Observations. Satire. Politics. Interviews.
Interview 4 in my Ordinary people…..Extraordinary lives… series. I would imagine that sports people are finding the embargo on freedom of movement difficult at the moment. People that are used to the routine of regular group training and then weekend performance. Sports is an amateur pursuit for all but the lucky few and last week…
In the aftermath of her flyweight bout in Bellator 223, I caught up with Bryony Tyrell (4-4-1.) The fight in front of her home crowd in London’s Wembley arena, saw her come face to face with Denise Kielholtz (3-2) The fight ultimately didn’t go Tyrell’s way. Despite much back and forth in the opening rounds,…
Barely 48 hours after her dominant flyweight victory in Bellator 223, I caught up with England’s Kate Jackson. Kate’s opponent Lena Ovchynnikova was subjected to a brutal ground assault, which ultimately ended in a first round TKO. This was just the most recent chapter in Kate’s very successful career. She holds an impressive professional record…
Alexandra Toncheva appeared on my radar about a month ago. I had not heard of her and chances are, you haven’t heard of her either. In May, Toncheva was signed by local, Irish promotion Cage Legacy on a one fight deal to headline their May event in Cork. Cage Legacy 12 Toncheva’s opponent was a…
I seem to spend a good portion of my time asking amateur martial artists to speak about dark, difficult subjects. Often deeply personal issues. It is hard to admit you can’t cope. It is hard to admit you can’t trust your own thoughts. It’s hard for loved one to watch this. It’s probably difficult for…
This has been my second time to interview Bellator featherweight Leah McCourt and the same thought popped into my head at the end of both conversations. ” You need to start getting more out of your life amigo” was the PG version of the ramblings of my mind. Out of all the winners from the…
I do like when I don’t have to come up with a good idea for an article. Much better to find someone elses and steal it. A few weeks ago I happened upon a facebook thread where a group of female martial arts enthusiasts discussed the anxiety they felt the first time they walked into…
In July 2016 Leah McCourt became the World IMMAF Featherweight champion. It marked the pinnacle of a hugely successful amateur career that saw her previously crowned as a European champion. As I was doing some research for the finished article ( yes I occasionally stir myself) I stumbled upon something that may be something and…
The third and final, of the talented teenagers in this series of interviews is Sineadh Ni Nuallain. Apologies in advance for my continued inability to figure out how the fada works on a keyboard Sineadh. Sineadh is 17 and is training and fighting out of SBG Ballina in Co.Mayo. Sineadh started on her path to…
When Indra Davis mentioned that one of the girls she had interviewed for this series of interviews was Lola Safronova, it was a name I had heard before. At various points over the last year I often ask Facebook friends for interview recommendations and the Dundalk contingent on social media are always raving about her….
I am probably the only person in County Galway that is thankful Indra Davis has an ACL injury at the moment. One of the side benefits of her injury (for me!) is that she kindly took the time out of her already busy professional and family life to Interview three young women for Combat Arena….
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…
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…
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….