UFC: Conor McGregor and 2017's five defining moments for British and Irish MMA
2017 has been a banner year for mixed martial arts, in particular over on these shores where MMA continues to find itself marginalised in mainstream sporting media.
The battle for widespread acceptance will no doubt continue in 2018 and beyond, but here are five particular moments where British and Irish fighting was front and centre.
UFC makes a triumphant return to the capital
On March 18, Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to London for a Fight Night card at the 02 that, in typical fashion for a British/Irish UFC show, provided all the excitement and significance of a pay-per-view.
Headlined by Jimi Manuwa’s explosive KO win over Corey Anderson, Fight Night 107 also featured Brad Pickett’s emotional final step into the Octagon as he fell to a late stoppage at the hands of late stand-in Marlon Vera.
The event was enough of a success for Dana White to set a return to the English capital on pretty much the same weekend in 2018. Not many locations outside the US get annual UFC visits, let alone with a set position on the calendar. It’s a very positive step.
And Bellator loved it so much they came back, too
Bellator are the closest to competition that the UFC juggernaut have, and the company’s second London event after their July 2016 debut was a smash hit at Wembley Arena.
Baby Slice, son of the late and notorious slugger Kimbo Slice, got the main card off to a fast start before Linton Vassell earned a light-heavyweight title shot by seeing off Liam McGeary in the chief support bout.
Finally, Rory McDonald humbled Paul Daley in his Bellator debut in the main event, in a fight that was overshadowed by the aftermath of Daley and Michael ‘Venom’ Page getting into an altercation due to their bad blood.
Conor McGregor: More than just MMA
One of the sporting highlights of 2017, the crossover spectacle that was McGregor vs Mayweather took place in a boxing ring and yet, earned UFC a truckload of money and publicity. The Irishman ended up bolstering his employers without once stepping into the Octagon this year.
The debate between tribal boxing and MMA fans defending their respective passions was fuelled to all-new heights by McGregor’s brave and bountiful foray into another profession that drew far more viewers than it did detractors (and, let’s be honest, many of those detractors were also viewers).
READ MORE: Gossip – Bale could help Real land Kane
READ MORE: Pep fears Man City burnout
Darren Till blasts past the ‘gatekeeper’
Our next domestic MMA star could perhaps be Darren Till, the unbeaten welterweight who added three more wins to his record this year to bring it to 16-0-1. Though the first was marred by the Liverpool man’s failure to make weight, the third could be one that MMA fans look back upon as the night Till’s rise to the top truly gathered speed.
Darren took just four minutes and 20 seconds to halt respected UFC stalwart and self-proclaimed “gatekeeper” Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone on October 21 in Gdansk, Poland and when he steps into the cage in 2018, expect the bouts to be big ones. Not only that, but there’s once again talk of Liverpool finally getting a UFC show of its own with Till in the main event.
Michael Bisping’s big night
Michael Bisping lost the UFC middleweight title on November 4 to a man who may never fight at that weight class again (or at all). But that’s merely the ‘glass half empty’ spin on it.
READ MORE: Atletico cool Griezmann exit talk
READ MORE: Saints ready to spend Van Dijk cash
UFC’s first true British star finally got the type of headline bout (and payday) he had been dreaming of his entire career when he headlined the company’s big Madison Square Garden supershow against the legendary Georges St-Pierre, regardless of the result. UFC 217 showed that ‘The Count’ will indeed go down in history as a name of similar stature to the likes of GSP and other forefathers of the rise of MMA.
And the big-talking Brit will likely headline the London return in his final fight, against an opponent yet to be decided. If that is indeed how things go down, that final blast of ‘Song 2’ by Blur at the O2 in March will be a certain addition to any such article this time next year.
