Tag Archives: exploring irish mma

Cian Cowley picked up a split decision loss at the hands of John Brewin in the BRAVE CF 22 co-main event, moving to 2-2 as a professional. The leg-kicks of the muay-thai fighter Cowley were the story of round 1, as Brewin well and truly found himself playing the Irishman’s game. Overall, the SBG lightweight looked sharp, composed, and lethal …

Despite talk of him riding off into the sunset with a huge wad of cash in his bag, Conor McGregor owes a debt to the Irish people that must be honoured. The year was 2013 and for most of those outside of the hardcores of the European MMA scene, the lanky, mohawk-sporting featherweight who walked out in the Ericsson Globe …

Blaine O’Driscoll spoke to us here at Pundit Arena MMA ahead of his WWFC flyweight title showdown in Kiev, Ukraine this weekend. After O’Driscoll had earned a shot at the Cage Warriors flyweight title last year, the reigning champion Nathan Greyson confirmed that he was unable to make weight for the bout just days before the fight’s date – which …

Bellator Dublin fight day is now finally upon us and all of the signs are there that it is going to be a pivotal night for the sport of MMA in this country. I arrived to Dublin’s 3Arena yesterday at about 4:55pm, minutes before the Bellator 217 ceremonial weigh-ins took place. It was almost strange to visit tonight’s battleground before …

Richie Smullen spoke to us here at Pundit Arena about his upcoming Bellator debut and how he is relishing the opportunity to rebound after a rollercoaster year in 2018. Bellator Dublin is now just a matter of hours away and with that in mind, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to everything you’ll need to know ahead of what should be …

One of the landmark events in the history of Irish MMA is upon us and with that in mind, we’ve made up a list of everything you’ll need to know going in. Who’s fighting? The entire fight-card, as it was made available to the media from Bellator, will read as follows: Main card Bantamweight Main Event: James Gallagher (7-1) vs. …

Bellator Dublin is now just under a week away and as time has gone on, it has become increasingly clear that we are about to witness something special. Cast your minds back to the summer of 2014. In the week that led up to the UFC’s second trip to the Irish capital, those looking on the outside looking in could have …

The fourth fighter to be featured as part our ongoing preview of Bellator Dublin next weekend is a prospect who fights like a man with ten-times his experience, unbeaten SBG standout, Sam Slater. The idea here is to shine a spotlight on some of the Irish athletes competing in the 3Arena on February 23 – giving you a quick glimpse …

A week has passed since the news broke that Bellator are returning to Dublin next year and in the time since, it has become increasingly clear that Scott Coker and co. have crafted an opportunity to do something incredible on February 23. Cast your minds back to the summer of 2014. In the week that led up to the UFC’s second trip …

Bellator grabbed quite a few European headlines after they signed a large number of Irish fighters in one quick swoop earlier this year and with a return to Dublin set for February 2019, it looks as though they are gearing up for something special. Memories of 2014’s UFC Dublin passed through my mind upon hearing the original announcement in the …

In this, the seventh edition of Exploring Irish MMA, we speak to SBG Ireland featherweight Brian ‘The Pikeman’ Moore as he prepares for perhaps the biggest fight of his career to date. Moore’s only setbacks since signing for Bellator two years ago have come against the former two-time Bellator title-challenger Daniel Weichel and one of the brightest 145lb up-and-comers in …

Ireland managed to take home the second-largest medal tally during this year’s IMMAFs and the inspirational performances from those who won has left many of the country’s mixed martial artists inspired, according to SBG’s Brian Moore. Moore spoke to us here at Pundit Arena MMA about how the medal haul by the Irish amateurs has sent a real buzz throughout the country’s …

In the sixth edition of Exploring Irish MMA, I spoke to fighter, coach, and promoter/owner of the prominent Irish mixed martial arts show, Cage Legacy, Declan Kenna. Fighter. Coach. Promoter. Most people struggle to find the right balance as they navigate through the challenges that come with pursuing even one of these paths. Declan Kenna spoke to us here at Pundit …

In this edition of Exploring Irish MMA, we focus on the man who could well stand as the country of Ireland’s brightest prospect, James ‘The Strabanimal’ Gallagher. Nurturing a promising youngster in a game as ruthless as mixed martial arts can be a delicate process. If there is, in fact, an invisible line that separates the prospect and the genuine contender you …

In this edition of Exploring Irish MMA, we speak to one of the finest strikers in this country, Bellator’s newest welterweight signing, Richard Kiely. The dreams and goals of a professional fighter often revolve around the glory that comes with hoisting a championship belt over your shoulder or the immortality that a picture-perfect finishing sequence can bring about. But even though these thrills are …

In this edition of Exploring Irish MMA, we caught up with middleweight Will Fleury who makes his Bellator debut against Alen Amedovski on July 14. It’s a known fact that a fruitful career in mixed martial arts is a path that very few can sustain and ultimately reap the rewards of. Talent, of course, is the key ingredient to success but perseverance, …

Last week we had the opportunity to chat with Blaine O’Driscoll as he edges towards a BAMMA flyweight title-shot and in this, the second edition of Exploring Irish MMA, we spoke to unbeaten lightweight Richie Smullen ahead of his UFC debut in Las Vegas on July 6.  This series is intended as a means of shining a spotlight on the current …

In this, the very first edition of Exploring Irish MMA, we spoke to SBG’s flyweight prospect Blaine O’Driscoll as he edges closer to his first BAMMA title-shot. The Irish mixed martial arts scene just doesn’t seem to be slowing down in its growth and with this generation of rising stars, there are more than a few who have shown championship …