THERE WERE MANY tributes to Irish Mixed Martial Arts fighter Cathal Pendred after the 28-year old announced his retirement from the sport yesterday, but perhaps the most poignant has come from Conor McGregor.
The interim UFC featherweight champion, a team-mate of Pendred’s at Straight Blast Gym, may have enjoyed a more successful time in MMA’s biggest organisation, but he’s still very aware that Pendred was one of the sport’s trailblazers in this country.
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In a statement on his Facebook page, McGregor described Pendred as a ‘legend’, adding that his former team-mate came along at a time when “99% of the people inside the Irish MMA community, and 100% of people outside, deemed it ‘impossible’ for an Irishman to get signed, let alone register a win inside the UFC. ”
Conor McGregor highlights just how much Cathal Pendred did for Irish MMA
THERE WERE MANY tributes to Irish Mixed Martial Arts fighter Cathal Pendred after the 28-year old announced his retirement from the sport yesterday, but perhaps the most poignant has come from Conor McGregor.
The interim UFC featherweight champion, a team-mate of Pendred’s at Straight Blast Gym, may have enjoyed a more successful time in MMA’s biggest organisation, but he’s still very aware that Pendred was one of the sport’s trailblazers in this country.
In a statement on his Facebook page, McGregor described Pendred as a ‘legend’, adding that his former team-mate came along at a time when “99% of the people inside the Irish MMA community, and 100% of people outside, deemed it ‘impossible’ for an Irishman to get signed, let alone register a win inside the UFC. ”
He continued:
“The man deserves endless respect.”
McGregor is currently preparing to take on Jose Aldo for the undisputed featherweight crown at UFC 194.
Irish fighter Cathal Pendred has announced his retirement from MMA
This Dubliner had a big chance to close in on a UFC deal last night
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