Cage Warriors Champion Sam Creasey Refutes Tapping Controversy in Win over Luke Shanks: “No! 100%, I did not!”
Check out the full interview with Cage Warriors flyweight champion Sam Creasey above:
Cage Warriors flyweight champion Sam “Urai” Creasey (15-3) has rejected the narrative that he tapped out during the 1st round of his controversial title victory over Luke “The Apocalypse” Shanks (8-3) at Cage Warriors 129 in October.
Having fallen short in two prior attempts to capture Cage Warriors gold, a third-round guillotine choke finally wrote Creasey’s name in the promotion’s history books. As Luke Shanks signaled defeat by tapping to the submission, it seemed that Creasey had finally affirmed himself as the top dog at 125lbs. However, what should have been a momentous celebration of triumph through perseverance was soon shrouded by controversy as the narrative shifted to a highly debated topic: Shanks may not have been the only one to tap during the fight.
In the aftermath of the event, videos and screenshots began to circulate of a grappling transition just 30 seconds into round 1 where Luke Shanks attempted an armbar, and it appeared to some that Sam Creasey tapped, prompting Shanks to release the position. However, referee Daniel Movahedi did not stop the fight, and the action continued. The rest is history as Creasey would go on to claim the title after a hard fought and entertaining back-and-forth matchup. Nevertheless, the controversy remained, and so a rematch was booked for this Saturday 11th December on Cage Warriors 132.
👊 It's time to settle this once and for all!
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 29, 2021
🏆 Sam Creasey (@samcreaseymma) vs Luke Shanks (@MrApocalypseMMA) 2 for the Cage Warriors flyweight title
📍York Hall, London
📅 Saturday 11th December
🎟Get your tickets here:https://t.co/gJ5xaKEbTe#CW132 pic.twitter.com/dtFxykHn8N
In an interview with MyMMANews.com, the champion Creasey challenged the narrative that he tapped:
“No, 100% I did not [tap], but Luke’s opinion is that I did. He believes that he let go of the arm, because he believes that I did. That’s pretty much why we’ve got to do this again.”
Despite disagreeing with the narrative that he submitted, Creasey is conscious of the perception of his champion status. He explained why he feels that a rematch with Shanks was the right decision:
“I believe as a martial artist we need to do this fight again”
“A victory that is shrouded in doubt doesn’t feel like a victory at all. So, we must go back, we must do this again to put it to bed, shake hands afterwards, and that will be the end of it.”
With a debatable asterisk on the first fight, Creasey is aiming to erase any doubt as he takes on Shanks for a second time this weekend:
“If there’s doubt, I don’t feel like that victory is a clean victory.”
“I want that victory to be stamped upon, my hand raised, to show everybody I’m a world champion. I don’t want that controversy shrouding the fight.”
Should Sam Creasey defeat Luke Shanks for a second time, he will become the first champion in Cage Warriors flyweight history to successfully defend their title. As Creasey looks ahead to the matchup, he believes that fans are going to be in store for a bloody five-round war:
“I don’t think either of us are going to get a sub. I don’t think either of us are going to get a finish in the fight. I expect him to be there at the end of five rounds. Me too, blood-soaked and my hand raised!”
