Sean McCormac vs Denis Perry Added to Cage Conflict IX

Image credit: Dolly Clew / Cage Warriors

A domestic middleweight contest between Fight Academy Ireland’s Sean McCormac (2-2) and SBG Strabane’s Denis Perry (0-0) will take place at Cage Conflict IX: Heavy Artillery on Saturday 1st April at The Devenish Complex in Belfast. The promotion confirmed the booking with SevereMMA.com.

McCormac is coming off the back of an active 2022, fighting 3 times in the professional ranks. Despite a mixed bag of results for the 26-year-old Armagh fighter, there are positives to take away from the year that was. McCormac impressed in his Cage Warriors debut vs Owain Williams in August, claiming a Unanimous Decision over his Welsh counterpart at CW142. Following the win over Williams, McCormac took a huge leap in competition, stepping in on just a week’s notice to face surging prospect Oban Elliott at Cage Warriors 145 in London. The Lurgan native will have the opportunity to return to winning ways as he kicks off his 2023 campaign.

Standing across from his fellow Irishman will be Denis Perry. The Liverpool-born fighter moved to Ireland 25 years ago, finding a home at SBG Strabane to ply his trade as a fighter. It will be a night of firsts for the 32-year-old Perry, as he both makes his professional MMA debut, and also transitions to the middleweight ranks. Through his 11-fight amateur stint, Perry fought has fought at both Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight, amassing a 5-6 record fighting domestically and abroad at IMMAF tournaments. Most recently, Perry captured the vacant Cage Legacy Light Heavyweight title with a 1st-round submission (Americana) over Ryan Higgins.

Speaking to SevereMMA.com, Perry expressed his excitement to make a splash on the pro scene:

“I’m aiming to be fighting more experienced fighters. Regardless, I’m going to queue jump ahead into larger promotions!”

McCormac vs Perry is the third bout added to Cage Conflict’s 9th installment, dubbed “Heavy Artillery.” The promotion previously announced that FAI’s Gerard Burns (2-1) will defend his flyweight title in the main event against Fantom MMA’s Moraru Gheorghe (Pro Debut). Moraru will make his first outing as a pro following an undefeated 5-0 amateur run in 2022. Additionally, FAI’s Scott Harvey (2-0) returns to action in the co-main event. Harvey will welcome Italy’s Alex Antonicelli (3-5-1) to Belfast in a bantamweight affair.

Cage Conflict IX takes place on Saturday 1st April, and fans can purchase tickets here