LOUIS SMOLKA CONTINUED his rise up the UFC’s flyweight division with a submission defeat of Paddy Holohan this evening at Dublin’s 3Arena.
Smolka forced the tap from Holohan via rear-naked choke after 4:09 of the second round in the main event at UFC Fight Night 76, giving the Dubliner his first defeat in three outings.
It rounded off a mixed night of results for the Irish. Holohan’s SBG team-mate Cathal Pendred was also defeated, but there were big wins for Aisling Daly, Neil Seery and Norman Parke.
Both accomplished grapplers, Holohan and Smolka spent the vast majority of the first round on the canvas and there were some fascinating exchanges, as the pair seemed to attempt almost every submission in the book over the duration of the fight.
Holohan went very close to securing the stoppage with a rear-naked choke in the second round but Smolka did excellently to escape.
But it was the Hawaiian who eventually succeeded with the same submission. Smolka shook Holohan with strikes on the ground before taking his back and locking in the rear-naked choke to secure the win.
“I never said I was the best or that I was born gifted, but when I do come out I give you everything,” said Holohan. “This week has been crazy. Hats off to Louis, he came here and beat me in my own back yard.”
Smolka said: “It was surreal. I know you guys might hate me right now but I love you. Let’s party later with some Jaegers and some whiskey. Thanks for coming out and supporting me. You guys have amazing energy.”
Good interview. An honest lad. Not entirely blameless in this whole debacle but nobody is blameless including supporters.
Now who the fcuk is going to manage Galway next year.. I fear the worst
Who would want to manage Galway now, nobody that is of a better calibre than Anthony Cunningham anyway.
They have become a very unlikeable team with their carry on for the last couple of months. Their “handbags ” behaviour lastnight was embrassing
What a pity the didn’t use the ‘handbags’ they had in Boston, in the second half of the all Ireland rather than capitulate to Kilkenny.
Harte has more to answer than most if the rumours in Galway are true, why was I taken off !!! 2 words, Charlie Carter
They wouldn’t fight when they were supposed to fight…in the All Ireland