The last few years have been an unprecedented whirlwind for Irish MMA. The sport has seen the country's top competitors go from fighting in school halls to being on the cusp of stadium shows.
But before the sport could gain the wide-scale popularity and increase in the talent pool that is has done recently, the ground work had to be done.
The likes of Conor McGregor and Cathal Pendred are now walking out to cheers of thousands thanks to the generation of Irish fighters that paved the way for them, putting in place the structures that have now led to the success that our current UFC fighters are reaping.
One such fighter is Owen "Rowdy" Roddy, who currently runs his own MMA gym in Finglas, Primal MMA, as well as working closely with Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh in his camps. In this Severe MMA video, Roddy looks back at his own career, and the fledgling years of Irish MMA.