Martin Svensson Submits Scott Clist in Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 79 Headliner

Scott Clist’s aggression ultimately came back to haunt him against Martin Svensson.

Svensson, who was coming off a loss to David Teymur at UFC Fight Night in London this past February, submitted Clist with a triangle choke in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 79 headliner at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales, on Saturday. The lightweight bout came to an end 1:34 into the second round.

The first period saw both competitors engage in a back-and-forth grappling battle. While Svensson (15-6) hunted for submissions, Clist (9-3) twice reversed into top position, where he attacked with heavy elbows and standing-to-ground punches. That pattern continued in round two, as Svensson caught a kick and tripped Clist to the ground at the outset. “The Priest” quickly scrambled to top position and attacked with more punches from above. However, he became too overzealous in his opponent’s guard, allowing Svensson to quickly secure the fight-ending maneuver and tapout.

In the co-main event, Josh Reed eked out a hard-fought split-decision triumph over Martin Sheridan in a bantamweight tilt. Two cageside judges scored the the bout 29-28 in favor of Reed (6-0), while a third saw it 30-27 for Sheridan (8-7).

Reed landed takedowns in every round and countered effectively in spurts. Sheridan, meanwhile, had the superior output, as he connected with punching combinations upstairs, low kicks and knees in the clinch. However, it was ultimately Reed’s control that won out, and one furious salvo in the third round couldn’t sway the scorecards for Sheridan.

Elsewhere, Dean Trueman scored a stunning knockout victory over Arnold Quero at lightweight. A powerful three-punch combination by Trueman put Quero out in a mere 12 seconds, halting the Frenchman’s seven-fight winning streak in the process.

Quero (13-5) flashed a quick jab early, but Trueman (7-3) countered his opponent’s second offering with a massive overhand right. That punch stunned Quero, and the Englishman capitalized by following up with a left hook and another right hand to drop his adversary. Referee Rich Mitchell quickly stepped in to intervene as soon as Quero hit the canvas.

Takedowns and ground-and-pound carried Jack Shore to a second-round stoppage victory over Eddie Pobivanez in a featured featherweight clash. A series of unanswered left and right hands from back mount brought an end to the contest at the 2:11 mark.

Shore (3-0) wasted little time asserting himself in the opening round by landing a trip takedown after an early exchange. He spent the remainder of the frame working diligently from top position, landing a number of short elbows, including one which opened a cut on Pobivanez’s forehead. Round two brought more of the same, as Shore took Pobivanez (3-2) down within 15 seconds. The Welshman drained his opponent’s resolve with more ground-and-pound as he transitioned to back control, eventually forcing referee Marc Goddard to halt the bout.

In the opening main card bout, Aaron Khalid (5-2-1) turned the tables on Adam Proctor (5-1) after being dominated for the duration of the opening stanza. Despite having Proctor attached to his back for the better part of five minutes in the welterweight bout, Khalid managed to avoid a pair of rear-naked choke attempts from his opponent before the horn sounded.

In the second frame, Khalid took his foe’s back in a scramble after the fighters traded heel hooks. From there, he moved to full mount before transitioning to the back again. Shortly thereafter, Khalid secured the rear-naked choke and the tapout 3:23 into round two.