THE ORIGINAL CARD for UFC Fight Night 76 looked much different to the one fans will witness tonight at Dublin’s 3Arena.
Ten of the 12 bouts that were announced will still go ahead, but a pair of significant blows to the event resulted in the loss of its two biggest fights.
An injury picked up by Stipe Miocic 11 days ago forced the cancellation of his heavyweight contender fight with Ben Rothwell in the co-main event slot.
And on Wednesday evening, it was announced that Joe Duffy had been withdrawn from his headliner against Dustin Poirier after sustaining a concussion.
This event consequently has the unenviable subtitle of hosting the first UFC main card not to feature a ranked fighter since the organisation introduced its own rankings nearly three years ago.
The level of enthusiasm among fans has undoubtedly between detrimentally impacted by the cropping of the card, with some opting to exercise their right to a full refund for their tickets.
One fan I spoke to yesterday at the 3Arena travelled up from Kerry to watch the weigh-ins and the Q&A session with the guest fighters in attendance [both free events]. However, he’s no longer staying for tonight’s show after handing back his pair of tickets in exchange for the €300 reimbursement.
For the vast majority, however, the show must go on and there’s still much to look forward to. If you’re handed a Cornetto but that glorious chunk of chocolate at the base has fallen off, you’re not going to be pleased. However, you’ve still got something tasty to sink your teeth into nevertheless.
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They may have found themselves in tonight’s main event by default, but the meeting of Paddy Holohan and Louis Smolka is a fascinating match-up and the only one on the main card in which the prize for the winner is likely to be a place in the rankings.
Louis Smolka Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Its place at the summit of the card changes nothing about the contest itself — it’s still three rounds instead of five — but emerging victorious from a main event will certainly add some extra gloss to the achievement for the fighter who manages to do so.
Even Holohan’s Straight Blast Gym team-mate Conor McGregor would have to be impressed by the rise of ‘The Hooligan’. He was involved in the first fight on the prelims when the UFC was last in Dublin 15 months ago. Tonight, he tops the bill in front of a packed arena in his hometown.
He didn’t manage to secure the stoppages but Holohan was dominant in his two previous wins so far in 2015 — against Shane Howell and Vaughan Lee. If he can make it three on the trot, only Joseph Benavidez will be in a position to boast a longer winning streak of all the contenders in the flyweight division.
As a fan favourite, Holohan will be hoping that another raucous Irish crowd can give him an edge against his Hawaiian opponent, who’s also aiming for a third consecutive victory as he looks to further enhance his reputation as a legitimate flyweight prospect.
Both fighters are accomplished grapplers so the ground exchanges will be intriguing to observe, but it’s in the striking department where the balance could be tipped in Holohan’s favour. Neil Seery showed in his UFC 189 defeat to Smolka that the 24-year-old American often leaves himself open to being clipped. If Holohan can utilise his admittedly slight reach advantage, it could be the key to victory.
Elsewhere on the main card, Antrim’s Norman Parke welcomes Reza Madadi back to the UFC in the co-main event. This one has developed into a little bit of a grudge match so there should be fireworks. Following a 14-month stint in prison, Madadi will be fighting for the first time since April 2013. Parke will seek to capitalise on any ring-rust and bring an end to his own run of back-to-back losses.
Neil Seery Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The main card — which starts at 9pm and will air live on both Setanta Ireland and 3e — will kick off with a flyweight bout between Neil Seery and Jon Delos Reyes. Seery has entertained each time he has entered the octagon, but the Team Ryano man has been unfortunate not to claim a Fight/Performance of the Night bonus just yet. Reyes has promised to ‘stand and bang’ with the veteran Dubliner, so perhaps this will finally be the night when Seery’s bank account will become $50,000 healthier.
The only main-card bout that doesn’t feature a fighter from Ireland is the welterweight meeting of Denmark’s Nicolas Dalby — a former Cage Warriors champion — and Englishman Darren Till. Don’t let that steer you clear, however, because this clash of two outstanding strikers is another fight with the potential to steal the show.
On the prelims, expect a big performance from Scottish lightweight Stevie Ray, as he aims to go 3-0 in the octagon at the expense of Mickael Lebout. There’s plenty at stake too for Irish pair Aisling Daly and Cathal Pendred, both of whom will be keen to return to winning ways at the expense of Ericka Almeida and Tom Breese respectively.
There’s no denying that this card lost some of its lustre when Joe Duffy was removed, but his absence now creates an opening for another Irish fighter to make the show theirs. Paddy Holohan is best-placed to do so. If the man from Tallaght is a genuine flyweight contender, tonight he’ll have the perfect opportunity to let the world know.
Main card (9pm on Setanta Ireland, 3e and UFCFightPass.com)
Paddy Holohan vs. Louis Smolka
Norman Parke vs. Reza Madadi
Darren Till vs. Nicolas Dalby
Neil Seery vs. Jon Delos Reyes
Prelims (6.15pm on UFCFightPass.com)
Stevie Ray vs. Mickael Lebout
Aisling Daly vs. Ericka Almeida
Scott Askham vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Cathal Pendred vs. Tom Breese
Robert Whiteford vs. Darren Elkins
Bubba Bush vs. Garreth McLellan
Can Paddy Holohan seize his opportunity to become a genuine UFC contender?
THE ORIGINAL CARD for UFC Fight Night 76 looked much different to the one fans will witness tonight at Dublin’s 3Arena.
Ten of the 12 bouts that were announced will still go ahead, but a pair of significant blows to the event resulted in the loss of its two biggest fights.
An injury picked up by Stipe Miocic 11 days ago forced the cancellation of his heavyweight contender fight with Ben Rothwell in the co-main event slot.
And on Wednesday evening, it was announced that Joe Duffy had been withdrawn from his headliner against Dustin Poirier after sustaining a concussion.
This event consequently has the unenviable subtitle of hosting the first UFC main card not to feature a ranked fighter since the organisation introduced its own rankings nearly three years ago.
The level of enthusiasm among fans has undoubtedly between detrimentally impacted by the cropping of the card, with some opting to exercise their right to a full refund for their tickets.
One fan I spoke to yesterday at the 3Arena travelled up from Kerry to watch the weigh-ins and the Q&A session with the guest fighters in attendance [both free events]. However, he’s no longer staying for tonight’s show after handing back his pair of tickets in exchange for the €300 reimbursement.
For the vast majority, however, the show must go on and there’s still much to look forward to. If you’re handed a Cornetto but that glorious chunk of chocolate at the base has fallen off, you’re not going to be pleased. However, you’ve still got something tasty to sink your teeth into nevertheless.
They may have found themselves in tonight’s main event by default, but the meeting of Paddy Holohan and Louis Smolka is a fascinating match-up and the only one on the main card in which the prize for the winner is likely to be a place in the rankings.
Its place at the summit of the card changes nothing about the contest itself — it’s still three rounds instead of five — but emerging victorious from a main event will certainly add some extra gloss to the achievement for the fighter who manages to do so.
Even Holohan’s Straight Blast Gym team-mate Conor McGregor would have to be impressed by the rise of ‘The Hooligan’. He was involved in the first fight on the prelims when the UFC was last in Dublin 15 months ago. Tonight, he tops the bill in front of a packed arena in his hometown.
He didn’t manage to secure the stoppages but Holohan was dominant in his two previous wins so far in 2015 — against Shane Howell and Vaughan Lee. If he can make it three on the trot, only Joseph Benavidez will be in a position to boast a longer winning streak of all the contenders in the flyweight division.
As a fan favourite, Holohan will be hoping that another raucous Irish crowd can give him an edge against his Hawaiian opponent, who’s also aiming for a third consecutive victory as he looks to further enhance his reputation as a legitimate flyweight prospect.
Both fighters are accomplished grapplers so the ground exchanges will be intriguing to observe, but it’s in the striking department where the balance could be tipped in Holohan’s favour. Neil Seery showed in his UFC 189 defeat to Smolka that the 24-year-old American often leaves himself open to being clipped. If Holohan can utilise his admittedly slight reach advantage, it could be the key to victory.
Elsewhere on the main card, Antrim’s Norman Parke welcomes Reza Madadi back to the UFC in the co-main event. This one has developed into a little bit of a grudge match so there should be fireworks. Following a 14-month stint in prison, Madadi will be fighting for the first time since April 2013. Parke will seek to capitalise on any ring-rust and bring an end to his own run of back-to-back losses.
The main card — which starts at 9pm and will air live on both Setanta Ireland and 3e — will kick off with a flyweight bout between Neil Seery and Jon Delos Reyes. Seery has entertained each time he has entered the octagon, but the Team Ryano man has been unfortunate not to claim a Fight/Performance of the Night bonus just yet. Reyes has promised to ‘stand and bang’ with the veteran Dubliner, so perhaps this will finally be the night when Seery’s bank account will become $50,000 healthier.
The only main-card bout that doesn’t feature a fighter from Ireland is the welterweight meeting of Denmark’s Nicolas Dalby — a former Cage Warriors champion — and Englishman Darren Till. Don’t let that steer you clear, however, because this clash of two outstanding strikers is another fight with the potential to steal the show.
On the prelims, expect a big performance from Scottish lightweight Stevie Ray, as he aims to go 3-0 in the octagon at the expense of Mickael Lebout. There’s plenty at stake too for Irish pair Aisling Daly and Cathal Pendred, both of whom will be keen to return to winning ways at the expense of Ericka Almeida and Tom Breese respectively.
There’s no denying that this card lost some of its lustre when Joe Duffy was removed, but his absence now creates an opening for another Irish fighter to make the show theirs. Paddy Holohan is best-placed to do so. If the man from Tallaght is a genuine flyweight contender, tonight he’ll have the perfect opportunity to let the world know.
Main card (9pm on Setanta Ireland, 3e and UFCFightPass.com)
Paddy Holohan vs. Louis Smolka
Norman Parke vs. Reza Madadi
Darren Till vs. Nicolas Dalby
Neil Seery vs. Jon Delos Reyes
Prelims (6.15pm on UFCFightPass.com)
Stevie Ray vs. Mickael Lebout
Aisling Daly vs. Ericka Almeida
Scott Askham vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Cathal Pendred vs. Tom Breese
Robert Whiteford vs. Darren Elkins
Bubba Bush vs. Garreth McLellan
A day in the life of an Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete on fight week
A fighter who knows them both well ‘can’t pick a winner’ between Holohan and Smolka
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