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 …
Read More »
SBG Ireland coach John Kavanagh has promised the world that welterweight contender Gunnar Nelson will be fighting for the title in 2019. Nelson managed to return to the octagon with a stunning finish of dangerous welterweight Alex ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira on the UFC 231 main-card. The fight stood as Gunnar’s first fight in over a year since his controversial first-round TKO …
Read More »
John Kavanagh gave his take on the future of Conor McGregor in a fantastic new interview with The Independent’s Paul Kimmage. It seems as though there’s always a certain sense of uncertainty surrounding the fighting future of Conor McGregor these days. The level of wealth he has been able to accumulate over the last four years is something that many …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
John Kavanagh has admitted that he has yet to speak to Conor McGregor face-to-face since UFC 229 but is hopeful that a plan will be made when they do. It’s hard to know what to make of Conor McGregor’s UFC 229 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov and the effect it will have on his future. We were deprived of the opportunity …
Read More »
John Kavanagh took to Facebook on Sunday to launch a passionate defence of SBG fighter Artem Lobov following the Russian’s defeat to Micheal Johnson at UFC Moncton on Saturday night. The featherweight fighter was defeated by Johnson via a unanimous decision in what was Lobov’s third UFC loss in a row and a result which took his record to 13-15-1. …
Read More »
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has responded to the calls for a rematch between his fighter and Conor McGregor with a vicious attack. Ali managed to find himself under the spotlight on more than one occasion during the buildup to UFC 229 after the Irishman drew attention to certain aspects of his history that weren’t exactly known the mainstream beforehand. …
Read More »
John Kavanagh may have stressed his belief that Conor McGregor’s time away from the octagon would be no problem ahead of his UFC 229, but now, having seen the bout, he admits that it probably was. A lot of factors went into Khabib Nurmagomedov’s fantastic UFC 229 win over Conor McGregor and according to John Kavanagh, ring-rust was one of …
Read More »
Conor wants it, the UFC are more than likely salivating at the prospect of it, but does the world actually need another dose of Khabib vs. McGregor? Well, the PPV buy-rate estimates have yet to be released but if we’re judging on what we’ve seen and heard about the fan interest in this event, it’s pretty safe to guess that …
Read More »
Much of the post-UFC 229 commentary has surrounded the chaotic scenes which unravelled after Khabib Nurmagomedov secured a rear naked choke on Conor McGregor in round four. Of course, by now you know the situation – Khabib launched himself at Dillon Danis and Khabib’s teammates entered the Octagon to attack McGregor. However, the reason for McGregor’s loss has yet to …
Read More »
Over the weekend, Conor McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh confirmed that he would be appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast on Monday, with UFC 229 surely set to be the main topic of discussion. In Las Vegas on Saturday night, Conor McGregor was defeated on his return to the octagon, getting submitted in the fourth round of his lightweight title bout against …
Read More »
Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, has long been linked with an appearance on the ‘Joe Rogan Experience’. The founder of SBG Ireland has his own particular approach to the fight game; a cerebral thought process coupled with a pioneering jiu-jitsu base in Ireland. However, his scheduled appearance on the preeminent podcast of the internet is set to take an entirely …
Read More »
In the latest edition of Truth or Trash?, we put former champion Conor McGregor’s argument to being an all-time pound-for-pound great under the microscope. Earlier this week, we delved into the commonly held notion that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s record is puffed and padded and with UFC 229 fast approaching, this time around we’re going to turn our attention to his opponent, Conor McGregor. …
Read More »
As a website founded by the man himself, The Mac Life gets unprecedented access to the camp of Conor McGregor. The team have been low-key in the build-up to the Irishman’s title challenge against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, with the first media presence only occurring tomorrow, just over two weeks until the fight. Before that long-awaited press conference, McGregor’s …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
We take a look at where the stars of 2014’s pivotal night for Irish MMA are right now after the event reached its four-year anniversary this week. UFC Dublin in 2014 will forever stand as one of the greatest events – not only in European MMA – but also in the organisation’s history. Fans, fighters and media members who have …
Read More »
As time moves on from the infamous bus attack in Brooklyn last April, it becomes more likely that Conor McGregor may soon return to the Octagon. Despite Khabib Nurmagomedov becoming the sole champion of the lightweight class, the division is still in a state of flux with injuries and various activities keeping Tony Ferguson and McGregor out of action respectively. …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
Pundit Arena Because Sport Is Everything