Jamie Richardson: Cage Warriors 113 Interview

Jamie Richardson: Cage Warriors 113 Interview #mma
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Cage Warriors 113 was some of the last mixed martial arts fans were treated to before the world shut down due to COVID-19. On that card, middleweight Jamie Richardson fought his way to a unanimous decision win over Matthew Bonner.

While getting the win was nice, Jamie Richardson wishes he could have done a little more with the whole MMA world watching.

“It felt good. I wanted the finish though. I felt like I could of finished him but I had a bad rib like two weeks before the fight. I couldn’t do anything for two weeks. All I was doing was jogging and sitting in a sauna.”

Richardson was injured to the point where he could not train for two weeks before the fight. He says, “I couldn’t punch or do any wrestling whatsoever. That fight was the first time I punched anything since it happened. I was lucky to get through it.”

Getting through it was pure adrenaline and will power. Standing, Richardson said he didn’t feel much but when the fight went to the ground, it was a different story.

“It was a lot of adrenaline. When he got me down in a body lock and he put pressure on it, it hurt and I felt that.”

What’s Next For Jamie Richardson?

Jamie Richardson has big goals for his stint in Cage Warriors. He plans on reaching the top of the division.

“I just want to take the middleweight division next. That’s my goal. Maybe get a former champ win underneath me. Maybe fight [James] Webb next, that’d be a good win for me as well. Then go for that title.”

As mentioned earlier, the fight went to a decision. Jamie Richardson has made a career off of finishes and this fight at Cage Warriors 113 was the first time he’s gone the distance in his professional career.

“That’s the first win that I’ve had that’s been a decision,” says Richardson. “I was definitely happy with it. It’s a good win, I thought it was. But I like to finish fights.”

Going the distance is not all bad, however. We’ve seen time and time again when a top contender breezes through his way to a title shot only for the champion to take him in deep water and put a hurtin’ on them. Jamie Richardson got some quality rounds in the books now.

“It was some good rounds underneath me. But I feel I can go the full three rounds anyway. Especially without the massive weight cut I’ve been doing. I feel comfortable.”

All Eyes On Cage Warriors

Cage Warriors 113 took center stage that night. They were the only mixed martial arts available to watch. With UFC London canceled, the promotion even hosted a fight between Barstoz Fabinski and Darren Stewart which was an official UFC fight inside the Cage Warriors cage. Richardson applauds Cage Warriors for working tirelessly to get the card to the masses.

“I knew a lot of people was going to be watching that card. That’s why I was a bit disappointed when I didn’t get the finish when I knew I could have. I was happy to be a part of that card and that show. Especially it being the only one that ran. Cage Warriors did a good job of keeping everyone separated and tested. They really pulled out the works for it. That was wicked.”

The coronavirus was the culprit that made the card so hard to keep together. With fighters unable to travel due to a travel ban in some places, it was difficult to keep it together. But it happened. The promotion was forced to close it’s doors to the public, however, leaving fighters to fight in an empty stadium. Jamie Richardson spoke on that as well.

“The walkout was different. But in the actual fight I think it actually helped me. I could just hear my corner clear as day. They didn’t have to shout they just had to speak and I could hear them.”

COVID-19 didn’t affect his camp, luckily. He was fortunate with good timing on Cage Warriors’ part. “It didn’t affect my camp whatsoever. Everything was still open and running before my fight. It was literally after that fight they started shutting the guns down. We were real lucky to creep in there before it went into lockdown.”

The UFC Trajectory

Richardson’s ultimate goal is the UFC. “Everyone wants to get to the UFC. That’s the main goal, 100%,” days Richardson. Sitting at 9-5 with 8 finishes, Richardson will continue to plug away until Dana White it Sean Shelby calls. With eight knockouts on his record, Richardson is certainly crowd pleasing.

Predicting UFC 249

UFC 249 should be around the corner by now but at this point, who really knows if we will get this fight. That being said, lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson have a tentative date to tangle once more. Jamie Richardson weighed in on the first begrudgingly making a pick.

“I’m going Khabib by decision. I think he’s not going to get a finish because tony is so durable. I’m sticking with Khabib on this by decision.”

Richardson’s journey in MMA is in its early stages but he’s already given fans plenty to cheer about. Following where he goes will be a fun thing to watch.

Be sure to follow Jamie Richardson on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to follow his fight journey.