UK and Irish Combat Sports, Interviews and Opinion
First things first. The Bellator show in Newcastle last night was an entertaining night of action. Despite some technical glitches, the Bellator app streamed the preliminary fights really well. Sound problems seemed to be an early issue. The preliminaries had a great sprinkling of early finishes which made it exciting for the fans but there…
I have to confess that I had taken my eyes off all things Bellator the last couple of weeks, so the news that they have finalised a deal with Sky Sports came like a bolt from the blue to me. This is very significant news for Irish and UK fighters. The initial deal seems to…
Hatice “The Turkish Delight” Ozyurt, was born in the Netherlands, to Turkish parents. They were very traditional and devout people. Theirs had been an arranged marriage, when they were in their late teens. Turkish tradition dictated that Hatice should herself be married at age 18, but her mother Fatma wanted a different life for her…
Richie Smullen is approaching Bellator 217 “100% fit” and at the “lightest weight,” he has been in his career to date. So, it is no surprise that when I spoke to him he sounded relaxed and composed. The SBG athlete holds a professional record of 5-1-1. He is on a four-fight contract with Bellator and…
“There is no glory without sacrifice.” – Filipino Proverb There is a reason every fight movie you have ever seen has some concept of redemption at its core. The ‘against all odds’ ideology is woven into the fabric of the sport – nowhere is this more true than in the murky world of up-and-comer MMA….
The trouble with a fascinating and at times heartbreaking story is a pretty simple one. Where to start? On the surface of this one we have Limerick woman Tracey Duggan an amateur Muay Thai fighter with a mere 4 fights under her belt. Tracey’s first fight was on the 24th of February of 2018. Yes…
With all the hype that surrounded Cris Cyborg versus Amanda Nunes in UFC 232, you would’ve been forgiven for thinking that it was the main event. The fight between these two seasoned veterans captured the imagination of a worldwide audience. The excitement of the build-up left me in no doubt that there is a huge…
When I sat down to talk to 21-year old Crevan Scrivens, I will admit I was a little nervous. I felt sure I would be chatting to a typical millennial and that I might struggle to find something to talk about. However, not for the first time since I got involved with MMA, I was…
An Open Letter to Promoters, Coaches, Fighters and Supporters of the Abbreviated Community It has recently come to my attention that an application has been made to the Department of Fun and Frolics to have the ” activities ” of MMA officially recognised as an endeavour of fun or frolicful fancy in Ireland. Dear, dear…
I first became acquainted with Richie Kiely about 5 years ago, when we were training in the same gym. He had not yet broken onto the professional scene, but it was clear, even to my untrained eye, that it was on the horizon. Long before I dove headlong into the wonderful world of MMA, I…
As reported last week a group of MMA clubs from around the country were scheduled to meet last Sunday in the Lucan Spa Hotel outside Dublin. The topic up for discussion was the state of Amateur MMA in the country. I have confirmed that a group of about 20 clubs attended and unanimously decided at…
Earlier this week Indra Davis interviewed Catherine Costigan of Pankration MMA Kickboxing academy for us at Combat Arena. A 45 minute recorded phone interview. I listened to it in full as I drove to work on Wednesday night. As I pulled into a petrol station in Westport their conversation was just drawing to a close….