Paterno bossed the exchanges from the off against Bueno, who failed to make weight for their 175-pound catchweight bout, with the Italian’s every punch, kick and elbow cheered to the rafters by a vociferous crowd at the PalaPellicone sports complex in the Italian capital.
Bueno had warned pre-fight that Paterno had better have his grappling defence on point, because he’d need it, and the Italian’s defensive wrestling and grappling certainly held up well against the BJJ exponent as he stuffed Bueno’s takedown attempts and smartly avoided any potential danger on the mat when he ended up in top position.
And with Bueno’s key weapons effectively neutralised, Paterno loaded up on the feet and connected with a massive counter right hand to knock Bueno out cold mid-way through the second round.
🇮🇹 Stefano Paternò shows his championship form once again, with a clean one-punch KO in tonight’s main event 💥
The crowd in Rome are going home happy tonight 😁#CW179 pic.twitter.com/k0VjzyAS16
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 2, 2024
It was a spectacular way to end the night, as the fight card signed off in Rome with back-to-back highlight-reel KOs.
In the co-main event, there was a huge knockout victory for Greek prospect Konstantinos Ntelis, who stunned the Rome crowd by starching local favourite Simone Patrizi with a picture-perfect counter right hand that put the Italian’s lights out on impact for a huge KO finish.
The bout, which was contested at a 160-pound catchweight after a late-notice agreement between the pair to avoid Ntelis potentially missing weight, showcased the Greek fighter’s punch power as he registered his ninth career win, and remarkably only his second knockout victory, with a stunning one-shot finish.
Konstantinos Ntelis delivers one of the most devastating KO’s we have seen in a while 🤯
A scary amount of power in that right hand 💥#CW179 pic.twitter.com/rKWFfUiRzr
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 2, 2024
Also on the main card, undefeated Italian welterweight prospect Khadim Dia added a notable name to his record with a second-round victory over Leon Aliu.
Dia showcased his skills on the feet and on the mat as he duelled in both realms with his more experienced rival as they tussled back and forth in the striking and grappling departments. But, with Dia piling on the pressure as the second round came to a close, Aliu signalled to the referee that he was unable to continue.
It meant the bout was waved off before the start of the final round, as Dia picked up the sixth win of his career, and his fourth under the Cage Warriors banner.
The all-Italian bout between Alessandro Giordano and Emmanuele Zaccaria was expected to deliver a close contest, and the two bantamweights didn’t disappoint as they battled all the way to the scorecards, with Giordano edging the split-decision verdict.
And the main card also featured a buzzer-beating submission victory for undefeated Irish featherweight Solomon Simon, who finished Walter Cogliandro with a ninja choke with just six seconds left in their 145-pound battle.
🤯 Solomon Simon with a submission out of NOWHERE in the final seconds of the fight. That’s what you call a buzzer beater 👏👏👏
What a performance and a huge win for the young featherweight 🇮🇪
📺 Watch #CW179 live on @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/tISvtxVT52
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 2, 2024
Cage Warriors 179: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Stefano Paterno def. Jorge Bueno via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:43
- Konstantinos Ntelis def. Simone Patrizi via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 1:30
- Khadim Dia def. Leon Aliu via TKO (retirement) – Round 2, 5:00
- Alessandro Giordano def. Emanuele Zaccaria via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Solomon Simon def. Walter Cogliandro via submission (ninja choke) – Round 3, 4:54
- Giuseppe Mastrogiacomo def. Itay Tratner via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Giacomo Michelis def. Olli Santalahti via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Luca Mele def. Daniele Battaglia via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:04
- Manuel Del Valle def. Sergio Gavinelli via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 3:23
- Michelangelo Lupoli def. Gerasimos Siotis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Damiano Scogna def. Manuel Caperna via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:53
- Emanuele Tetti def. Angelo Terenzio via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Niko Ceraglia def. Andrea Flamminio via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:32
- Luca Borando def. Nicolae Mezdrea via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:18
- Mario Mingaj def. Zura Zamadze via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:50
- Conor McCarthy def. Gianluca Rocca via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
