Finland’s Katja Kankaanpää will face Aisling Daly at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve. The promotion made the announcement today that the top ranked Nordic female fighter will be added to Cage Warrior’s huge year-end card in the Irish capital. See the press release below.
Press Release
London, England (November 20, 2012) – THE card for Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin on New Year’s Eve is beginning to take shape with today’s addition of an exciting bout to the end-of-year extravaganza in the Irish capital.
Cage Warriors 51, which will take place at The Helix on Monday, December 31, is set to be headlined by a highly-anticipated featherweight title bout between Jim Alers and defending champion Conor McGregor.
That clash will be joined on the main card by a women’s 120lbs catchweight bout, with McGregor’s SBGi team-mate Aisling Daly returning to Cage Warriors action against CWFC debutant Katja Kankaanpaa.
Daly (13-4), who’s currently eighth in the world in the women’s flyweight rankings, will be fighting under the Cage Warriors banner for the fifth time in her decorated career.
The 24-year-old Dubliner will be keen to secure a victory in front of her hometown crowd after suffering a decision loss to Rosi Sexton at June’s Cage Warriors 47 in Dublin.
Daly, who has also fought for the likes of Bellator and Invicta, defeated fourth-ranked women’s flyweight Jessica Eye to capture the NAAFS title last year.
Kankaanpaa (6-0-1) has yet to taste defeat since making her professional debut in March 2010.
A native of Finland, Kankaanpaa’s last outing was against Simona Soukupova in the main event at Botnia Punishment 12, which ended in a draw.
Sixth in the women’s world strawweight rankings, Kankaanpaa will be making her first appearance on a Cage Warriors card in Ireland next month.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 51 will go on sale later this month, with more bouts to be announced shortly. Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
Photos: (Aisling Daly, Alan Philpott, Liam James – Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors; Katja Kankaanpaa – Marko Tuominiemi)