Jack Cartwright Record: 11-2-0

Cage Warriors champion

Cartwright's breakthrough came on a single remarkable night in September 2019, when he won the Cage Warriors bantamweight title via a one-night tournament. He knocked out Scott Malone in the semifinal, then stopped the highly regarded Marko Kovacevic in the final – two first-round finishes in one evening to claim the belt. He proved it was no fluke, defending the championship with a decision over the experienced Manuel Bilić at Cage Warriors 112, an arm-triangle finish of Gerardo Fanny at Cage Warriors 115, and a fourth-round stoppage of Sylwester Miller at Cage Warriors 121, where he entered as the unbeaten champion. That title reign cemented him as one of the best bantamweights outside the UFC.

Contender Series setback and the OKTAGON era

With his stock high, Cartwright took a shot at the UFC via Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, but ran into Jose Johnson, a rangy 14-7 veteran who used his length to out-point Cartwright over three rounds – the first loss of his career. He rebuilt at OKTAGON MMA, returning in November 2023 with a first-round Americana submission of Júnior Assis at OKTAGON 48. In January 2024 he challenged for position at the top of the division against Jonas Mågård at OKTAGON 52, a card headlined by the two of them, but dropped a decision to the Danish veteran – the second blemish on an otherwise excellent record.

Fighting style

Cartwright is a well-rounded finisher whose game tilts toward grappling: six of his eleven wins have come by submission, supported by three knockouts, for an 82% finish rate that speaks to how rarely he leaves fights in the judges' hands. He chains takedowns into a varied submission arsenal – guillotines, D'Arce and arm-triangle chokes, keylocks and Americanas – while carrying enough power to end fights on the feet, as his one-night tournament knockouts showed. Both of his career losses have come by decision, and notably against taller, rangier opponents, suggesting his clearest path to trouble is being kept at distance by fighters who can deny his grappling entries.

Career highlights

• Cage Warriors bantamweight champion — won the title in a single night, finishing two opponents in the first round, then defended the belt three times against quality competition.
• 82% finish rate — nine of eleven wins by stoppage, including six submissions, marking him as one of Europe's most dangerous bantamweight grapplers.
• OKTAGON main-event fixture — headlined OKTAGON 52 and remained a fixture in the bantamweight title picture for one of Europe's top promotions.