CAGE WARRIORS’ continued growth into 2017 continues with the announcement of Jimmy Johnstone’s arrival on the team to head up the promotion’s Southern England operations.
Johnstone joins Cage Warriors with a wealth of experience in the mixed martial arts sphere, both in promotion and instruction, from his time managing Bournemouth-based Phoenix MMA and Phoenix Fight Night.
And one of his first jobs as part of the Cage Warriors family will be to work with president Graham Boylan to head up the planning and organisation for a Cage Warriors event in Bournemouth on Saturday June 24.
A Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, Johnstone has competed in MMA at both amateur and professional level, and is currently the head coach for the UK national youth BJJ team.
He is also the BJJ coach for the Royal Marines, continuing Cage Warriors’ strong connection with MMA and the armed forces that has seen servicemen including Jack Marshman rise to prominence under the Cage Warriors banner and go on to fight in the UFC.
“I’m absolutely delighted with this partnership,” said Johnstone.
“We have worked tirelessly for the last eight years to establish Phoenix Fight Night as the No.1 fight show in the south, constantly reinvesting and pushing ourselves to improve our standards time after time.
“This announcement shows that the sacrifice was well worth it. Partnering with Cage Warriors is creating a massive platform for southern-based fighters to shine on the biggest stage in the UK and Europe.
“It’s great news for MMA in the south.”
Cage Warriors President, Graham Boylan, said “We’re delighted to be working with Jimmy.
“His culture is our culture: teamwork, hard work, and a true love of the sport.
“He strengthens our team significantly; and Bournemouth on 24th June is going to be a huge party.”
It kicks off 2017 with three exciting shows in London (Indigo at the 02) on Sat 18th Feb, Dublin (3Arena) on Sat 4th March and Liverpool (Echo Arena) on Sat 1st April. Tickets are available from cagewarriors.com