Tag Archives: exploring irish mma

Kiefer Crosbie spoke to Pundit Arena ahead of his return to the cage as he takes on Hugo Pereira on the Bellator Dublin main-card this weekend. From an official standpoint, Crosbie is 2-1 as a Bellator since making his promotional debut last December but let’s be real – the man is still practically an unbeaten fighter. Entering his last outing …

Richard Kiely spoke to us here at Pundit Arena ahead of the biggest fight of his career, a Bellator Dublin clash with Michael ‘Venom’ Page. When the Bellator co-main-event contest between Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Richard Kiely was first announced back in July, my initial reaction was a mixture of both surprise and excitement. I’ve followed the career of the …

Blaine O’Driscoll will make his first outing as a Bellator fighter in next weekend’s return to the Irish capital in a fight that carries more weight than most realise. When Bellator made moves to dip into the European market late last year, their focus on the talent emerging from both Ireland and England saw them carve out opportunities for several …

Will Fleury spoke to us here at Pundit Arena ahead of his return to the Bellator cage this month to face Nobert Novenyi Jr. at Bellator Dublin. Nothing has ever been simple when it comes to the career of Will Fleury. If he had been able to navigate his way through the turbulent waters of the fight-game half as easily …

Bellator Dublin will take place on September 27 and will feature a host of Ireland’s finest mixed martial artists from top to bottom.  Of course, James Gallagher will draw in the bulk of the global attention with his showdown against his fellow prospect Cal Ellenor in the night’s main-event, but littered throughout the card you will find several top Irish …

Richard Kiely could well leave Dublin’s 3Arena on September 27 with his life forever changed if he can beat the global superstar Michael ‘Venom’ Page.  As unlikely as it might seem, by the time all is said and done on the night, we could well have another story worthy of the great tradition of Irish sporting underdogs. Kiely, though certainly …

SBG middleweight Will Fleury returns to the cage this month after the biggest win of his career to date at Bellator Dublin in February. I sat cage-side that night as the intensity within the 3Arena began to build fight-by-fight. Looking back on it now, when Will made his walk, in many ways, it was the first major pop of the …

Will Fleury is set to make his return to the Bellator cage to face Antonio Jones on July 12’s Bellator 224 in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Fleury was able to turn in a crowd-pleasing effort in his dominant victory over Shaun Taylor at Bellator Dublin in February – submitting the Scottish fighter in the second-round to earn himself his first win as …

SBG Ireland bantamweight Frans Mlambo spoke to Pundit Arena ahead of his debut in the Bellator cage at tonight’s Bellator London.  Mlambo has managed to make this huge step into the spotlight on the back of a glittering run in the IMMAF’s as an amateur where he took home a gold medal in the 145lb weight-class. Earning a Bellator contract …

SBG’s Brian Moore spoke to us here at Pundit Arena ahead of his showdown against Son Le Binh at Bellator Birmingham tonight. Moore’s run in the promotion to date has been a funny one. Despite posting a 2-3 record, short-notice matchups, unfortunate circumstances, and a constant desire to take on the very best of the best has seen Moore prove …

In this, the eighth entry to the series Exploring Irish MMA, I had the opportunity to speak to one of this country’s most promising prospects, Sam Slater. Those who have been close to the Irish mixed martial arts scene and its growth were no doubt delighted by February’s Bellator Dublin and the manner in which it played out. A card …

Bellator London promises to continue the promotion’s strong start to their new plans for the European scene, as a host of talented Irish and UK fighters appear alongside some revered veterans. After the incredible success of Bellator Dublin in the Irish capital in February, several of those who made appearances on that night are set to return to the Bellator …

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. …