After signing with the PFL in October of 2022, former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Dominique Wooding is finally set to make his debut in the organisation.
Fighting out of Great Britain Top Team under the tutelage of British MMA legend Brad Pickett, Wooding has been booked in a rematch against Irish standout Frans Mlambo. The fight is set to take place at Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Germany on July 8th.
The pair previously fought in 2019 during their time at Bellator. The night proved to be a tough fight for both men, with back and forth grappling exchanges leading to a gruelling fifteen minutes inside the cage. Although it was clear that Wooding possessed a distinct edge on the feet, Mlambo’s control time against the cage allowed him to win a comfortable unanimous decision victory on the scorecards.
Two straight losses in Bellator saw Wooding released from the organisation, however it took no time for him to once again find his feet and return to his roots. He then signed with Cage Warriors and put together the most impressive win streak of his career in 2021, knocking out three opponents successively all within the same year.
The most significant of these wins was against undefeated prospect Nathan Fletcher for the vacant bantamweight title. After once again facing grappling adversity in the early rounds, the Londoner was able to time a fight-changing knee in the third round and pour on strikes to secure the finish. “The Black Panther” did not stop here, defending his belt against Carlos Abreu with another first round finish to put an exclamation point on an already standout year. Losing his belt against Michele Martignoni in 2022 saw him his wish to be released from Cage Warriors, leading him to soon find a new home with the PFL.
Wooding was not the only one who found success outside Bellator. Since leaving the organisation, SBG Ireland student Frans Mlambo now flaunts a five fight win streak against highly experienced competition, with his last five opponents holding a combined record of 69:32.
Although both men share the goal to mark their organisational debuts with a standout win, the stakes are certainly different. Here, Wooding has the opportunity to not only avenge a loss but also prove himself once again as one of the most prolific bantamweights in Europe. On the other side of the coin Mlambo can double down on the success he had in 2019 and extend his win streak to six.
The card is to be headlined by fellow bantamweights Francesco Nuzzi (9-1) and Farbod Iran Nezhad (11-2).
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