Newly-crowned Cage Warriors welterweight champion James Sheehan has been handed his first test as the promotion’s 170-pound champion, and it’s a biggie.
Ireland’s Sheehan will look to make the first defence of his title when he takes on Sunderland’s former title challenger Justin Burlinson at Cage Warriors 188.
The event, which will take place at the RDS in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday, April 26, will see 8-3 champ Sheehan put his title on the line for the first time since winning the vacant belt.
Sheehan joined the full Cage Warriors roster in 2019 and lost a unanimous decision to Ian Machado Garry at Cage Warriors 101, but after that initial setback, he reeled off five straight victories to put himself among the contenders at 170 pounds.
An April 2023 decision loss to Oban Elliott pumped the brakes on his title charge, but he rebounded with a decision win of his own against Olli Santalahti to earn a shot at the vacant 170-pound title.
And, at the appropriately-numbered Cage Warriors 170, Sheehan defeated Daniel Konrad via fourth-round arm-triangle choke to capture the title.
🏆 James Sheehan digs deep in the championship rounds 🙌 A massive submission win to secure the title.
A welterweight war in Dublin, we have a new Welterweight Champion 👏#CW170 pic.twitter.com/7xltkpbBMK
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 6, 2024
Now he faces Burlinson, who has made an incredible return to the top of the division after beating testicular cancer earlier this year. After taking time away from the sport to fight the disease and get back to full fitness, he returned to action at Cage Warriors 181 in Newcastle and submitted Theodor Berggren via third-round arm-triangle choke to confirm his return to the top of the welterweight division.
🛑 You just can't stop Justin Burlinson, he would not be denied!
What a fight and what a incredible display of MMA 👏📺 Watch #CW181 live on @UFCFightPass
🔗 https://t.co/Nb53jfXAwy
📍 Newcastle, England pic.twitter.com/HrLGBcjpmI— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 23, 2024
That win earned Burlinson another shot at the welterweight belt as he looks to capture the crown at the second time of asking after his first tilt at the title ended defeat to Rhys McKee at Cage Warriors 140 two and a half years ago.
“2025 will be a big year for Cage Warriors,” said Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan.
“So there’s no better way to kick off the announcements than with one of the biggest and best title fights we could possibly put together.
“James Sheehan and Justin Burlinson are two of the most exciting, dynamic and talented athletes on our roster. They’re both offensively minded and neither has a reverse gear. This has all the makings of an all-time classic.
“Cage Warriors is an Irish-owned organisation, and I’m proud to bring fights of this quality to Dublin as we continue to champion the Irish MMA revolution!”
