PHILIP MULPETER HAS earned a chance to bring his career to the next level with a mouthwatering fight that will take place before the end of the year.
Mulpeter (9-5), a member of the Straight Blast Gym team, will face Denmark’s Nicolas Dalby (15-3-1) in a welterweight contest at Cage Warriors 100.
The UK-based company, which is one of Europe’s leading mixed martial arts organisations, is billing the event as the biggest in its history. It will take place at the Ice Arena in Cardiff on Saturday, 8 December.
One of Ireland’s most highly-respected professional MMA fighters, Mulpeter was part of a crop of rising prospects that included team-mates such as Conor McGregor, Cathal Pendred, Aisling Daly, Paddy Holohan and Artem Lobov.
After a three-year hiatus from competing, ‘The Honeybadger’ made his comeback last December. An impressive win over durable veteran Ali Arish was followed by a big statement in June, when he returned to Cage Warriors with a third-round submission of hometown favourite Jan Quaeyhaegens in Antwerp, Belgium.
#CW100 FIGHT NEWS 🗞🔥
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) October 17, 2018
Nicolas Dalby 🇩🇰 takes on Philip Mulpeter 🇮🇪 on the biggest event in Cage Warriors history!
Dec 8th // @IceArenaWales // Cardiff pic.twitter.com/i5rrDZXY1q
A native of Laois, Mulpeter alternates his training between SBG’s camps in Portarlington and Swords. A 10th professional victory in the Welsh capital in December would go a long way towards attracting the attention of the UFC, as well as leaving him in contention for a shot at the Cage Warriors 170-pound title.
Dalby was an undefeated Cage Warriors welterweight champion when he was snapped up by the UFC in 2015. After one win, one draw and two decision losses under the umbrella of MMA’s leading promotion, he was perhaps unfortunate to be released in March 2017.
Irish fans will remember the 33-year-old for his fight-of-the-night performance against Darren Till at UFC Dublin in October 2015. The majority draw marked just one of two occasions that Till has failed to emerge victorious in his 19-fight professional career; the other being last month’s defeat to UFC champion Tyron Woodley.
Dalby dropped a contentious split-decision loss to Carlo Pedersoli, who has since been signed by the UFC, when he resumed his career in April. He bounced back with a second-round submission of Roberto Allegretti last month.
The fight announcement is the third piece of significant Irish-related Cage Warriors news that has emerged in the past week. As well as signing former BAMMA lightweight champion Rhys McKee to a multi-fight deal, the organisation has handed Blaine O’Driscoll a flyweight title shot.
O’Driscoll will face defending champion Nathan Greyson at Cage Warriors 99 in Colchester on Saturday, 17 November.
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