Hardwick’s Body Shot TKO Leads Stacked Cage Warriors 193 Card in Newcastle
Newcastle, England – September 13, 2025: Cage Warriors returned to the BEC Arena with a card that blended local favorites and emerging stars, culminating in an explosive main event. Lightweight champion George Hardwick, known for his brutal liver shots, defended his belt against Brazilian striker Nonato Júnior. Hardwick measured his opponent early before unleashing a devastating body hook midway through round 2. Júnior folded from the liver shot, and Hardwick swarmed with punches for the TKO at 1:29. The win extended Hardwick’s finish streak and cemented his claim as Cage Warriors’ next big export.
The co-main event featured featherweight prospect George Staines against Willian Batista. Staines used superior footwork and counter‑striking to stifle Batista’s aggression en route to a unanimous decision. Earlier, Bellator veteran Andrew Fisher returned to the yellow gloves and outgrappled Orlando Wilson Prins for a dominant unanimous decision. Welterweight Matt Figlak, the brother of UFC veteran Mike Figlak, kept his own momentum rolling by stopping Tom Crosby with strikes at 2:04 of round 2. Bantamweight standout Elton Armindo overwhelmed Reece McEwan with ground‑and‑pound, earning a TKO at 1:42 of round 2, while Michael Blair finished Grant Ogborne late in the second round.
The preliminary card showcased an array of finishes. Sam Kelly started the night by submitting Giovanni Fernandez with a kimura 2:43 into the first round. Jake McHugh showed composure in a decision over Connor Patterson. Rising bantamweight Ieuan Mackenzie took Keir Harvie’s back and secured a rear‑naked choke at 4:29 of round 1, while Fraser Paterson TKO’d Geoff Pavey with strikes just under four minutes into the opening frame. Women’s strawweight Giada Ghizzo stopped Lexi Rook at the one-minute mark of round 2, and Alexis Tsarmantidis capped the prelims with a unanimous decision over Matthew Elliott.
Cage Warriors 193 reinforced the organization’s reputation for producing future stars and showcased the depth of talent in Europe’s regional scene.
