He might not have delivered the explosive finish some expected pre-fight, but Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Jack Cartwright showed another side as he showcased his grit and determination to outpoint Croatian challenger Manuel Bilic over the full five-round duration at Cage Warriors 112 in Manchester. The pair met in the main event at BEC Arena, with Cartwright claiming the unanimous decision by scores of 48-47, 49-46, 50-45 after a grueling encounter that saw the Bolton man light up the challenger with his heavy-handed boxing early on, then showcase his patience and defensive smarts in the championship rounds. Cartwright (8-0) looked in superb form early on as he repeatedly dropped Bilic (15-7) with solid punches. It also played into the Croatian’s gameplan as Bilic repeatedly looked to trap the champion in a triangle choke as the Brit followed the challenger to the mat. But Cartwright, whose heavy hands disguise a fighter whose base comes from the wrestling and grappling realms, exercised calmness and composure in tricky situations to ensure he was never fully trapped against his opponent, who came into the bout on the back of two consecutive submission finishes. The pace began to drop as the bout entered the championship rounds, but while the pace may have slowed, Cartwright’s mind stayed sharp to avoid Bilic’s submission attacks as the bout went all the way to the judges’ scorecards.
Link: