Undefeated Cage Warriors fighter Adam Cullen has his eyes set on the UFC. The Liverpool-based fighter spoke exclusively to MerseySportLive’s Sam Chinn about his hopes and aspirations in MMA.
The Formby native has built up a formidable reputation inside Cage Warriors and is looking to put it on the line at Cage Warriors 146 in Manchester next month.
Lightweight Cullen is not one for fight camps as he claims he is always in camp. He said: “I feel like I’m always dialled in. I don’t really have training camps so to say I don’t stop training.”
He added: “I actually enjoy MMA. I actually love it so for me nothing really changes other than maybe watching your weight a little bit but I’m always dialled in and I’m always trying to push the pace and get myself in shape.”
Cullen’s perfect record
The Next Generation fighter is currently 5-0 as a professional and has never been out of the second round. Whilst the likes of UFC veteran Dan Hardy question whether he can keep the same pace if the fight was to go further, Cullen has no doubt. The 155lb’er claims he could keep it up to a possible fifth round if required.
Winning all his bouts in the first round just comes naturally to Cullen. He said: “I’m just going in there to hurt people, going in there to put people away whether it’s first round or one second to go in the third round I don’t care.”
The Scouser also believes that Next Generation’s MMA ability is overlooked by opponents. Cullen claims even at UFC level people are yet to realise how good the gym’s ability is. He said: “Paddy [Pimblett] and Molly [McCan] are knocking everybody out in the UFC so we are not grapplers, we are MMA fighters that’s why we’re so good.”
Matchmaking frustration
Not having an opponent announced so close to the Manchester card has left Cullen frustrated. However, the fighter has not let it get in the way of his preparations, saying: “At the end of the day opponents at this level it doesn’t really matter because if I say who I say I am it shouldn’t matter who I’m in there with. I should stop them all.”
Being undefeated in MMA at a high level is not common. Of the zero on his record, he said: “It doesn’t really mean anything to me to be honest. I know how good I am but realistically everyone loses that’s why MMA is so good.
“Perfect just doesn’t exist in MMA because there are thousands and thousands of ways to lose a fight so I’m not really assed. I’m just about fighting and being the best I can be.”
MMA stardom
When talking about Next Generation, it is likely you will hear the names Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann. The two Scouse icons have now become global superstars and Cullen has seen that up close and in person. And nowhe believes similar stardom is just ‘touching distance’ away for the young fighter.
He said: “You see them and you think they’ve had the same upbringing as me in here, in this gym, with the same coach and same training sessions. They’ve just been doing it for longer so it’s only a matter of time.”
The 24-year-old doesn’t set out to plan every detail of his career, but what he does know is that eventually, it will lead him to the UFC. Cullen is so sure of this goal he dismisses the possibility of the notable MMA promotion Bellator.
Cullen said: “I’m not really interested in any other promotions or anything like that, I want to be a UFC fighter, everyone starts this journey to be in the UFC so that’s the only thing I am interested in.”
Cullen is still in the early stages of his career, having only been a professional since 2020. The confidence is clear though, and with the ability to back it up. Therefore, the sky is the limit for this English talent to achieve his UFC aspirations and maybe some day chase UFC gold.
