented european fighters and CW can hold their market position without having to spend a lot of money.

But I guess its also hard to be rentable as an MMA organization and in the same time pay high salaries to the fighters, without having some big sponsor/oligarch behind you like the russian organizations do or the popularity that KSW in Poland or Oktagon in the Czech Republic have.
Cage Warriors mainly focus on the western-european market where MMA is still rather a niche sport.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Cage Warriors doesn't have the same kind of crowds etc that ACA has, it's very much a niche organisation. However as you say it's very much a gateway organisation to the UFC.

It's not really competing with ACA for fighters though, if anything it's the Bellator Euro series that would be the direct comparison.

 

[GueseGuy]

Can anyone can comprise a list of all the fighters signed from CW to UFC in the past 3 years? Curious to see how the talent has done from there. I looked at the cards for their last triple header a few weeks ago and nothing really stood out to me enough to watch. I did want to see Kauppinen but his fight fell through. I know Mason Jones just signed will keep an eye out for him.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Can anyone can comprise a list of all the fighters signed from CW to UFC in the past 3 years? Curious to see how the talent has done from there. I looked at the cards for their last triple header a few weeks ago and nothing really stood out to me enough to watch. I know Mason Jones just signed will keep an eye out for him.

Jack Shore, Jai Herbert, Nathaniel Wood, Nicolas Dalby (a re-signing), Tom Aspinall, Molly McCann, Nad Narimani, Rhys McKee, Modestas Bukauskas


Jack Cartwright and Jake Hadley are the next ones, imo.

EDIT - Just noticed you said three years so Chris Fishgold, Carlo Pedersoli, Craig White and John Phillips too (that was a bad year lol)

 

[GueseGuy]

Jack Shore, Jai Herbert, Nathaniel Wood, Nicolas Dalby (a re-signing), Tom Aspinall, Molly McCann, Nad Narimani, Rhys McKee, Modestas Bukauskas

Jack Cartwright and Jake Hadley are the next ones, imo.

Aspinall looks to be quality. Still a little raw but at HW I think he is worth keeping an eye on.

I think Jack Shore is the reason why Brett Johns was not re-signed or at least why the UFC didn’t offer enough to keep him. With Wood and him, 3 Welsh BWs isn’t necessary for UFC.

Yes I remember Dalby got re-signed after the fight with Ross Houston. He is a good WW, just don’t know if he will ever be champ material.

McKee will probably be cut.

Overall not a bad list of fighters. I can see why some fighters hold on to the dream and go with CW to get to UFC. But jeez that is criminally low pay.

I know Soren Bak signed with Bellator. What is the deal with Paddy the Baddy? When will he get his contract?

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Aspinall looks to be quality. Still a little raw but at HW I think he is worth keeping an eye on.

I think Jack Shore is the reason why Brett Johns was not re-signed or at least why the UFC didn’t offer enough to keep him. With Wood and him, 3 Welsh BWs isn’t necessary for UFC.

Yes I remember Dalby got re-signed after the fight with Ross Houston. He is a good WW, just don’t know if he will ever be champ material.

McKee will probably be cut.

Overall not a bad list of fighters. I can see why some fighters hold on to the dream and go with CW to get to UFC. But jeez that is criminally low pay.

I know Soren Bak signed with Bellator. What is the deal with Paddy the Baddy? When will he get his contract?

Wood is English bro, from reading between the lines with Johns they wanted him to fight Barcelos and he didn't want to fight Barcelos for the money they were offering him. He's a good get for Bellator but was lost in the shuffle in the UFC BW division (which I think might be the best division in the sport)

Paddy actually turned down a UFC contract a few years ago which he claimed was because he wanted to headline the Liverpool card above Darren Till which is obviously absurd.

I think he'd get the shit kicked out of him in the UFC if I'm being honest.

 

[GueseGuy]

Wood is English bro, from reading between the lines with Shore they wanted him to fight Barcelos and he didn't want to fight Barcelos for the money they were offering him. He's a good get for Bellator but was lost in the shuffle in the UFC BW division (which I think might be the best division in the sport)

Paddy actually turned down a UFC contract a few years ago which he claimed was because he wanted to headline the Liverpool card above Darren Till which is obviously absurd.

I think he'd get the shit kicked out of him in the UFC if I'm being honest.

Oh shit that’s a mistake on my end for some reason thought he was Welsh. And I agree about Paddy. I feel he’s a bit delusional about his abilities. I would like to see him sign with the UFC just to see him face a killer. I feel his striking is severely lacking and his offensive wrestling would be nullified in the UFC. He would be a sitting duck if the match up was right. Any word on why he hasn’t fought since COVID shut things down? Was hoping for him on that trilogy weekend.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Oh shit that’s a mistake on my end for some reason thought he was Welsh. And I agree about Paddy. I feel he’s a bit delusional about his abilities. I would like to see him sign with the UFC just to see him face a killer. I feel his striking is severely lacking and his offensive wrestling would be nullified in the UFC. He would be a sitting duck if the match up was right. Any word on why he hasn’t fought since COVID shut things down? Was hoping for him on that trilogy weekend.

Dunno really I figured he'd fight Jack Grant for the title when Mason went to the UFC but instead it was that Dutch dude who's name escapes me.

I actually think Coker should look at him. I don't think he'd win the belt in Bellator or anything but he has personality and a bit of a fanbase. Bellator LW is really thin anyway and if they wanted to book him like they book MVP and Gallagher they could probably make some money with him.

 

[GueseGuy]

Dunno really I figured he'd fight Jack Grant for the title when Mason went to the UFC but instead it was that Dutch dude who's name escapes me.

I actually think Coker should look at him. I don't think he'd win the belt in Bellator or anything but he has personality and a bit of a fanbase. Bellator LW is really thin anyway and if they wanted to book him like they book MVP and Gallagher they could probably make some money with him.

Doubt he ever signs with Bellator he looks like a UFC committed guy. Especially after the main event in Liverpool comment. Seems to me he thinks he will be a megastar champ in UFC. I think he could definitely be another Gallagher for Bellator but they’d have to overpay for sure.

 

[Yrat]

Aspinall looks to be quality. Still a little raw but at HW I think he is worth keeping an eye on.

I think Jack Shore is the reason why Brett Johns was not re-signed or at least why the UFC didn’t offer enough to keep him. With Wood and him, 3 Welsh BWs isn’t necessary for UFC.

Yes I remember Dalby got re-signed after the fight with Ross Houston. He is a good WW, just don’t know if he will ever be champ material.

McKee will probably be cut.

Overall not a bad list of fighters. I can see why some fighters hold on to the dream and go with CW to get to UFC. But jeez that is criminally low pay.

I know Soren Bak signed with Bellator. What is the deal with Paddy the Baddy? When will he get his contract?

All of these fighters listed would get smashes once they will face an opponent from Russia. There is no way Tom Aspinhall would surpass Sergey Pavlovich. Same with Jack Shore once he will fight Omari Akhmedov

 

[Hellowhosthat]

All of these fighters listed would get smashes once they will face an opponent from Russia. There is no way Tom Aspinhall would surpass Sergey Pavlovich. Same with Jack Shore once he will fight Omari Akhmedov

Shore should get smashed by Akhmedov considering he's 50lbs lighter than him.

 

[Yrat]

Shore should get smashed by Akhmedov considering he's 50lbs lighter than him.

Well let's say Shore would get smashes by any 125-135 lbs from Russia that was my point

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Well let's say Shore would get smashes by any 125-135 lbs from Russia that was my point

I think he'd be fairly even with Umar tbh, Shore is really good.

 

[careto]

Soren Bak and Mads Burnell were LW and FW champions and both signed with Bellator. IDK if they had a different contract than everybody else. Both are Nordic too, so IDK if that has to do with amything.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Soren Bak and Mads Burnell were LW and FW champions and both signed with Bellator. IDK if they had a different contract than everybody else. Both are Nordic too, so IDK if that has to do with amything.

They don't stop people leaving for big organisations. They just sign contracts so they don't fight elsewhere while they're actually with cage warriors.

Houston went to Bellator too.

 

[careto]

They don't stop people leaving for big organisations. They just sign contracts so they don't fight elsewhere while they're actually with cage warriors.

Houston went to Bellator too.

Burnell, Bak, and Houston fought out their contracts and signed as free agents, the other guys that go to the UFC can go when they get the call.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Burnell, Bak, and Houston fought out their contracts and signed as free agents, the other guys that go to the UFC can go when they get the call.

You might be right there, I guess they just see it as prestigious to have their guys in the UFC.

 

[careto]

You might be right there, I guess they just see it as prestigious to have their guys in the UFC.

Also, its kind of frowned upon for CW fighters to sign for Bellator because Bellator Euro Series is kind of a direct competition to CW. In general, its better for their fighters to sign with the UFC than for Bellator or any other promotion.

 

[CC27]

Doubt he ever signs with Bellator he looks like a UFC committed guy. Especially after the main event in Liverpool comment. Seems to me he thinks he will be a megastar champ in UFC. I think he could definitely be another Gallagher for Bellator but they’d have to overpay for sure.

He's a draw in Liverpool but he thinks he's better than he is. Hes not an elite fighter imo, he'd get smashed by middle of the road guys in UFC and Bellator.

Bellator could try and groom him like Gallagher giving him can fights in front of big crowds in Liverpool but soon as he fights a real LW/FW I think he gets smashed.

He's also someone who is gonna want more $ to sign cause he thinks he's that big superstar.