Stefano Catacoli Emerging as a Threat in Cage Warriors Lightweight Division

Stefano ‘The Ghost’ Catacoli delivered a statement performance at Cage Warriors 203 on March 20 in London, defeating Tariq ‘The Tsunami’ Pell via unanimous decision.

The biggest underdog on the card, Catacoli (10-4) defied expectations, handing Pell (7-2) his second professional loss in their lightweight bout.

The London-based fighter believes his record, then 9-4, deceived the public and oddsmakers, and he insists those losses came at the hands of top-level opponents.

Catacoli set the tone in the first minute of the bout, opening with an aggressive takedown attempt. He spent the majority of the fight dictating the pace and showing off impressive back control, one of his biggest weapons throughout his career.

Even when a hard shot in the second round briefly shook him, Catacoli quickly regained the advantage.

By round three, he kept the pressure relentless - even when Tariq sprawled out of his takedowns, ‘The Ghost’ fought right back to reclaim dominant back control.

The judges awarded him 30-27 across the board for all three rounds.

Looking back at the fight and his opponent, he said: “I’ve got to give him his flowers, he hits hard – but I wrestle hard.”

While the lightweight fighter displayed impressive back control throughout the fight, he believes he did enough to showcase the improvements he’s made since his last appearance in the cage.

He said: “I’m no longer a one-trick pony - I actually have way more options on top, I don’t just chase the back now.”

The transformation comes after a recent switch from the Great Britain Top Team gym to training under Marcus Paul.

Catacoli credits his new coach with completely changing the way he approaches fights.

He said: “He’s changed up my game completely.

“He’s changed my mindset, everything, my intelligence as a fighter.”

With these adjustments and five fights remaining on his Cage Warriors contract, Catacoli feels he’s in the right place to continue building momentum.

Having bounced around fight promotions over the last few years, he is confident he will now be able to get fights more easily with the UK-based company and stay active.

Looking ahead, Catacoli is optimistic that he will improve his record without any losses.

From relentless takedowns to dominant back control and a more complete skill set, Stefano Catacoli’s performance in London proves he’s a fighter to watch as he continues to improve his game.