THIS WEEKEND, Dubliner Conor McGregor will face Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. This fight comes just two months after his main event bout with Diego Brandao in the (then) O2, Dublin, where he easily dismantled the Brazilian within the first five minutes. Despite it being a late night pay-per-view event, many in the Irish media will (I predict) give plenty of attention to the bout, which will take place at around 3am Sunday morning, Irish time.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, the emergence of ‘The Notorious’ McGregor as a popular – some would argue inspirational – figure in Irish sport and, secondly, the increase in coverage and interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) here. I’d like to start with the latter.
When the UFC came to Dublin this year, for only the second time ever, it was greeted with a spree of press events, open workouts, full-page spreads in the national press and TV appearances. Tickets were snapped up within minutes online, making it the fastest sell-out in the organisation’s history. And this was considered a smaller event for the UFC, which frequently fill arenas twice the size of the O2. But it hasn’t always been this way; the sport of mixed martial arts has grown and evolved from meagre beginnings to become the behemoth of professional combat sports it is today.
‘You don’t look like the type’
I’m a big fan of MMA, much to the bemusement of my friends and colleagues. The reaction you usually get here when it comes up in conversation is a little like announcing that you’ve cooked a nice big feast of traditional Estonian cuisine – most people don’t really know what it is, but are pretty sure they don’t like it. Frowns and mumbles followed by the same predictable questions. “Yes, it does take place in a cage”, “Yes, there are rules”, usually the top answers at this point. I had for a while considered carrying around FAQs to hand out in these situations.
Think about showing a ten-second clip of hurling to the average American and expecting them not to find it savage, dangerous and chaotic. We Irish know, of course, that it’s anything but. We’ve grown up watching rock-hard sliotars being flung around, legs and arms clashing with ash. Sure, they only started wearing helmets a decade ago. We understand the rules, we appreciate the skill. And so it goes for MMA fans. To the experienced viewer, a savage knockout is a well-timed strike, submission victories can be celebrated and applauded when you understand just how well the move was executed.
Another common reaction I get is “But you don’t look like the type who’s into that…” What type were you expecting exactly? Shaved head? Face tattoos? These kind of objections aren’t usually directed at people expressing interest in more “established” but nonetheless violent sports. Admittedly, MMA in its early days wasn’t a pretty sight. Before the sport was regulated and licensed, fights were taking place around the world in a very different spirit, something that could perhaps be described as “brutal”.
Distant memories of my first experiences watching the UFC ten years ago on late night satellite television involved strange slugfests between sloppy heavyweights. I do understand why images like this have stuck in people’s heads, and it’s a reputation that has been hard for the sport to outgrow. Then again, I bet if you compared the early days of rugby to today’s games, you’d see quite a difference.
Rounded, conditioned athletes
Today’s generation of fighters train for the sport of MMA from day one, not just one aspect of it. While you might see some known for their jiu-jitsu, others for striking, those that depend on one skill set usually don’t make it to the top. The professional era demands rounded, conditioned athletes, capable of taking the fight wherever it needs to go. Promotions like Cage Warriors in Europe (founded and run by a Cork man) and Bellator in the US compete to sign up-and-coming fighters, with top performers in these organisations often getting offered contracts to fight in the coveted UFC.
And this brings us back to our very own McGregor. A two-weight class Cage Warriors champion before the UFC signed him, the ninth-ranked featherweight is now known as much for his persona out of the cage as he is for his actions inside. Through a thick Dublin twang, you’ll hear him describe visions of world domination, unshakable self belief and his quest for constant improvement. In one breath, he’ll speak of his obsession with human movement and the power that our words and intentions have in shaping the world around us. With the next, he will – less gracefully – ridicule and trash talk his opponents and critics. Brash cockiness meets wisdom and humility, he charms his interviewers and infuriates his opponents. A frequent guest on the Late Late Show by now, a certain Mr Tubridy referred to him as the Irish Muhammed Ali.
Whatever about the talking, you can’t deny the ability and work ethic. So far with a career record of 15-2 (3-0 in the UFC), there is a momentum behind McGregor that has been building steadily in the MMA community for years. While he and his camp will tell you they’ve known all along that he was destined for success, only now are the Irish public starting to sit up and take notice. If he defeats Poirier on Saturday, and does so convincingly, many will make the case for a world title shot against current champ Jose Aldo. But you won’t find “if” in Conor’s vocabulary – in his mind he’s already there. “There is no Jose Aldo”, he recently insisted, “You’re against yourself.”
Home-grown warriors
And it’s not just McGregor. Pendred, Houlihan, Parke, Seery… all names of fighters born and raised on this island, making a name for themselves inside the Octagon – the ‘Irish invasion’ as it has come to be known. Judging by the reception the UFC received on its arrival here last July, I’m not the only one staying up late to cheer our fighters on as they represent us on the world stage.
For a small nation we have no shortage of sporting icons who have made us proud over the years, and we are known to be among the best supporters in the world. Never mind Jack’s army, these are some home-grown warriors we can and should get behind right now.
So if you’re curious, take some time to educate yourself about MMA, and about the talent coming out of Ireland. Ask your friends if they’re into it. Watch some fights. The UFC upload free videos on their YouTube channel, with many classic fights available for viewing. You never know, you might even like it. And believe me when I tell you, the Irish invasion is just getting started.
Oh and one more thing, avoid the phrase ‘no holds barred’ – you’ll only get laughed at.
Brian O’Connor is a Cavan man living in Cork. He is a IT salesman, musician and MMA fan.
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