Paddy Pimblett gets third new opponent for Cage Warriors 113 as Decky Dalton steps in

Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion Paddy Pimblett now has a third new opponent for the promotion’s return to London.

Pimblett (14-3) was originally booked to face Belgian contender Donovan Desmae on the upcoming Cage Warriors 113 card on March 20, but injury to the Belgian contender forced the promotion’s matchmaker, Ian Dean, to find a replacement, with Italian Davide Martinez drafted in to face “The Baddy.”

However, with the ongoing coronavirus crisis hitting Italy particularly hard in recent weeks, travel restrictions meant Martinez was unable to fulfill his booking at the Indigo at The O2, as Dean hit the phones again to find a third opponent for Pimblett.

Now the promotion has confirmed its search was successful, with Decky Dalton agreeing to step in on nine days’ notice for the matchup, which takes place the day before the UFC’s return to London in the main O2 Arena on March 21.

Dalton (10-4), a 10-year veteran fighting out of Belfast, Northern Ireland, picked up a victory and the Cage Conflict featherweight title with a first-round standing arm-triangle choke this past Saturday. Now “The Diamond” will make an instant turnaround to face Pimblett in London.

Confirmed fights for Cage Warriors 113 include:

MAIN CARD

• Darko Banovic vs. Morgan Charriere – for interim featherweight title
• Champ Samir Faiddine vs Luke Shanks – for flyweight title
• Decky Dalton vs. Paddy Pimblett
• Mason Jones vs TBC

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Rafael Macedo vs. Joe McColgan
• Steve Aimable vs. Perry Goodwin
• Cory Tait vs TBC
• David Bear vs. Nathan Jones
• Emrah Sonmez vs. Aidan Stephen
• Kingsley Crawford vs. Lewis Monarch
• Kris Edwards vs. James Hendin
• Matthew Bonner vs. Jamie Richardson
• Coner Hignett vs. Darren O’Gorman
• Adam Amarasinghe vs. Jake Bond
• Jack Collins vs. Joshua Onwordi