George Hardwick is a professional mixed martial artist from north‑east England who has risen from local gym sessions in Middlesbrough to become one of Europe’s most talked‑about lightweight fighters.
Trained alongside his older brother Harry at Middlesbrough Fight Academy, Hardwick built his reputation on relentless pressure, slick boxing, and punishing body‑shot finishes.
After capturing and defending the Cage Warriors lightweight title, he found himself on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023. As of July 2025 he holds a professional record of 13 wins and 3 losses, all of his defeats coming by decision.
Biography
- Birth: 6 December 1996, in Middlesbrough, England. Grew up in the village of Normanby.
- Age: 28 (as of July 2025)
- Height: 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) and reach at 72 in (183 cm)
A feature in We are Middlesbrough describes the polite and engaging fighter welcoming journalists into the Middlesbrough Fight Academy above a closed Co‑op supermarket on Linthorpe Road.
Hardwick’s path into combat sports was unusual. He and his brother spent hours playing video games and particularly loved the UFC Undisputed series.
Seeking something more active, Hardwick began Muay Thai at the age of 12 in Teesvile and took up MMA when he was 15 years old, training under head coach Abdul Mohammed. The Hardwick brothers became “obsessed” with training and soon gained a reputation for their work ethic.
Hardwick is known for his friendly demeanour and deep connection to Teesside. He coaches alongside his brother and Abdul Mohammed at Middlesbrough Fight Academy and still treats himself to local favourite parmos from Manjaros, an African-Caribbean restaurant.
His biggest motivation, even for important events, is his own enjoyment of the sport, and the physical and mental freedom that comes from it.
Professional MMA Career
Early years and debut
Hardwick fought extensively as an amateur before turning professional in August 2017. He made his pro debut against Craig Edwards at Olympus Fighting Championships on 19 August 2017, winning by unanimous decision.
During his early career he competed in regional promotions such as Made 4 the Cage and Almighty Fighting Championship, before signing with Cage Warriors in 2019. In his Cage Warriors debut he suffered his first loss to Madars Fleminas on 26 October 2019, but quickly rebounded with a series of wins, first in Bellator events and then with Cage Warriors.
Rise through Cage Warriors and title run
In 2020, Hardwick fought twice for Bellator. He submitted Richard Kiely at Bellator 240 on 22 February 2020 with a guillotine choke, and outpointed Nicolò Solli at Bellator Euro Series 8 in September 2020.
Returning to Cage Warriors in June 2021, Hardwick unleashed a series of body‑shot stoppages: he knocked out Dean Trueman at CW 124 and submitted Jakub Dohnal with a guillotine at CW 129. He then battered Lukasz Kopera with knees and punches at CW 134.
The run earned Hardwick a lightweight title shot at Cage Warriors 141 on 22 July 2022. In a back‑and‑forth war against Kyle Driscoll, he used relentless pressure and a pinpoint left to the body to fold the American in the fourth round.
The victory crowned him Cage Warriors lightweight champion and highlighted his emerging identity as a “body snatcher” – a term the promotion applied because three of his five‑fight win streaks came via body‑shot finishes.
Title defences and Contender Series
Hardwick made his first title defence at Cage Warriors 147 in November 2022, stopping seasoned Scotsman Chris Bungard with rib‑roasting body punches. At CW 152 on 15 April 2023, he dismantled Yann Liasse by TKO in the first round.
That spring he accepted an invitation to Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) in Las Vegas. On 15 August 2023, he faced Abdul‑Kareem Al‑Selwady. After three competitive rounds he lost a unanimous decision, missing out on a UFC contract.
Later fights and recent form
Returning to Cage Warriors, Hardwick defended his belt in September 2024 against Cristian Iorga, winning a five‑round decision.
In March 2025, he and his brother headlined Cage Warriors 186 in London. Promotional hype billed it as a historic double‑title defence for the Hardwick brothers. On fight night, George weighed in at 154.3 lbs and entered as lightweight champion.
Brazilian challenger Samuel Silva neutralised Hardwick’s body attacks and took a unanimous decision over five rounds, claiming the belt.
He’s set to fight at Cage Warriors 193 in September 2025 against Jan Quaeyhaegens.
Key statistics and signature wins
- Professional record: 13 wins, 3 losses
- Victories by KO/TKO: 5 – Notable body‑shot stoppages against Dean Trueman, Lukasz Kopera, Kyle Driscoll and Chris Bungard.
- Victories by submission: 3 – Including guillotine chokes of Richard Kiely and Jakub Dohnal.
- Victories by decision: 5 – Including the five‑round win over Cristian Iorga in September 2024.
- Losses: 3, all by decision – to Madars Fleminas (2019), Abdul‑Kareem Al‑Selwady (2023) and Samuel Silva (2025).
George Hardwick – Fight Record Summary
| Date | Opponent | Event | Result & Method |
| Sep 13 2025 (upcoming) | Jan Quaeyhaegens | Cage Warriors 193 (Newcastle) | Scheduled bout |
| Mar 21 2025 | Samuel Silva | Cage Warriors 186 (London) | Loss – Unanimous decision |
| Sep 7 2024 | Cristian Iorga | Cage Warriors 176 (Glasgow) | Win – Unanimous decision |
| Aug 15 2023 | Abdul‑Kareem Al‑Selwady | Dana White’s Contender Series (Las Vegas) | Loss – Unanimous decision |
| Apr 15 2023 | Yann Liasse | Cage Warriors 152 (Manchester) | Win – TKO (Punches) |
| Nov 20 2022 | Chris Bungard | Cage Warriors 147 – Unplugged (London) | Win – TKO (Body shot) |
| Jul 22 2022 | Kyle Driscoll | Cage Warriors 141 (London) | Win – KO (Body shot to ground‑and‑pound) |
| Mar 18 2022 | Lukasz Kopera | Cage Warriors 134 (London) | Win – TKO (Knees & punches) |
| Oct 2 2021 | Jakub Dohnal | Cage Warriors 129 (London) | Win – Submission (Guillotine choke) |
| Jun 25 2021 | Dean Trueman | Cage Warriors 124 (London) | Win – TKO (Punch to the body) |
| Sep 26 2020 | Nicolò Solli | Bellator Euro Series 8 (Milan) | Win – Unanimous decision |
| Feb 22 2020 | Richard Kiely | Bellator 240 (Dublin) | Win – Submission (Guillotine choke) |
| Oct 26 2019 | Madars Fleminas | Cage Warriors 109 (Birmingham) | Loss – Unanimous decision |
| Jul 13 2019 | Robin Roos | Shogun MMA 2 (Spennymoor, County Durham) | Win – Unanimous decision |
| Jul 28 2018 | Ben Bennett | Almighty Fighting Championship 9 (York) | Win – Unanimous decision. |
| Nov 25 2017 | Luke Dixon | Made 4 the Cage 26 (Tyne and Wear) | Win – Submission (Guillotine choke). |
| Aug 19 2017 | Craig Edwards | Olympus Fighting Championships (Middlesbrough) | Win – Unanimous decision |
Win/loss breakdown (professional)
- Wins by knockout/technical knockout: 5
- Wins by submission: 3
- Wins by decision: 5
- Losses by decision: 3
Future Prospects
The March 2025 defeat ended Hardwick’s title reign, but he remains one of the most exciting lightweights outside the UFC. Cage Warriors announced that he will return for the next fight at CW 193 on 13 September 2025 to face hard‑hitting Belgian fighter Jan Quaeyhaegens in Newcastle.
Hardwick has said in interviews that he still hopes to reach the UFC and views every fight as an opportunity to prove himself. Given his age (still only 28), technical growth and fan‑friendly style, observers believe he could soon receive another Contender Series invitation or a direct call‑up.
George Hardwick’s Fighting Style and Strengths
Hardwick describes his fighting style as pressure heavy. Trained in Muay Thai from a young age, he prefers to walk opponents down and wear them out with body and leg work.
The Cage Warriors website mentions how he has “torn the lightweight division to shreds” with a series of body‑shot finishes, and reports that three of his five‑fight winning streak leading to the title came by attacks to the body.
His fight with Kyle Driscoll is a perfect example of this approach: Hardwick marched forward through punches to land a blistering left to the liver, causing Driscoll to fold.
Despite being known for striking, Hardwick’s submissions are sharp. He has three professional wins by guillotine choke. All three of his losses came by decision, suggesting toughness and good defence. Areas for improvement include takedown defence against elite wrestlers and adapting when his body‑shot offence is neutralised.
Training and Team
Hardwick trains at the Middlesbrough Fight Academy, a tiny gym above a former Co‑op supermarket on Linthorpe Road. The facility, “held together with duct tape” yet buzzing with talent, is run by head coach Abdul Mohammed and features a cadre of professionals including George’s brother Harry Hardwick.
Hardwick credits early Muay Thai mentor (a coach in Teesville with over 300 fights) and later Abdul Mohammed for instilling fundamentals. He now helps coach MMA and Muay Thai classes while also training multiple times a day from Monday to Saturday. Other coaches include Peter Irving and Jonathan Hoole.
Titles and Achievements
- Cage Warriors Lightweight Champion (2022–2025) – Captured the vacant belt by defeating Kyle Driscoll with a body‑shot knockout. Made two successful defences against Chris Bungard and Yann Liasse before losing the title to Samuel Silva in March 2025.
- Achievements – Built a 13‑3 professional record, with five knockouts, three submissions and five decision wins.
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