With Irish fight fans' pulses still soaring following Conor McGregor's championship-winning exploits last weekend, it’s time to shift the focus from the bright lights of Sin City to Glasgow where the UFC will make its Scottish debut on Saturday evening.

UFC Glasgow will be headlined by a contest between perennial middleweight contender Michael Bisping and Brazilian submission whizz Thales Leites, as well as featuring a glut of Scottish fighters, but our eyes will be firmly fixed on the fortunes of the three Irish combatants scheduled to go into battle.

'IRISH' JOE DUFFY

When you mention the name Joe Duffy to anyone you’re usually met with one of two responses. "Do you mean that fella off the radio?" is probably the most common, closely followed by "He's the last guy to beat Conor McGregor" and, unsurprisingly, it’s only the latter of these two statements which is true. Donegal native Duffy, a lightweight (155lbs/70KG), is one of the most promising mixed martial arts fighters Ireland has produced in our brief but fruitful relationship with the sport so far. The softly-spoken Duffy is about as opposite a figure to McGregor as you could expect, preferring to do his talking in the cage rather than in the media.

An easier comparison between the two, though, is that they're both among the finest stand-up fighters in their divisions. Duffy, like McGregor, is a former Cage Warriors standout but the Donegal man – who at that point was essentially a submission fighter – took a sabbatical from MMA to concentrate on becoming a professional boxer. Three years and seven professional victories later, Duffy returned to MMA with his submission game still intact (just ask Damien Lapilus) but also an incredibly crisp boxing game added to his arsenal. Training now in Tristar Gym under Firas Zahabi, the man who honed the great Georges St. Pierre, Duffy has the potential to reach the absolute summit of the sport.

Joe Duffy (13-1) v Ivan Jorge (26-4)

Prediction: Joe Duffy by TKO, Round Two

PADDY 'THE HOOLIGAN' HOLOHAN

If Paddy Holohan hadn't ignited the crowd with his early submission victory of Josh Sampo in the first bout in UFC Dublin a year ago, who's to say the rest of the night would have ended up as it did. Holohan was given the perhaps unenviable task of being the first Irish fighter on show during that historic event and what a damp squib it would have been to see the popular Tallaght man come up short. Thankfully he didn't and the rest is history. The Hooligan is a teammate of Conor McGregor in John Kavanagh's Straight Blast Gym but unlike the Interim Featherweight Champion who looks to sap your energy with strikes, Holohan's game is much more predicated on a close-quarters, submission style. That's not to dismiss his striking though, the rangy Holohan is the owner of a vicious uppercut and reports coming from the Dubliner's training camp suggest that his boxing has finally squared up with his excellent grappling, making him a threat wherever the fight goes.

Paddy Holohan (11-1-1) v Vaughan Lee (14-10)

Prediction: Paddy Holohan by Judge’s Decision

PAUL 'REDSER' REDMOND

A teammate of Neil Seery in Andy Ryan's Team Ryano gym, Dublin native Paul Redmond is the latest Irish recruit to make it to the UFC. Redmond made his UFC debut in January, taking a fight against blue-chip prospect Mirsad Bektic on short notice. A tough weight cut and the lack of preparation time against an opponent of Bektic’s quality led to Redser losing a decision but this time around Redmond has had a 10 week training camp to prepare for what is, without question, the biggest fight of his life. Standing across the cage from him on Saturday evening? Hometown hero Robert Whiteford. Redmond has every chance of playing the spoiler in Glasgow. Huge for the featherweight division, Redmond can outmuscle almost anyone who steps into a ring with him. As well as that, Redmond also possesses one of the most devastating submission holds in the division having won nearly a third of his fights with a toe hold (look it up, it's painful!).

Paul Redmond (10-5) v Robert Whiteford (11-2)

Prediction: Redmond via Submission, Round Three

All of the fights are available on UFC Fight Pass. 

 

By John Balfe