Ukrainian-British Cage Warriors prospect Nik “The Perfectionist” Bagley is set to fight former title challenger Keweny “Leão” Lopes on the March 21 card.
Lopes was just under the bright lights in November last year against the force that is CW Featherweight champion Harry Hardwick. Stoppage loss against Hardwick ended Lopes’ 11-fight winning streak.
Only 7-1 in his pro career, Nik has had an extensive amateur run during which he held LFC and FCS Bantamweight titles and faced Lone’er Kavanagh, who is a promising part of the UFC’s roster as of today. The Britt’s main weapon is definitely his rear-naked choke, as he executed five of these bad boys since his pro debut (four of them in a row).
Out of his eight professional bouts, six were in Cage Warriors, which is considered by many to be one of Europe’s finest promotions.
“It almost feels too easy,” Nik stated in an interview after his latest win in November 2024. And it looked just that: too easy for the youngster. Last time around against mid-level opponent Jordy Bakkes, Bagley took him down almost immediately in the first round, dominated him with powerful ground and pound, and delivered his favourite rear-naked choke as soon as he saw the opportunity to do so. Dominant force if I ever saw one.
Nik trains out of Great Britain Top Team, which is led by none other than UFC and WEC legend Brad Pickett. This gym is filled with pro-MMA talent, including Nathaniel Wood, Marc Diakiese, Simeon Powell, and the aforementioned Kavanagh.
This bout against Lopes is a massive step up in competition for Nik, one that, in my opinion, he undoubtedly deserves. This risky move might elevate the prospect into a position to get the next title shot. So, you can confidently say that this fight will be Bagley’s chance to shine.
