Cage Warriors 197: Unplugged – Full Results & Highlights from Manchester
Cage Warriors went back to its roots with the intimate studio feel of Cage Warriors 197: Unplugged, serving up a tight card of prospects, veterans and pure chaos in Manchester. Even without the originally targeted welterweight headliner between Evaldo Santos and Anthony Orozco – first teased in Santos vs. Orozco – the show more than delivered.
Main Card Recap: Lee Takes Over, Ariano and Michelis Make Statements
In the main event, former title challenger Aiden Lee reminded everyone why he’s still one of the most dangerous featherweights under the Cage Warriors banner. After a competitive opening against the always-game Damon Wilson, Lee slowly dragged the fight into his world. Once the back was taken, the finish felt inevitable. The bout listed as Wilson vs. Lee ended with Lee sinking in a slick rear-naked choke in round three to cap the night.
Co-main event action saw Giacomo Michelis grind out a smart, composed win over Michael Dubois. The Italian mixed in kicks, counters and positional control to take a clear decision in their welterweight clash, logged as Dubois vs. Michelis. It wasn’t the wildest fight of the evening, but it was exactly the kind of performance that moves Michelis closer to the top of the division.
At light heavyweight, Nell Ariano gave fans one of the night’s cleanest finishes. After a cagey start against the powerful Riku Urholin, Ariano suddenly flipped the switch and found the shot he was hunting for, closing the show in round two. Their bout, recorded as Ariano vs. Urholin, should age well on any highlight reel.
Further down the main card, Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo leaned on volume and pressure to edge out a hard-fought decision over Elton Armindo in the featherweight contest listed as Mastrogiacomo vs. Armindo. In bantamweight action, Damiano Scogna wasted no time in his showdown with Richard Kallos, storming forward and forcing a quick finish in Scogna vs. Kallos.
Prelims: Ngatchou’s Spinning Backfist, Rychkova’s Bloody War
If there was one sequence everyone will replay from Cage Warriors 197, it belonged to Marc-Philippe Ngatchou. The lightweight cracked Yusuf Nazokatov with a walk-off spinning backfist that landed picture perfect in Ngatchou vs. Nazokatov, the kind of finish that instantly blows up on social media.
Doesn't get any better than that ‼️
— SleeperKO (@SleeperKO) November 21, 2025
Marc-Philippe Ngatchou hits a perfect spinning backfist KO on Yusuf Nazokatov #CW197pic.twitter.com/4BA4D5fmx9
The flyweight scrap between Katharina Rychkova and Eimear Darcy might have been the grittiest fight of the night. Both women took damage and refused to fold, but Rychkova’s pace and shot selection down the stretch turned the tide before the TKO stoppage in Rychkova vs. Darcy. Her face at the final horn told the story of a true three-round war.
#CW197 https://t.co/4InUFeKmCi pic.twitter.com/T1H31J89PV
— Barrele la pierna (@Barrelelapierna) November 21, 2025
Elsewhere on the undercard, Manuel Del Valle turned back Pedro Henrique Dias with a late stoppage in Henrique Dias vs. Del Valle, while Jordan O’Neill impressed at middleweight by outworking Mitchell Goode in O'Neill vs. Goode. In the flyweight clash Hingston vs. Molinari, Jordan Molinari showed solid composure to edge Reggie Hingston on the cards.
There was also some weigh-in and matchmaking drama around the scheduled bout McHugh vs. Hossein Mousavi, but even with late changes, Cage Warriors kept the card flowing and used the Unplugged format to spotlight future names for the wider European scene.
Cage Warriors 197: Unplugged – Official Results
Main Card Results
- Aiden Lee vs. Damon Wilson – Lee def. Wilson via submission (rear-naked choke), R3 3:27
- Giacomo Michelis vs. Michael Dubois – Michelis def. Dubois via unanimous decision
- Nell Ariano vs. Riku Urholin – Ariano def. Urholin via KO/TKO, R2 1:19
- Elton Armindo vs. Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo – Mastrogiacomo def. Armindo via unanimous decision
- Damiano Scogna vs. Richard Kallos – Scogna def. Kallos via KO/TKO, R2 0:24
Preliminary Card Results
- Manuel Del Valle vs. Pedro Henrique Dias – Del Valle def. Henrique Dias via KO/TKO, R2 4:56
- Jordan O'Neill vs. Mitchell Goode – O'Neill def. Goode via unanimous decision
- Marc-Philippe Ngatchou vs. Yusuf Nazokatov – Ngatchou def. Nazokatov via KO (spinning backfist), R2 0:12
- Eimear Darcy vs. Katharina Rychkova – Rychkova def. Darcy via TKO, R3 3:30
- Jordan Molinari vs. Redgie Hingston – Molinari def. Hingston via unanimous decision
Cage Warriors 197: Unplugged – FAQ
What is Cage Warriors 197: Unplugged?
Cage Warriors 197: Unplugged is a studio-format event from Cage Warriors, held at BEC Arena in Manchester and streamed on UFC Fight Pass, showcasing rising European MMA talent in an intimate setting.
Who won the Cage Warriors 197 main event?
In the featherweight main event, Aiden Lee submitted Damon Wilson with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their bout listed as Wilson vs. Lee.
Which was the best knockout at Cage Warriors 197?
The standout KO came from Marc-Philippe Ngatchou, who flattened Yusuf Nazokatov with a spinning backfist in Ngatchou vs. Nazokatov, one of the cleanest finishes of the entire CW 197 card.
How did Katharina Rychkova vs. Eimear Darcy end at Cage Warriors 197?
The flyweight war Rychkova vs. Darcy ended in round three when Katharina Rychkova poured on pressure for a late TKO after a brutally competitive scrap.
Was Santos vs. Orozco on the Cage Warriors 197 card?
The welterweight matchup Santos vs. Orozco was part of the initial discussions around this Manchester double-header, but Cage Warriors 197: Unplugged ultimately moved forward with a different lineup on fight night.
