Cage Warriors 113: Darren Stewart vs Bartosz Fabinski Betting Odds and Pick

UFC middleweights Darren Stewart and Bartosz Fabinski meet in the main event of Cage Warriors 113 which will be held at the BEC Arena in Manchester, England on March 20, 2020.

This bout came bout in the most unusual of circumstances. Both fighters were booked to face separate opponents at UFC Fight Night 171 which was supposed to be in London this weekend. But the coronavirus pandemic forced that event and the UFC’s next two after it to be suspended. The fighters decided they wanted to fight and they agreed to fight this Friday night at Cage Warriors 113.

Cage Warriors 113 isn’t exactly a loaded fight card. The fighters on the main event were supposed to fight in the undercard of UFC Fight Night 171. But as fate would have it, they are now fighting at the main event of what could be the last MMA bout that we will see for a while. Top promotions like the UFC and Bellator have canceled their immediate schedules in response to the global outbreak of the coronavirus.

The Dentist

Darren Stewart is the former Killacam light heavyweight champion in England. The 29-year old was born in Poplar, East London and was 7-0 with 5 knockouts when the UFC signed him in 2016. He started his career winless in his first four bouts with three losses and one no-contest. Stewart then bounced back by winning four out of his last fights and he enters this fight after back to back wins over Bevon Lewis and Deron Winn.

Known as the Dentist, Stewart stands six feet tall with a reach of 74 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. He lands an average of 2.94 significant strikes per minute at a 44% strike accuracy while absorbing 2.44 significant strikes per minute with a 54% strike defense. On the ground, the Dentist completes an average of 1.38 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 65% takedown rate. He has a record of 11-4-0-1 with seven wins by way of knockout.

The Butcher

Bartosz Fabinski is a Polish mixed martial artist who won the PLMMA Middleweight Championship and the Oktagon MMA 4-Man Middleweight tournament. The 33-year old from Warsaw made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 64 in 2015 where he replaced Krzyzstopf Jotko, faced Garreth McLellan, and won by unanimous decision. Fabinski won his first three UFC bouts before losing by submission in his most recent assignment against Michel Prazeres.

The Butcher stands 6-0 tall with a reach of 75 inches and is an orthodox fighter. Fabinski has a professional record of 14-3 with eight wins via knockout. He averages 2.22 significant strikes landed per minute and has a 70% striking accuracy. Fabinski absorbs only 1.35 significant strikes per minute and has a 53% strike defense. He has landed an incredible 22 takedowns in four UFC bouts or an average of 7.17 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 70% accuracy and also has an impressive 80% takedown defense.

Who Wins?

You can argue that Stewart lost his last fight but he got the judges’ nod and earned the split decision win against an opponent who didn’t make weight. The Dentist has put together a good run since 2016, going 4-1 in his last five bouts. He is an aggressive fighter who likes violence. Stewart throws a lot of haymakers or tries to take his opponents down with an unorthodox tackle-like takedown. He doesn’t like to throw jabs or waste time trying to figure his opponents out. He just rushes and tries to end the fight right away.

On the other hand, Fabinski has won 10 out of his last 12 bouts but is coming off his first UFC loss. He is a very tough fighter who has never been knocked out before. He has a good background in judo and has excellent cardio that has allowed him to take six decision wins in his last seven fights. The Butcher fights well in the clinch and he can also grapple.

Fabinski can win this fight if he can force Stewart to the clinch and eventually take him down to the ground where he has looked uncomfortable. I think this goes down to the change in opponents and Fabinski not fighting since November 2018, which will hurt his timing. Stewart has the edge in striking although he is sometimes reckless and leaves himself wide open. I think the home crowd pushes the Dentist and helps him when he is under pressure. Stewart’s hands are faster and he has more punching power. He should emerge victorious here.

Prediction: Darren Stewart

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