Weigh-ins in combat sports are often fraught with tension as fighters face off one last time before competition. This past Friday, ahead of the Cage Warriors 119 event in Manchester, England, the weigh-in for the main event between Liam Gittins and Alessandro Giordano saw this tension escalate dramatically, leading to an incident involving corner personnel rather than the competing athletes themselves.
Following the formal weigh-in, the traditional face-off between bantamweight champion Liam Gittins, a teammate of UFC star Paddy Pimblett, and his challenger Alessandro Giordano took place. While a degree of intensity is expected, the situation quickly devolved. After an initial push exchanged between the fighters, one of Alessandro Giordano`s coaches intervened in a highly unprofessional manner.
This individual physically assaulted Gittins by kicking him. The unexpected act of violence from a corner member instantly triggered a chaotic reaction from both teams present. For a tense period, it appeared a full-scale brawl involving multiple individuals might erupt. Fortunately, cooler heads eventually prevailed, and the situation was contained before further physical altercations occurred.
Swift and Severe Disciplinary Action Taken
Addressing the incident swiftly, Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan issued a definitive statement on the organization`s stance and the consequences of the coach`s actions. Boylan, who also manages Paddy Pimblett, emphasized the critical distinction between the expected competitive fire between fighters and the unacceptable conduct of corner personnel or teammates physically engaging with opponents.
“Fighters going at each other – up to a certain point – is part and parcel of the fight game,” Boylan stated. “But a coach or teammate stepping and assaulting an opponent will not be tolerated.”
The consequence for the coach`s actions was immediate and severe: a lifetime ban from the organization. Boylan confirmed, “As a result, I have removed Alessandro Giordano’s coach from Cage Warriors. He will never set foot inside the organisation as a corner man again.”
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining professional conduct within combat sports, particularly for those outside the cage who are meant to support their fighters. The swift and uncompromising action taken by Cage Warriors reinforces a zero-tolerance policy for physical assault by corner personnel, ensuring that weigh-ins remain a stage for final confrontation between the athletes, not an opportunity for unwarranted physical intervention from their teams.
