Emrah Sonmez Record: 14-5-0

Rising through Cage Warriors

The next phase of Sonmez's career took him to bigger British and European stages, most notably Cage Warriors, the continent's premier feeder promotion. He earned a decision over Daryl Golding at Cage Warriors 111 in 2019, then weathered a difficult stretch with back-to-back losses to Aidan Stephen and Liam Gittins across 2020 and 2021. Rather than derail him, those setbacks sharpened him. He came back in early 2022 with a pair of wins over Leandro Souza, knocking him out at UFL 8 and stopping him again by ground-and-pound at a Contenders event, then capped the year with a unanimous-decision win over Adam Meskini at Cage Warriors 148 to put himself firmly on the UFC's radar.

The Contender Series test

That run earned Sonmez a coveted slot on Dana White's Contender Series in August 2023, where he faced undefeated featherweight prospect Hyder Amil. The bout went the full three rounds, with Amil – who would go on to the UFC – taking a unanimous decision to hand Sonmez a loss on the sport's biggest audition platform. It was a high-level test against a perfect record, and while it didn't deliver the contract, it confirmed Sonmez belonged in conversations near the top of Europe's featherweight pool. He has continued to compete and win on the regional scene since.

Fighting style

Sonmez is a finisher with a balanced, finish-or-grind toolkit, owning a finish rate around 79 percent across his 14 wins – eight knockouts, three submissions and three decisions. He is genuinely dangerous in every phase: his striking has produced stoppages by punches, knees and ground-and-pound, while his Turkish wrestling base feeds a submission game that has landed brabo, rear-naked and Americana finishes. That versatility makes him a tough out for anyone who can't keep pace across three rounds. The honest knock on his record is that the step up in competition has exposed him at moments, with three of his five losses coming by decision against the more polished, higher-level opponents he has faced as he climbed.

Career highlights

• Dana White's Contender Series appearance — earned a 2023 slot on the UFC's premier audition show against an undefeated prospect, the clearest signal of his standing among Europe's top featherweights.
• Cage Warriors veteran — fought repeatedly for the continent's premier feeder promotion, including a decision win over Adam Meskini at Cage Warriors 148 that pushed him toward the UFC's doorstep.
• Versatile finisher — recorded stoppages by knockout and submission across his career, with a finish rate near 79 percent that reflects a threat in every area of the cage.