Craig Rawlins – “I Always Come to Fight”
Eager for another opportunity to showcase his skills in the Cage Warriors cage, Craig Rawlins will look to pick up a monumental victory when he faces George Smith at Cage Warriors 175 on July 25, 2024. The event will take place inside the BEC Arena in Manchester, England. The event can be seen worldwide on UFC FIGHT PASS. Prior to Cage Warriors, Rawlins earned the vacant Raged UK middleweight title on the same show at Lewis Long claiming the vacant welterweight title.
Discovering MMA and Developing Into a Champion
For Rawlins, it was a friend that brought him through the doors into the world of MMA. “A mate, Alex Brunnen, was fighting so went and watched him a few times. Then there was watching a lot of UFC. I wanted to start losing weight, so I went to a wrestling class and been there ever since,” Rawlins told MYMMANEWS. Brunnen was a dangerous pro fighter in his own right in England, scoring finishes in four of his five wins. He too also served as a Raged UK champion but in the lightweight division.
As with many fighters, Rawlins has taken pieces acquired from many gyms and coaches to mold into his own style. There are a few specifically that have helped him develop into the fighter he is now. “I’ve got a few. Had my team SVT years ago, Oz, Phil, Alex, Tom, Sami, Kent, Con. We had such a great team around. A lot of the lads finished fighting so then I moved to Mark Weir, a Gloucester fighter. He’s an unbelievable coach and fighter. Before that, I was traveling, heading to Ireland, Liverpool, Windsor, wherever. I trained with some unreal coaches and fighters over the years. Can’t thank them enough,” stated Rawlins.
Professional Run and Future Cage Warriors Dominance
Prior to Cage Warriors 168, Rawlins was on a four-fight winning streak with all four bouts ending in stoppage, three of the four in the first frame of action. “Tom [Nicholls] was always going to be a tough fight. I came up short and I never turned up. I’ve gone back to the drawing board and back to how I know, mixing it up,” stated Rawlins.
Smith is coming off of a loss as well so look for two young, hungry fighters to come out looking to impress. With three losses by KO/TKO, it would not be a surprise to see Rawlins go back to his old ways and earn an early knockout. But what does Rawlins expect for fans? “Excitement! I always come to fight and always enjoy the fight. George has been around for years as well. Just two old dogs going at each other. You got two experienced lads wanting to put a show on the big stage under the lights,” said Rawlins.
