TWO Scottish fighters will be taking to the cage tomorrow – but they’re putting the focus very much on the community the sport can bring.
Cage Warriors 176 is returning to Glasgow and the mixed martial arts show will be live streamed on UFC Fight Pass from Braehead Arena.
Scottish-born fighters Reece McEwan and Michael Blair will be walking into the ring tomorrow, showcasing the training and devotion to the sport which has taken over their lives.
The last show in Glasgow was in April 2024. Its quick return to the city is due to the high demand. The action-packed event will feature a $50,000 tournament and showcase some of Scotland’s rising MMA stars.
Cage Warriors has introduced some of the biggest MMA stars to the world including Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett and Antônio Silva.
Tomorrow, Greenock-born Reece McEwan (below) will be fighting in the bantamweight title. McEwan will battle the French fighter Miguel “Santa Muerte” Haro in a 135lb set. McEwan, 29, started training at the Griphouse in Glasgow when he was 19.
“I watched the Ultimate Fighter when I was younger and thought I could be good at that. Then I was confronted with a situation where I couldn’t defend myself. Those two experiences made me start MMA. I made it my job, my life, my career,” he explains.
McEwan has trained across the world including in Wales, New York and Mexico. The best thing he has taken from it is the power of martial arts to unite.
“You can be from a small town in Scotland, travel half-way across the world and you’re welcomed in,” he says.
“Everyone has the same path, mindset and vision. You meet some great people. It’s a huge and amazing learning environment in martial arts.
“No matter what language you speak. We all have this open-mindedness to learn and egos are parked at the door.”
Despite his travels, McEwan’s home is in Glasgow: “The Griphouse is like a family. I’m there five days a week. Every night, or every morning and night. Training three, four, sometimes five hours a day. I travel from Greenock to Glasgow every day. There are times when I spend 10 to 16 hours in the gym in a day.”
McEwan graduated from university in 2016 but a few months into a new job he quit to pursue martial arts as a full-time career.
“Thanks to sponsors I am now able to compete professionally,” he says. “I pride myself on giving my career my absolute everything. I solely focus on fighting and competing in Cage Warriors as my full-time job.”
Speaking ahead of the Braehead Arena brawl, McEwan revealed he was feeling more prepared than ever. “I’m so ready. Physically, mentally and emotionally there. All my hard training sessions are done at this point. Now it’s about being patient.”
McEwan’s last Cage Warriors fight was in April against Cameron Else. He lost by a split-decision. He’s used his losses to propel and motivate him for his next fight.
He admits: “I lost a close split-decision and that absolutely killed me. I had to let the emotions settle, go back to the drawing board, see the silver linings.
“Off the back of that fight I’ve made changes to make my training more optimal, my life more optimal. I’ve made sure that my circle is full of positive people.
“The small margins that prevented me from getting that win in the last fight, I’ve had as a main focus in this fight camp.”
Does McEwan get nervous before he gets in the ring?
“It’s a weird dynamic of emotions. You feel a hybrid, nervous, excited, confident, focused, doubt, happiness, every bit of emotion. The nerves create the fear but I’m nervous because it means so much to me. I train and sacrifice my life, fighting consumes my life so that I do everything I can do to go out there and perform well.
“I’ve done all the hard work. That is why I feel so confident. When I come into the cage, I will perform to the best of my ability. In there, I feel unbeatable.”
Michael Blair, 26, has been training at Scottish Hit Squad under Brian Gallacher since he was 18. Undefeated in six bouts as an amateur, Blair went pro in 2021 and won his last fight against Dec Dean in Cage Warriors 171. He will be fighting against England’s Kye Stevens in the lightweight division.
It wasn’t until Blair (below) started university that he decided to start training.
“I was going to uni, coming home, and had nothing to do,” he says. “Once I started, I just got more and more obsessed with it. I started going more frequently and then next thing you know, I was competing.”
It was more than the training that hooked Blair to the sport: “Brian and all the guys are obviously very knowledgeable about MMA, but they also care about you as a person. There’s a comradery and family feel to the gym.
“Through punching each other in the face you become really close. It’s such a strange thing to do. You get lifelong friends with it. You feel like you can share anything with the boys. They’ll always help you out.”
Blair spends most of his time at the Scottish Hit Squad gym, balancing his training with coaching PTs and classes. Despite the long hours, he wouldn’t change his life: “If I won the lottery, I would be doing the same thing that I’m doing now.
“All in all, I’m really happy with how my life has turned out so far… just as long as I’m winning – when it’s not going your way in the cage, it’s not too fun.”
For Blair, fighting at home in Glasgow makes the lead up to the fight easier.
“Some people like fighting away, I think it’s a bit of a pain,” he admits. “You know, the worst bit is trying to get food. When you’re trying to find something to eat with no salt and no carbs, and you’re going up to restaurants asking if there’s salt in the sauce and they are looking at you as if you’re psychotic… Yeah, that’s always a bit of a nuisance.”
Blair has been in fight camp – an intense training schedule for fighters before their fight – for 12 weeks. Blair won his last fight in April’s Cage Warriors show against England’s Dec Dean.
“I took a bit of confidence from that performance. I know what to expect fighting in the same place in April which helps with the visualisation of the fight,” he says.
What is Blair thinking before he walks on? “It’s a lot of what ifs that come into your head. There’s always going to be those voices in the back of your head. But the more you do it, the more you learn not to listen to it and the calmer you get. The more experience you get through fighting, it gets a little bit easier every time.”
Since his win in April, Blair has focused on making his strengths stronger and weaknesses catch up with the rest of his game. The result of his training will be proven against Kye Stevens.
“He’s quite well-rounded. He looks quite physical, quite strong, looks like he hits hard. But at this level everyone’s good,” Blair acknowledges.
“You see some holes in his game that I can maybe exploit. I’m sure he probably thinks the same with me. But I think there’s also a couple of things that I can mix in there as well that will give him some problems. I think it will be a really good fight.”
Does Blair go into the fight with a plan?
“A rough one. A couple of things I’d like to focus on. I don’t go in with anything too concrete because I think if you go in there with a particular game plan and it doesn’t go to plan, it can be quite disorientating. It’s just trying to find the path of least resistance.”
Blair is aiming to get to the UFC in two to three years. But now, he is just focusing on one step at a time.
“It’s just focusing on the fight ahead of you, don’t get too overwhelmed with trying to hit too many markers,” the fighter says. “I’m trying to focus on developing my style and my fighting game. Making sure I’m better every day. Then all that other stuff will come if it’s meant to be.”
Cage Warriors is Europe’s longest-running mixed martial arts promotion. It was established in 2002. Since then, there have been more than 150 events in 14 countries. The company promotes and stages shows throughout the year. It is one of the few promotions that take its events across countries in Europe, North America and the Middle East. All Cage Warrior shows are presented live across the globe on UFC Fight Pass.
