Image Credit: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
VIDEO: Jordan Vucenic Submits James Hendin to Retain Cage Warriors Featherweight Title
Jordan Vucenic (8-1) successfully defended his Cage Warriors featherweight title on Friday night, with a 2nd-round submission over James Hendin (6-1) in the main event of CW 134 in London.
Originally scheduled to take on interim champion, Paul Hughes (8-1), in a title-unification rematch billed to be one of the biggest fights in Cage Warriors history, the fight was curtailed. A neck injury forced Hughes out of the contest, and Cage Warriors announced on Monday afternoon that Hendin would take the Irishman’s place in challenging for Vucenic’s belt.
As the action began, the champion Vucenic opened round 1 with a couple of crisp jabs through Hendin’s guard. The challenger quickly returned fire, and the pair proceeded to exchange strikes for the better part of the first two minutes, with Vucenic landing the cleaner and more impactful shots.
However, Vucenic threw a knee to the body, which was caught by the challenger, and from there Hendin managed to press the action against the cage. Though Vucenic was able to separate and begin trading on the feet, once again Hendin caught an oncoming knee, this time managing to secure the takedown from it.
Hendin would go on to spend the final 90 seconds of round 1 in a dominant grappling position, though “The Honeybadger” was unable to mount any real threat of a submission as the opening stanza drew to a close.
Round 2 saw the pair exchange blows on the feet for the opening 30 seconds, before Vucenic timed a level change to attempt a takedown. Similar to round 1, the initial grappling exchange was short lived, as Hendin reversed position before Vucenic found his way to open space again.
In the next striking exchange, Vucenic again perfectly timed a level change as Hendin attempted a right hook, but this time there was no messing about. “The Epidemic” mounted Hendin’s back in the middle of the cage, and with both hooks in, the champion began searching for submissions.
Hendin was able to fend off the initial choke attempts, but it was only a matter of time before Jordan Vucenic forced his fellow Englishman to tap to a standing rear-naked choke with 3:25 left on the clock in round 2.
The victory marked Vucenic’s first successful defense of his Cage Warriors featherweight throne and extends his current unbeaten streak to 7 wins on the trot.
With interim champion Paul Hughes still waiting on the wings, and a Belfast show in June announced by Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan, the question is whether Vucenic will still be around to unify the belts, or will the UFC matchmakers come calling?
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