Cage Warriors kick off their ‘Unplugged’ double-header weekend at the BEC Arena in Manchester, UK this Friday with a stacked twelve fight card, headlined by a welterweight brawl between Italian power puncher Stefano Paterno and rising star Scottie Stockman. Paterno returns to Cage Warriors after a six-year stint across Bellator, Venator and OKTAGON, and will be keen to climb the rankings to regain his welterweight title.
Friday’s co-main event, however, is likely to pack the biggest punch of the night. Birmingham’s Omiel Brown is no stranger to throwing heavy leather in the pocket, having knocked out four opponents in Cage Warriors so far. Although the 29-year-old failed to claim the welterweight title last time out, a statement victory over Rafael Aronov could see him leapfrog Paterno for a second crack at the belt.
As always at Pintsized Interests, we have dug deep into the stats, tape and everything in-between to predict the winners of every fight on Friday night’s card. Scroll down for the rest of our Cage Warriors 167 picks – and give us hell in the comments below if you disagree with us!
Stefano Paterno vs Scottie Stockman
Will Stefano Paterno be able to return to Cage Warriors with a bang? The 28-year-old left the promotion in 2018 after losing his welterweight title to Ross Houston, since picking up four wins and a sole loss across a variety of promotions. Fans can expect a well-rounded Paterno upon return, having added slicker defensive grappling on top of his ferocious power striking. While the Milan fighter’s TDD in open space still leaves much to be desired, he showcased his cage defence during his first-round TKO over Kevin Hangs at Venator FC 12. After working his way back to the centre of the octagon, Paterno flashed his powerful straight before taking Hangs to the mat and stopping him with clubbing ground and pound.
A wrestling heavy game plan is advisable when facing the one-shot knockout power of Scottie Stockman. The American is a lethal first-round finisher, having coasted an eight-fight streak until falling to Rodrigo Sezinando last month. Although the American is capable of defending shots on his legs, he can be controlled in the clinch and has a tendency to offer his back to opponents. As long as Paterno can weather an early barrage of strikes, he will be able to piece Stockman apart on the mat in the later rounds.
Paterno vs Stockman Prediction: Paterno TKO Round 2
Omiel Brown vs Rafael Aronov
As a product of Team Renegade MMA, Omiel Brown’s striking shows a similar front-foot aggression as his teammate Jai Herbert. Brown prefers to lead fights, backing opponents to the cage and forcing them to trade at boxing range. While the Jamaican-born striker throws crisp combinations, he is less adept defensively. The 29-year-old was put to sleep by Giannis Bachar’s counter left hook, fifty seconds into their welterweight championship fight, after throwing a blind lead hook.
Thankfully for Brown, opponent Rafael Aronov doesn’t carry the same power to punish him as brutally. The Israeli suffered a three-loss start to his professional career across 2016-2017, however, he has since built a five-fight winning streak (albeit, including a disputed decision loss). ‘The Cop’ snapped Ben Petches-Kelly in a rear naked choke during his Cage Warriors debut last September, earning an underdog submission win in less than 90 seconds. Aronov’s counter striking is flappy at best, but his unorthodox angles tends to catch opponents flush, which he capitalises upon as a lethal finisher.
Brown vs Aronov Prediction: Brown TKO Round 1
CW167 Main Card Picks
Shirzad Qadrian vs Emanuele Zaccaria Prediction: Emanuele Zaccaria Submission Round 3
Connor Wilson vs Davie Scarano Prediction: Scarano TKO Round 2
Michele Martignoni vs Raz Bring Prediction: Martignoni Decision
CW167 Prelims ‘Undercard’ Picks
Teddy Stringer vs Diego Dickson Prediction: Stringer TKO Round 1
Amaury Junior vs Giuseppe Ruggeri Prediction: Ruggeri Decision
Anthony Orozco vs Lucas Rodriguez Prediction: Orozco TKO Round 2
Jack Claffey vs Marko Sarasjarvi Prediction: Sarasjarvi Submission Round 2
Sergio Gavinelli vs Helio Hernandez Prediction: Gavinelli Decision
Matthew Camilleri vs Nicolo Solinas Prediction: Camilleri Decision
Leon Armes vs Christian Tosco Prediction: Armes TKO Round 3
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