13 For 13: 100 Percent Finishing Rate Unfolds at Spectacular Cage Warriors 136 Event in Manchester

Christian Leroy Duncan with the flying Knee KO! 🔥
Incredible scenes at #CW136, a new middleweight champ is crowned!!#AndNew pic.twitter.com/I0DtGxIPUl

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 2, 2022

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship put on a serious Event of the Year candidate for its latest card at BEC Arena in Manchester, England, concluding with all 13 bouts ending before the final horn.

The main attraction at CW 136 was a middleweight championship affair between defending titleholder Djati Melan and Christian Leroy Duncan. Things appeared to be going the champion’s way as Melan (8-1, 2-1 CW) secured an excellent takedown early in the first frame and kept the challenger on the ground for almost the whole round before Duncan made his way up on the feet. The situation changed in the following stanza as Duncan pushed forward right out of the gate. The Englishman looked more at ease in hitting his adversary with a variety of punches and kicks. In turn, Melan seemed to have some vision issues after losing contact lenses in both eyes.

Duncan took the match’s fate into his own hands right out of the gate in Round 3. The challenger’s striking put endangered Melan, who struggled to see where the shots were coming from. Shortly before the one-minute mark, Duncan teased his foe with an ax kick before rushing for a flying left knee that hit its mark and immediately dropped Melan, who covered his head as his opponent finished the job with a couple of hammerfists. Referee Mark Goddard officially stopped the action after 48 seconds of the third period, allowing Duncan to take home the 185-pound championship.



In the co-headliner, Aaron Aby relied on takedowns and relentless pressure to submit Gerardo Fanny. Fanny (11-3, 2-2 CW) moved the action to the floor early in Round 1, but Aby (13-4-1, 2-1 CW) fought his way on top. Once he pinned his opponent with his back on the floor, Aby kept scoring punches from above and worked to improve his position, ending the frame in full mount. The fighters spent a couple of minutes on the feet in the second stanza before Aby pulled guard, managing to reverse position a few seconds later. Once he regained the favorable spot, the Welshman landed more punishment on his helpless foe. In Round 3, Fanny scored with solid punches before Aby voluntarily went to the canvas once again. This time, Fanny seized his opponent’s back and quickly switched to an armbar. Aby survived the challenging situation only to capture his adversary’s back in his turn and lock a tight rear-naked choke attempt that forced the Dutchman to tap. Eventually, Aby secured the victory at the 2:25 mark.

Adam Cullen needed just 15secs to secure the W 😧
He scorched his opponent! And with style points 🔥#CW136 pic.twitter.com/YCAOgYlqWW

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 2, 2022

Earlier, Adam Cullen (4-0, 4-0 CW) cracked El Hadji Ndiaye (4-1, 0-1 CW) with punches in a mere 14 seconds into their lightweight affair; 135-pounder Reece McEwan (4-1, 1-0 CW) forced Sam Spencer to tap thanks to a rear-naked choke at the 4:33 mark of Round 3; Luke Riley (3-0, 3-0 CW) demolished Jack Eglin (2-1, 0-1 CW) with punches with only 16 seconds left in the second frame of their bantamweight battle.

🔥 🤯 Manny Akpan WITH A HIGHLIGHT REEL KO!
A crazy back and forth fight ends in stunning fashion at #CW136. pic.twitter.com/vkVB9pBVKI

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 2, 2022

In the featured middleweight preliminary clash, Mick Stanton (8-6, 6-5 CW) wrecked Alexis Fontes (4-2, 0-1 CW) with punches (Punches) at 1:28 of the third stanza; Aleksi Mantykivi (14-7, 1-3 CW) demolished Jeanderson Castro (4-6, 0-1 CW) with an overhand that halted the 165-pound catchweight battle at the 2:27 mark in Round 2; Liam Molloy (3-2, 1-1 CW) defeated Ben Rees (3-5, 1-3 CW) with punches 26 seconds out of the gate in their featherweight encounter; Manny Akpan (4-1, 3-1 CW) knocked out Connor Hitchens (6-2, 0-1 CW) thanks to a spectacular spinning wheel kick that ended the 145-pound contest at 4:36 of Round 2; Italian flyweight fighter Dylan Hazan (8-0, 3-0 CW) forced Raymison Bruno (12-4, 1NC; 0-1 CW) into retirement at the end of the first frame; Jan Quaeyhaegens (9-4, 2-1 CW) crushed Kieran Lister (7-3-2, 1-3-1 CW) with punches at the 3:08 mark of Round 3 at lightweight; in a 175-pound catchweight, Chasen Blair (1-0, 1-0 CW) stopped Rickie Moore (0-1, 0-1 CW) via TKO (Punches) at 2:47 of the opening frame; middleweight Michael Tchamou (2-1, 1-1 CW) smashed Piotr Chmielecki (5-2, 0-1 CW) with punches at the 1:35 mark of the first stanza.