Cage Warriors CEO: We were three cardboard boxes, a name and website three years ago

Although Cage Warriors has emerged as one of Europe’s most popular MMA organization’s – and a true pipeline to the UFC – CEO Graham Boylan admits that wasn’t always the case.

When the current team took over the struggling organization, there wasn’t much of anything to speak of.

“I keep repeating this any time we’re asked: (We were) three cardboard boxes, a name and a website three years ago,” said Boylan, who hosts the organization’s 67th numbered card (and 77th overall show) tonight with Cage Warriors 67 in Wales. “Today, we’re live in a 150-million-odd homes across 110 countries.”

Over the past few years, the organization has groomed talent and sent dozens of its top fighters to the UFC, including recent additions such as Conor McGregor, Jim Alers and “The Ultimate Fighter 19? cast member Cathal Pendred. Additionally, like organizations such as RFA and Legacy FC, Cage Warriors has become a place for former UFC fighters to find their stride and reclaim the form that first got in the world’s biggest MMA organization.

So what’s it like when Cage Warriors grooms one of its own and has to let him go to the UFC?

“It’s a 50-50 thing,” Boylan said. “It’s a pat on the back and a kick in the butt as well because we put so much work into building these guys.”

Boylan said it’s a bit of necessity since the UFC can offer more lucrative deals, and it’s only fair that the fighters get that opportunity to cash in. However, he’s optimistic a day will come when fighters won’t need to make that choice and that Cage Warriors can offer similar deals because of more TV and sponsorship revenue.

Check out the full conversation above, in which Boylan also discusses the possibility of co-promotion.

And check out today’s Cage Warriors 67 card live on MMAjunkie at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

For the latest on Cage Warriors 67, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.