Observations. Satire. Politics. Interviews.
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….
Love him or loath him, the influence Conor McGregor has had on the Irish MMA scene is irrefutable. Most young fighters will admit that McGregor’s success and notoriety has been a source of motivation in their own careers. Conor had a direct impact on one such fighter, Dylan Logan, and arguably compelled him to eventually…
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…
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…
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….
I guess you could say that Andy Ryan has been on my radar right from the beginning of this writing enterprise of mine. My first ever Interview in MMA was with an Irish featherweight fighter called Andy ‘The Carlow Kid’ Murphy . Andy Ryan’s name and Gym, Team Ryano, popped up in glowing terms. At the weekend…
For whom the Bell tolls, it tolls for thee – John Donne 1624 Thirty seconds into the 2nd round, of his 6th professional fight, Ray Moylette was lying on the canvas of the Foxwoods Casino Resort in Connecticut. Hurt and more than a little stunned. Gingerly, he managed to get back to his feet and…
Dec Larkin is a seasoned veteran of Mixed Martial Arts. He boasts nearly a decade of refereeing experience. Before donning his black gloves, Dec already had a background in MMA, having competed in the sport for 18 years. During that time, he amassed 30 plus MMA fights. Definitely a man who knows the Cage from…
Lynn Hunter Harvey’s introduction to boxing was anything but orthodox. Apart from a single season playing football at 13, she had never been into any sports. Let alone combat sports. At the age of 30, Lynn stepped into a gym for the first time. The results, as we shall see, are nothing short of remarkable….
Cage Warriors 100 is a landmark occasion for the storied Cage Warriors promotion. It’s biggest and most hyped event. At the heart of the event is the featherweight title fight and at the heart of that is Dean Trueman. On October 20th of this year Dean Trueman fought Lewis Monarch at Cage Warriors 98. Both…
Jefferson “Shadow Demon Blaximus” George was born in the Caribbean. At age ten he moved to Luton with his family, before eventually settling in Northampton with his girlfriend. Northampton is not a town famous for its nightlife. (I have spent a couple of evenings in Northampton’s Crown Casino and Monte Carlo it is not) Jefferson…