Plenty of UFC stars have made a name for themselves in Cage Warriors.
Those fighters include Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett, Tom Aspinall, Ian Machado Garry and Michael Bisping.
However, another British prospect has put pen to paper with the UFC, looking to make his mark in the Featherweight division.
Introducing Luke Riley, who fights out of Liverpool, England, with an undefeated record of 11 victories.
The Beginning
Riley made his professional debut at CW 128 back in October 2021.
The scouser scored a first-round TKO win against Kamil Wicenciak, making his presence known to the promotion.
Two months later, at CW 131, the 145-pound fighter earned his second consecutive first-round TKO win, stopping Yuki Angdembe.
The Englishman’s successful run continued with a second-round knockout win against Jack Eglin at CW 136.
Another fight, another knockout as Riley made it four wins in a row after stopping Cheriff Larossi in round two at CW 142.
Eventually, the fifth victory came at CW 146, finishing Karol Kutyla by first-round TKO.
Income The Tougher Tests
By 2023, Riley was looking to reach his full potential, but he still had to showcase that he was a future UFC talent.
The Next Generation UK fighter went the distance for the first time in his career at CW 152.
Riley defeated Kallum Parker by unanimous decision, which would still be a convincing win for the young prospect.
The scouser went to the judges’ scorecards again in his next fight, this time winning by unanimous decision against Matheus Malta at CW 157.
The Englishman then went in a crazy back-and-forth battle with Alexander Loof at CW 160, just managing to win by third-round TKO.
Riley’s battle with the Swede was awarded as the promotion’s Fight of the Year in 2023, a must-watch for MMA fans.
Preparing for the Big Leagues.
After defeating John de Jesus by unanimous decision at CW 168, fans believed that Riley had what it takes to enter the UFC.
In his next battle at CW 178, the undefeated fighter secured a first-round knockout against Alexandre Junior, making a statement.
But, it seemed that wasn’t enough, so the Liverpool-born mixed martial artist looked to make another headlining moment.
On 15 March, Riley took on Tariel Abbasov at CW 185, knocking the Azerbaijan fighter out in round two to make it 11 wins in under four years.
Five months from his last MMA triumph, Riley finally made his way into the UFC.
It is unknown who exactly he will take on first in his debut, but it will most likely be in front of a sold-out crowd with all the hype he brings.