George Hardwick’s return to Cage Warriors is back on the schedule.
Competing in the top European regional promotion for the first time in over a year, Hardwick will put his lightweight title on the line against Romanian fighter Cristian Iorga. The bout will headline Cage Warriors 176 on September 7th from the Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland.
Hardwick’s last pro appearance saw him compete on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in hopes of beginning a stint on the UFC roster. However, after a loss via decision to Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady, he was sent back to Cage Warriors.
The 27-year-old British talent has sat atop the Cage Warriors lightweight divsion since mid-2022 when he stopped Kyle Driscoll in the fourth round to earn champion status. He has since defended the belt with a pair of explosive victories, stopping Chris Bungard and Yann Liasse with strikes.
Hardwick has the longest active Cage Warriors title reign and is the only current champ in the promotion who has defended their title twice or more.
Cage Warriors initially planned for Hardwick to return in March, competing in a title bout against American prospect Lucas Clay. However, the bout ended up not happening. The new matchup means that he’ll be ending a year-long absence from competition when he puts on the promotion’s yellow gloves.
Romania’s Iorga will get a significant step up in competition when he joins the Cage Warriors roster next month. He has attained seven pro wins in his home country, including four different finish victories. However, he has yet to face anyone nearly as experienced or successful as Hardwick. A win against Hardwick would move Iorga from a notable talent from Romania to a top prospect in Europe as a whole.
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