THE UFC HAS yet to confirm when they’ll be back in Dublin, but Irish MMA fans could have a very good alternative to satisfy them in the meantime.

The42 understands that British organisation BAMMA, one of Europe’s largest MMA promotions, is planning to stage an event in Ireland for the first time this June.

Since being established in 2009, BAMMA has staged 21 events — all of which have been in England — featuring current UFC fighters like Tom Watson, Gunnar Nelson, Alan Omer, Erik Silva and Leon Edwards.

The promotion recently signed SBG middleweight and former Cage Warriors champion Chris Fields, while Northern Ireland duo Conor Cooke and Alan Philpott are scheduled to compete for their British Middleweight and World Bantamweight titles respectively.

Cooke takes on Andy De-Vent next Saturday at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, while Philpott will face the undefeated Ed Arthur at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Saturday, 25 April.

It’s unclear whether BAMMA would opt for the 3Arena or a smaller venue like The Helix, which was a hugely successful home for six Cage Warriors events.

Nevertheless, a BAMMA event in Dublin would be a positive development for the MMA scene here, as Cage Warriors’ sabbatical continues with no forthcoming events scheduled.

Irish fans will have another opportunity to check out some of the best up-and-coming prospects when top domestic promotion BattleZone returns at the Regency Hotel in Dublin on Saturday, 6 June.

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