A FOURTH IRISHMAN looks set to feature at UFC Fight Night 77 at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday, 24 October.
Headlined by Joseph Duffy versus Dustin Poirier, the event is also in line to include a flyweight bout between American flyweight Louis Smolka (9-1) and Ireland’s Paddy Holohan (12-1-1).
The news was first reported by MMAFighting.com. A source later confirmed to The42 that the fight has been agreed, with an official announcement expected shortly.
Holohan, who hails from Tallaght, will be aiming for his third consecutive victory, having secured back-to-back wins over Shane Howell and Vaughan Lee already in 2015.
Smolka will also bring a pair of successive victories to Dublin. The 24-year-old Hawaiian rebounded from last year’s loss to former title challenger Chris Cariaso by defeating Richie Vaculik and — last month at UFC 189 in Las Vegas — Irish veteran Neil Seery.
Speaking to The42 recently about the possibility of facing Smolka in his hometown, Holohan said: “I’m going to be trying to knock him out. If we end up grappling, I’ll be trying to knock him out on the ground as well. But Louis is a good guy, he’s a good scrapper.
“But he’s young. I don’t think he’ll be ready for what to expect in Dublin. The Dublin fans will have a good bit of fun with Louis, winding him up. He will take every bit of Dublin bait there is. As soon as he gets to that fight he’s going to be exhausted, I think.”
Tickets for UFC Dublin are due to go on sale from Friday, 4 September. With more fights still to be announced, this is how the card currently looks:
Joseph Duffy vs. Dustin Poirier
Norman Parke vs. Reza Madadi
Cathal Pendred vs. Tom Breese
Paddy Holohan vs. Louis Smolka
Scott Askham vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Bubba Bush vs. Garreth McLellan
Originally published at 16.41
Awesome men, be unreal if they can defend their crown, national treasures.
An Irish athlete has won a gold medal in rowing, and yesterday 2 of them in swimming thats 3 gold medals for Irish athletes so far. Though 2 of them were representing GB they are still Irish, and it should be noted, not many gold medals come to these shores.
@Kingshu: awh now, We give out shit when the Brits claim ours we can’t be doing the same!
@Mike O’Loughlin: in NI the Irish and British identities are not mutually exclusive, a large number of people are both, that doesn’t make them less Irish.
@Kingshu: no gold yet in rowing
@Kingshu: but you are right all for ni are irish but we perfer when the tri colour and anthem is played
@Mike O’Loughlin: just to add Jack McMillan represented Ireland in the last Olympics.
@Square: Gold in rowing was Hannah Scott from Colraine.
@Kingshu: ya but no tri colour are anthem so she british gold
@Square: Irish athlete won a gold medal. The tri colour isnt the flag of every Irish person in Ireland. Like Jack McMillan we should be proud of another Irish person winning gold.
@Kingshu: na he is GB
@Square: did you say that when he was swimming for Ireland in last Olympics? Representing Ireland or GB he’s still Irish, and I’m proud when any Irish athlete gets a gold medal, are you not?
@Kingshu: when running for GB its different as i said we dont support GB is all im saying i know he is irish but dont support GB
@Square: So you’re letting your hate of GB trump your love for the Irish?
@Kingshu: i hate nobody are any country lets leave it now