News
03/07/09 - Leading UK MMA org folds; follows collapse of Cage Rage and Cage Warriors
Leading UK MMA promotion Cage Gladiators has today announced it has ceased operations and will no longer be staging events.
The Liverpool-based event produced a number of current UFC fighters, including Terry Etim and Paul Kelly, as well as hosting internationals such as Melvin Manhoef and Paul Cahoon.
Cage Gladiators released a statement this afternoon. "After many successful MMA events Cage Gladiators Ltd is sad to announce that it will no longer be putting on MMA events and is ceasing trading," it read.
"Emile Coleman requested to leave the company due to personal commitments and this resulted in the partnership not being viable. .. There will be no future Cage Gladiator events. Cage Gladiators would like to thank everybody who has played some part in its success, there are far too many people to mention but you all know who you are.”
Cage Gladiators had hosted 13 events to date and was due to stage another on August 1st. There was also a successful amateur/semi-pro show called Gladiator School.
Both shows have now been shelved but Fighters Only understands that Chris Zorba, who partnered Coleman in the Cage Gladiators franchise, will be proceeding with further MMA projects in the future.
UFC referee Marc Goddard, himself a product of the UK circuit and a regular at Cage Gladiators, commented on the CageWarriors forum: “Cage Gladiators have done a lot for the UK scene and its fighters, giving many well known names their platform to launch themselves on.
“The CG attitude, attention to detail and professionalism has been an absolute honour to work with over the past few years...sometimes in life there are genuine sad days - and this is one of them.”
With Cage Rage and Cage Warriors also recently announcing the cessation of live event promotion, Cage Gladiators becomes the third of the UK’s leading shows to fold.
Ironically it comes at a time when UK MMA is riding high, with British fighters enjoying a successful run on The Ultimate Fighter season nine and UK fighters such as Terry Etim and Paul Kelly making their mark in the Octagon.
FO Staff
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